Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Information Technology via Online Distance Learning

Introduction to Business Management

The nature of business; Business plans and start-ups; Legalities – sole traders and partnerships; Limited companies, non-profit organisations, public sector organisations;

Strategic Management

Vision and mission; Objectives; Planning and strategy; Contingency planning, implementation, change control;

Operations Management

Production methods, cost, revenue and break-even analysis; Quality assurance; Production planning; Project management;

The External Environment

The nature of business; Economic systems; Structure of the industry; Sources of finance; Share capital, stock exchange, institutions providing finance;

Marketing

Marketing concepts; Market research: Market segmentation, positioning and targeting; New product development and the product life cycle; Brand awareness; The Marketing Mix (product, price, place, promotion); Competitor analysis; Marketing strategies; E-commerce;

Doing Business on the Internet

The Benefits of Digital Marketing; Doing Business on the Internet; Online Marketing Planning; Key Concepts in Internet Technology; Online Market Research;

Doing Business on a Global Scale

International management; Globalisation and multinational companies; Exportation; International marketing;

Mathematics and Statistics for Business

Financial Mathematics; Calculus and Profit Maximisation; Descriptive Statistics; Measure of Association; Probability; Statistical Inference;

Financial Accounting

Introduction to financial accounting; Users of financial information; Key accounting models; Terminology; Need for financial statements; The balance sheet; Balance sheet layouts, ratio and the balance sheet; Income statement and layout; Ratios, revenues and trade receivables; Owners equity; Cash flow measurement and documentation; Inventories and cost of sales; Tangible and intangible assets; Liabilities; Financial statements and recording transactions; Preparing financial statements; Analysing and interpreting financial statements; Analysis tools; Auditing;

Macroeconomics

Introduction to macroeconomics; Understanding macroeconomics; Principles of economics; How the market works; Gross domestic product; International trade; Open economy; Labour market; Income, expenditure and the circular flow; The consumer price index; Cost of taxation, employment, cost of living; The Philips Curve; National income, supply and demand for goods and services; Money and inflation; the Quantity theory of money; Interest rates; Social costs of inflation; Hyperinflation; Exchange rates; Economic fluctuations; Economic growth; Economy in the long run; Accumulation of capital; Population growth; Policies to promote growth; The Solow model; The business cycle; Aggregate demand and supply; The IS-LM model; The money market; How fiscal and monetary policies shift the LM curve; Floating and fixed exchange rates; The Mundell-Fleming model; Policy debates; Investment; Government policies;

Microeconomics

Introduction to microeconomics; Trade, trade-offs and government policy; Production and supply; Elasticities; Individual choice in supply and demand; Production and cost analysis; Competitive markets; Oligopoly and monopolistic competition and strategic pricing; Uncertainty;

Business Administration

Objectives; The office – planning and organisation; Equipping the office; The future of office administration;

Business Information Systems

Human aspects of computer interaction; Security, data protection and auditing; Electronic Data Interchange;

Leadership and Communication in the Workplace

Effective communication skills; Leadership styles; Information gathering and interpretation; Problem solving; Decision making; Workforce planning; Conflict resolution; Time management; Delegation;

Effective Performance in the Workplace

Company organisational culture and structures; Building an effective workforce – recruitment, team selection; Appointment and termination; Training and appraisal; Motivational strategies; Competition in the workplace; Wage and salary administration; Job restructuring;

Employee Relations and the Law

Human resources management; Employee representation; Industrial democracy including bargaining, consultation and participation; Industrial relations - action and disputes; Government policy (including EU and other industrial blocs); Consumer protection, workforce protection, equal opportunities legislation, pressure groups; Taxation;

Business Ethics

Business ethics; Business and the environment; Corporate social responsibility; Commercial Law; Company Law; Contract Law; Employment Law; Law of Tort;

Entrepreneurial Skills

Innovation, research and new product development;

Spreadsheets

Introduction to spreadsheets; Step by step instructions on using the features, functions and applications for spreadsheets; Customizing the spreadsheet software; Installing the spreadsheet software; Security; Platforms; Operating system compatibility;

Setting Up & Marketing Your Own Consultancy

The Business Plan; Legalities; Setting Up; The Marketing Strategy; Knowing Your Competitors; Promotional Tools;

Presentation Skills

Preparation and Research; Speech Content; Subject Matter and Objectives; Speech Delivery and Variety; Body Language; Eye Contact; Presentation Aids; Management of locations and audiences; Presentation structure;

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Computer Systems

Computer Architecture; Machine Language; Program Execution; Arithmetic/Logic Instructions; Communicating with Other Devices; Other Architectures; Network Fundamentals; The Internet; The World Wide Web; Internet Protocols; Security; The History of a Computing Hardware; The History of a Computing Software;

Communication and Information

Managing Information; Thinking Machines; The Turing Test; Aspects of AI; Knowledge Representation; Semantic Networks; Search Trees; Expert Systems; Networking; Types of Networks; Internet Connections; Packet Switching; Open systems and protocols; TCP/IP; High- Level Protocols; MIME types; Firewalls; Information Retrieval; Organisation;

