Information Communication Technology (ICT) Solutions for Business Courses

The study of database design and management is essential for the business IT world today. Through this course, the student will be introduced to the concepts of database design and to the entity-relationship diagram (ERD). Using Microsoft SQL Server, the students will then develop SQL skills to query and manipulate data in an existing database. This course is designed to introduce students to databases and to help students manipulate and retrieve data through querying of a database.

In this course, students will understand barriers to intercultural communication, assess cultural differences, and apply strategies to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients from other cultures. Students will apply principles of plain language to communicate effectively to diverse audiences using a variety of communication channels. They will apply research strategies to evaluate sources of information and will apply APA standards of documentation and style to academic work. Students will analyse audience and purpose to create business correspondence using the direct approach.

This comprehensive course offers an in-depth exploration of computer hardware, operating systems, and networking, designed for students seeking foundational and advanced skills in IT support. Participants will identify and examine computer components, learning to locate and explain the functions of parts within desktop systems. Through hands-on disassembly and reassembly, students will develop practical skills, alongside understanding the roles of motherboards, processors, and memory configurations. The curriculum covers power supplies, storage devices, I/O management, and the intricacies of the Windows operating system, including installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting techniques. Students will be introduced to networking fundamentals and delve into security strategies, printer management, and the basics of virtualization and cloud computing. Additionally, the course includes insights into mobile operating systems and scripting in Linux and macOS, equipping learners with the tools to navigate the modern tech landscape confidently.

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of networking; from fundamentals to advanced applications, thereby providing a solid foundation upon which to build their Local Area Network (LAN) & Wide Area Network (WAN) training. It is based on a bottom-up approach to networking and emphasizes the concepts and skills required to design networks, while providing opportunities for practical application and hands-on experience by teaching students how to install, operate and maintain networks.

Students will create original, visually appealing websites, following current web development practices and sound design principles. Starting with a solid foundation in creating and structuring basic HTML5 web pages, students will then learn the basics of contemporary web design using CSS. Such topics as website planning, content creation, accessibility, copyright and user experience will also be introduced and evaluated. Throughout the course, there will be a focus on current trends and emerging technologies and solutions in the web industry. This course is designed to build a foundation for the more advanced web design and development courses in the ICT for Business Program.

Operating Systems is a course designed to give the user knowledge of the most popular and powerful operating systems used today. In this course, the student will acquire an understanding of both Linux and Windows operating systems. The student will gain understanding of the major features of an operating system, learn how to control the operating system, create shell script programs and install and manage packages and operating system virtual machines.

In this course, the student will design, build and interact with datasets in a relational database system. The entity-relationship diagram (ERD) will be further investigated to aid the student in the development and the creation of tables. With an advanced table structure in place, more complex methods of querying information will be employed, data report generation will be investigated and procedures and parameters will be examined. Concepts in database administration, integrity, security and design will be studied and applied to a practical database in this course.

This is an introductory course designed to teach the fundamentals of programming. Emphasis is on object-oriented programming. Objects will be used to solve a series of business problems. Using these solutions, computer programs will be written, tested and debugged using a professional editor such as Visual Studio. The C# language will be taught and used as the language for writing programs. The course starts with an introduction to the basic concepts of procedural and object-oriented programming and the typical components of a user-defined class. The course focuses on the logical structures central to all programming (the sequence, decision and loop) and along with object structures and how they can be applied to most business application needs. Additionally, this course will also introduce the basics of source control management and related tools.

The second course in the CCNA curriculum focuses on switching technologies and router operations that support small-to-medium business networks and includes wireless local area networks (WLAN) and security concepts. Students will learn key switching and routing concepts. They will learn to perform basic network configuration and troubleshooting, identify, and mitigate local area networks (LAN) security threats, and configure and secure a basic WLAN.

This course will provide students with the skills necessary to customize Software as a Service (SaaS) eCommerce solutions to meet business needs. Students will focus on eCommerce implementation, strategies to attract/convert consumers, and metrics critical to eCommerce success.

Building on the foundations of IC115, this course will concentrate on Open Source Software. Using "Responsive" design, students will design for both mobile and desktop. HTML/CSS/jQuery and JSON will underpin every project. This course will focus on current and cutting edge web architecture and will allow students to work on meaningful web applications.

This third course in the CCNA curriculum describes the architectures and considerations related to designing, securing, operating, and troubleshooting enterprise networks. This course covers a wide range of topics, some in-depth and some at a high-level. These include single-area OSPF, cybersecurity concerns (i.e., the identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities, threats and exploits), Access Control Lists (ACLs), Network Address Translation (NAT), Wide Area network (WAN) technologies, Quality-of-Service (QoS) mechanisms, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), software-defined networking, virtualization and automation concepts that support the digitalization of networks. Students gain skills to configure and troubleshoot enterprise networks and learn to identify and protect against cybersecurity threats.

Building on the foundations from IC115 and IC215, this course will introduce students to current tools and techniques for quickly building dynamic, engaging, and inclusive websites. Students will learn the basics of the PHP server-side language, database design, and layout frameworks such as Bootstrap. Students will also be introduced to Content Management System theme development using WordPress, and advanced techniques for workflow planning, content strategy, and rapid development.

Students will learn to access supporting databases working with web and Microsoft.NET framework technologies to code and enforce business rules. A firm foundation in ASP.NET programming will be developed. ASP.NET allows developers to rapidly develop and deploy n-tier architecture solutions ready for e-commerce.

This course introduces students to the nature of business and entrepreneurship. Students will obtain an overview of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process and then expand into key concepts, including business types, customers, marketing, financials and human resources. The options of franchising and purchasing existing businesses are also covered in this course. Students will outline and assess the components of a Business Plan.

Customer Engagement Management has evolved with industry to recognize the need and importance of intuitive system design that recognizes both user and business requirements. Currently IT development projects still face significant resistance and failure rates stemming from the inability of organizations to readily identify and address customer needs in a timely and effective manner. Through this course, you will be provided the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities that will allow you to further your understanding of how requirements are collected, distilled and processed into functional requirements for IT projects and application design. You will apply your newly acquired skills through proven user experience design techniques and methodologies to create clear, intuitive interfaces and system design.

This course emphasizes the importance of oral and written communication in an industrial and business setting. In Communications for Technology, students will work on independent and group projects and apply problem-solving techniques to develop both their individual and team building skills. Students will apply computer-technology and a variety of resources for researching, writing and presenting technical data into a clear and concise format.

In this course, students will develop managerial skills to propose, plan, secure resources, budget, and lead project teams to successful completion of projects. Students will also learn why organizations have developed a formal project management process supported by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) to gain a competitive advantage. The case study approach will be used along with an investigation of software and collaboration tools that aid in carrying out activities of project planning and project execution.

The capstone project, students integrate and apply the programming and database skills and knowledge acquired in the program on a real-world project. Students design an application and develop, document and test it. They will use all the skills like design patterns, data structures, web/mobile/windows application development skills in the project. Students demonstrate project management, professional behaviour, effective communication skills, problem-solving abilities and display the transition progress from trainee to professional. Students are expected to work independently or in group setting and in consultation with assigned faculty.

In this course, students will learn the basics of Cloud Computing and its operation to help IT professionals and other businesses. They will be introduced to the different kinds of cloud models and the service providers. Students will be introduced to the various features Cloud Computing offers and how to use it optimally, along with the risk and security features associated with Cloud services.

In this course, students will extend the skills required for accurate requirements gathering, timely and effective application customization and successful implementation that will result in effective e-commerce performance. Students will build on their network management & e-commerce skills to maximize the value of e-commerce service tools to small business.