Degree Apprenticeship in Digital & Technology Solutions

Duration of Programme: 4 and a 1/2 years of blended work-based, distance and on campus learning

Total number of credits gained: 360

• eligible to work in the UK
  
• not in full-time education (at the time you enrol on the programme)
  

To be eligible for admission to this programme a student must be recruited jointly by Aston University and an employer in a role with responsibilities aligned with the degree content.

Applicants should have a level 3 qualification (such as A levels, BTEC or equivalent) and at least grade C GCSE Maths and English to be eligible to apply, however, individual companies will also specify further requirements. All applicants will be required to pass an online strength-based assessment in order to be invited to an assessment centre for further tests and interview.

Attendance Requirement:

• 7 week block of face-to-face study at the start of the programme
• Evening online seminars and tutorials
• Four on-campus teaching days in each six-month block plus up to two days for examinations

Support: At every level of your degree, appropriate support will be provided to help you achieve your goals. A skills coach will be assigned to you throughout the first stage of the programme and an independent professional mentor is available to advise in later years.

Tuition fees: Students do not pay fees for the programme, the fees are being met jointly by the UK Government and the student’s employer. Note that employers may require students to pay the fees for resits.

The first stage of the programme is common to both streams and starts with a shared 7-week block of technical training (Foundations of Technology Solutions module). This is followed by work-based learning tailored to the individual role in the employer’s business and blended learning modules providing a foundation for further university study.

The second and third stages are split into two specialisms. Software Engineering has a technical focus and teaches practical programming skills as well as the theoretical foundations of computer science. Business Analyst has both technical and business focus and places particular importance on the understanding and management of data. Both specialisms feature individual and group projects which can be specified to meet the needs of the business and role.

Stage 1

• Foundations of Technology Solutions
• Professional Practice
• Problem Solving
• Computer Systems and Networks
• Systems Development
• Introduction to Business Organisations
• Internet Computing

Stage 2

Core modules:

• Group Project
• Professional and Social Aspects of Computing
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Internet Applications and Techniques

• Business Analytics
• Introduction to Accounting
• Introduction to Business Economics
• System and Software Analysis

Core Modules for Software Engineer Specialism:

• Mathematics for Computing Professionals
• Software Engineering
• Programming Language Concepts
• Operating Systems
• Java Program Construction
• Data Structures and Algorithms with Java

Final Stage

Core modules:

• Individual Project
• Information Security
• Software Project Management
• Data Mining
• Strategic Management (Business Analyst Specialism only)
• Testing and Reliable Software Engineering (Software Engineer Specialism only)
• Interaction Design (Software Engineer Specialism only)

Optional modules:

• Advanced Database Systems
• Enterprise Computing Strategies
• Managing People & Team Leading
  
• Effective Management Consultancy (Business Analyst Specialism only)
  
• International Operations (Business Analyst Specialism only)
• Mobile Development (Software Engineer Specialism only)
• Enterprise Application Technology (Software Engineer Specialism only)
• Geographic Information Systems (Software Engineer Specialism only)