Microprocessor Systems

CPU Scheduling; Memory Process and CPU management; Batch Processing; Multiprocessor Operating Systems; Computers and Electricity; Gates 94; Gate 96; XOR gate 96; NAND and NOR gates 97; Transistors; Combinational Circuits; Adders; Multiplexers; Circuits as Memory; Integrated Circuits; CPU Chips; Individual Computer Components; Stored-program Concept; Von Neumann Architecture; The Fetch-Execute Cycle; RAM and ROM; Secondary Storage Devices; Touch Screens; Embedded Systems; Parallel Computing; Parallel Hardware;

Operating Systems

The History of Operating Systems, Operating System Architecture, Coordinating the Machines Activities, Handling Competition among Processes, Security Roles of an Operating system, Memory Management, Process Management, Capabilities of the Hardware, Single User OS. Network OS, Real-time Operating Systems, Embedded Systems, Management of Input and Output, Processes and Scheduling, Threads, Syncronisation, Semaphores, Monitors, Deadlock, Scheduling, Memory Management.

Mathematics for Computing

Numbers and Computing; Positional Notation; Binary; Octal and Hexadecimal; Arithmetic in Other Bases; Power-of-2 Number Systems; Converting from Base 10 to other Bases; Binary Values and Computers;

Algorithms, Data Structures and Computability

The Definition of an Algorithm; The Role of Algorithms; The Science of Algorithms; The Concept of an Algorithm; Algorithm Representation; Unsolvable Problems; Analysing Algorithms; Algorithms with Simple Variables; Composite Variables; Algorithm Discovery; Iterative Structures Recursive Structures; Efficiency and Correctness;

Databases

Spreadsheets; Spreadsheet Formulas; Circular References; Spreadsheets Analysis; Database Management Systems; The Relational Model; Relationships; Structured Query Language; Database Design; E-Commerce; The Ubiquitous Database; Database types; Advantages of Using a Database; Modelling the Data Domain; Building a relational Database from the Data Model; Normalisation; SQL, DDL, DML; Storied Procedures; Triggers; Data Integrity; Transaction Isolation Levels; Accessing the Database Programmatically;

Introduction to Computers and the Internet

Organization, Machine Languages, Assembly Languages and High-Level Languages, History of the Internet and World Wide Web, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web, Personal, Distributed and Client/Server Computing, Hardware Trends, Object Technology, JavaScript: Object-Based Scripting for the Web, Browser Portability, C, C++ and Java, BASIC, Visual Basic, Visual C++, C# and .NET, Software Technologies.

Ecommerce: Theory and Practical

The meaning of E-Commerce, The advantages and disadvantages, The categories, The methods, E-Commerce solutions, Website Design and Usability Guidelines, Working with Images, file size and image quality considerations, differences between the three main image formats, Gimp programme, the Alt Text attribute, Site Uploading, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), FileZilla FTP Client software, HTML, Basic HTML code, HTML Hyperlinks, HTML Images, HTML Tables, Working with Forms, Cascading Style Sheets

Software Engineering

The Software Lifecycle, Software Engineering Discipline, The Software Lifecycle, Methodologies, Ownership and Liability, Software Engineering Methodologies, Social Ethics Theories, Software Ownership and Liability including copyright, intellectual property, patents and trademarks

Computer Security

Ethics Theories, Intellectual Property, Privacy, Encryption, Viruses, Worms and Trojan Horses, Hackers, Can Computers kill?, Information Security, Preventing unauthorized Access, Malicious Code, Antivirus Software, Security attacks, Passwords, CAPTCHA, Fingerprint Analysis, Cryptography, Security and Portable Devices, WikiLeaks.

Criteria for eligibility must be met in full prior to commencing the programme. For successful enrollment on the Postgraduate Diploma course, the minimum entry requirement is a prior Degree level qualification.

On successful completion of this course you will receive a Professional Postgraduate Diploma qualification that is certified and awarded by the ICM (Institute of Commercial Management).

The Institute of Commercial Management was founded in 1979 and is one of the leading Professional Examination and Certification Bodies in the world today. Fitzwilliam Institute have developed and provided practical skills training courses in liaison with the Institute of Commercial Management qualifications and certifications framework for over 25 years. The Institute of Commercial Management certifications and continual professional development training awards are recognised by leading industries, bodies and professions.

next start date: 3rd May 2024

Duration: You will have full access to online resources and subject expert support for two calendar years. However, you can complete the course in as little as 1 year, by dedicating 6-8 hours of study per week.

Course Fees: 1995.00 EUR

To secure your place on the course the full fee is required. All fees must be paid in full before the course begins. Please note, the full course fees are inclusive of all course materials and certification costs.

Enrolment intake is strictly limited on this course. Early application is advised. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.

We want to make education easy and enjoyable for you. At Fitzwilliam Institute, we offer a range of finance options to suit your needs.

You can buy now and pay later with humm - humm provides a simple application process, simple terms and conditions, up to 36 monthly payments. With low-interest rates.

Fitzwilliam Institute closes on Bank Holidays and for a number of days at Christmas and New Year. Fitzwilliam Institute reserves the right to postpone, cancel or alter courses without notice or to change any of the details in this brochure. Fees are not refundable unless the course is cancelled by Fitzwilliam Institute. Distance Learning courses are provided by Fitzwilliam Institute BGLS Ltd.