Postgraduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry
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Diploma
- Code
- C02
- Level
- Postgraduate
- Made up of
- 120 credit points
Description
Information technology is the key source of competitiveness for all sectors: it can open new markets, increase performance and drive productivity. Increasingly, professionals in industry are expected to have a broad range of information technology and business skills. They are also expected to cope with the challenges posed by the latest trends in the software industry, such as remote and collaborative working, standardisation of technologies, and outsourcing. We offer a range of postgraduate and post-experience courses with case-study-driven learning, which provide extensible knowledge that can be applied to lead technological and organisational change in the business environment. The courses can be studied on their own as part of a personal programme of professional updating, or as building blocks towards a postgraduate diploma and then an MSc degree.
If you would like more information about the Postgraduate ICT and Computing Programme, you can visit our website. This site includes additional information about the courses and qualifications, recommended routes through the programme and sample course materials.
This diploma is the broadest in our programme, you can choose courses from across the range of computing topics and may also include a course (or courses) from the OU Business School or from our information systems or technology management postgraduate programmes. This is a qualification for the generalist or non-standard specialist, where specific job functions demand a range of skills and knowledge, and where our courses can extend and deepen your knowledge.
Planning your studies
There are no entry requirements for the diploma courses, but you must be suitably prepared for study at professional level. You are expected to have studied to at least HNC/HND level, or to have had equivalent practical experience. Individual course descriptions will tell you more about the requirements.
There are no compulsory courses and you can take your chosen courses in any order. We recommend that you start with only one course in the first six-month study period. After this you will have a clearer understanding of the demands that courses will make on you, and can decide whether you wish to take more than one course at a time. If you find that you have time to study courses totalling 30 points in every study period, you can obtain a diploma in two years.
All postgraduate computing diploma courses (course code beginning with ‘M’) and many of the technology courses (course code beginning with ‘T’) are available with electronic submission and marking of assignments and so can be studied anywhere in the world. You should check the availability of the courses in this diploma you would like to study if you are studying outside the EU.
Courses can count towards this diploma for a maximum of eight years after we have stopped presenting them; we cannot guarantee that the same selection of courses will continue to be available.
You must include at least 40 credit points from OU courses that have not been counted in any other OU qualification you have been awarded.
Career relevance and employability
Nearly 20,000 students from over 7000 organisations have experienced for themselves how courses from our programme can improve their personal effectiveness and increase the performance and competitiveness of their employers.
The courses are designed for practising professionals and managers in the fields of computing, manufacturing and engineering, and related services, who need to update their skills and knowledge in specific areas, and to gain recognised qualifications to develop their careers.
For information on professional institutions, including the British Computing Society, and how they may value your OU study, please download our Recognition leaflet 3.7 Computing, or ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for a copy. You may be able to gain exemption from the Professional Graduate Diploma and PGD Project and accreditation as partially meeting the academic requirements for CEng/CSci registration, by virtue of having gained the Diploma and MSc in Computing for Commerce and Industry.
For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.
Courses
For this 120-point postgraduate diploma, you require:
90 points from the following optional courses:
| Postgraduate optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | Nov 2010 FINAL |
|
15 | May 2010 FINAL |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 FINAL |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
Subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses DMZX871, M867, M874, M877, M878, M879, M880, M881, T821
AND another 30 points chosen either from the above list or from these courses:
| Postgraduate optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
60 | May 2010 FINAL |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
15 | May 2010 |
|
30 | Nov 2010 FINAL |
|
60 | May 2010 FINAL |
|
30 | Nov 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | |
|
15 | Nov 2010 |
Subject to rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses B730 (45-point course but counts as only 30 points towards this diploma), B751, B752, B800 (60-point courses but count as only 30 points towards this diploma), T830, T833, T834, T836
* 60-point courses but count as only 30 points towards this diploma
Once you have completed the Postgraduate Diploma, you can gain the MSc in Computing for Commerce and Industry (F05) by taking a 60-point research project and dissertation course in a topic related to your work or interests.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Credit transfer details for this qualification:
On completion
On successful completion of 120 points’ worth of required courses you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry entitling you to use the letters PGD CCI (Open) after your name. If you obtain 60 points or more at Distinction grade in your courses you will qualify for the award of the diploma with Distinction.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Award Regulations
- Introduction to the Award Regulations
- General Award Regulations
- Postgraduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.
About this page
A postgraduate qualification in Computing and ICT.
Study explained
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Got a question?
Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90
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