Postgraduate Diploma in Software Engineering

In the Front End Development module, learners will acquire a deep understanding of user interface design principles, UI development tools, techniques, libraries, frameworks, single-page application development and testing. The module begins with learners acquiring a thorough comprehension of design thinking methodologies, UI heuristics, visual design principles, user experience design metrics and prototyping techniques, leading to transform the designs to user-centric websites. The instructional units equip them with the knowledge necessary to create interactive user interfaces and deliver seamless experiences. By engaging in practical exercises and hands-on activities, learners develop a high level of proficiency in creating visually appealing websites that adhere to the best UI design principles, leveraging front-end tools, techniques, frameworks, and libraries.

The module project provides learners with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in analysing business requirements, conducting user research, creating personas, wireframing, prototyping, and transforming them into visually appealing website designs. Their expertise in UI development tools, techniques, and responsive design allows them to apply the most effective UI design principles, resulting in the creation of responsive websites with interactive features that enhance user engagement. Additionally, graduates showcase their ability to optimize website performance for swift loading times and seamless navigation. In conclusion, learners acquire the ability to develop responsive websites that deliver optimal performance and an enhanced user experience, positioning themselves competitively in the field of front-end development.

The Programming Foundations module equips learners, regardless of their coding experience, with essential knowledge and skills to start their coding journey. This module provides a comprehensive understanding of programming concepts and techniques, encompassing programming languages, paradigms, and program execution. By establishing a solid foundation in programming principles and terminology, learners can grasp and analyze code effectively. By engaging in practical exercises and hands-on activities, learners enhance their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, thereby improving their coding proficiency and enabling them to produce efficient and well-structured code.

The module project provides learners with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills into practice by constructing software components. This project serves as a platform for demonstrating their competence in analyzing technical requirements and converting them into resilient designs. Leveraging their expertise in programming paradigms and languages, learners can implement software components based on the technical design. Additionally, they acquire the capability to ensure software quality through the utilization of diverse testing methods. In conclusion, learners acquire the capacity to produce well-structured code, apply object-oriented programming principles, conduct comprehensive testing, and proficiently document their code, establishing a solid foundation for their future programming ventures.

The Database Design and Implementation module equips learners with the expertise required to excel in various facets of database management. Through the instructional units, learners acquire a holistic comprehension of data organization, database design concepts, entity-relationship modelling, normalization techniques, data definition, retrieval, maintenance, testing, and documentation. By actively participating in practical exercises and hands-on activities, learners develop proficiency in tasks such as planning database usage, creating conceptual, logical, and physical designs, optimizing queries and stored procedures, and conducting thorough testing and documentation. These skills enable learners to effectively communicate database schemas, entities, relationships, and data dictionaries, facilitating collaboration and ensuring smooth maintenance processes.

During the module project, learners demonstrate their ability to create an optimal database design for a consumer-centric Rich Internet Application. The project serves as a platform for showcasing their expertise in various areas, including requirements analysis, entity relationships and constraints, development of conceptual, logical, and physical designs, planning of database user groups aligned with business processes, writing optimized queries and stored procedures to meet management requirements, and conducting comprehensive testing to ensure accuracy, reliability, and performance. In summary, learners acquire the capability to develop efficient and effective databases for client-centric products, meeting industry demands for design optimization, query performance, and system reliability, thus staying competitive in the field of data modelling and design.

The Web Development Foundations module equips learners with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the field of full-stack web development. The instructional units help them to gain a comprehensive understanding of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), technical design principles, back-end development principles and techniques, design patterns, application development using frameworks, testing, and documentation. By engaging in practical exercises and hands-on activities, learners develop proficiency in back-end development using frameworks, expertise in creating modular and scalable web applications, testing methods, and effective documentation practices.

During the module project, learners demonstrate their ability to produce consumer-web applications that incorporate design patterns and database interaction. The project serves as a platform for showcasing their competence in technical design aligned business process, architecting solutions to address specific business problems, implementing appropriate design patterns with authentication and authorization, conducting unit testing and user acceptance testing to ensure compliance with business requirements and application quality. In summary, learners develop the skills necessary to pursue web developer roles and contribute to the development of scalable and dependable client-focused web applications that meet the demands of the industry.

In the Develop Enterprise Applications module, learners will acquire the essential knowledge and skills required to create enterprise-level applications that align with organizational requirements. Throughout this module, learners will gain a comprehensive understanding of key topics, including enterprise application architecture, implementation of business logic and integration techniques, user interface development, and the testing, deployment, and maintenance of enterprise software. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises, learners will develop proficiency in building robust and scalable enterprise applications by leveraging design patterns, frameworks, and libraries.

The module project offers learners a platform to demonstrate their proficiency in enterprise application development, enabling them to make valuable contributions to organizational success and growth. By optimizing operations, streamlining processes, automating tasks, and improving efficiency, learners can enhance the overall effectiveness of organizations. These applications facilitate seamless communication and collaboration, ensuring data consistency, security, and accessibility. Additionally, enterprise application development fosters innovation, differentiation, and a competitive edge by integrating emerging technologies and providing unique functionalities. Ultimately, it empowers organizations to optimize operations, adapt to changing needs, and gain a sustainable advantage in the market.

In the 'Generative AI' module, learners will acquire valuable knowledge and skills through a comprehensive exploration of various learning units. The module begins by providing an introduction to Generative AI Models, equipping learners with a fundamental understanding of this exciting field. They will delve into the principles, techniques, and applications of generative AI, laying the foundation for further exploration. Moving forward, learners will be introduced to OpenAI and its renowned ChatGPT technology. They will discover how ChatGPT can be applied in practical scenarios, gaining insights into its capabilities and potential applications. Through hands-on exercises, learners will develop the skills to effectively utilize ChatGPT for interactive conversations and communication.

The module then focuses on exploring the use cases of ChatGPT in research and content generation. Learners will examine real-world examples and understand how ChatGPT can be leveraged for generating high-quality content, aiding in research endeavours, and facilitating creative processes. Furthermore, learners will explore the use of ChatGPT in enhancing business productivity. They will discover how to employ ChatGPT to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and boost efficiency within a business environment. Through practical exercises, they will develop productivity tools that leverage generative AI models like ChatGPT. To consolidate their learning, learners will undertake a project-based approach. They will engage in diverse projects involving the development of tutorials, applications, research examples, productivity tools, and even building a Microsoft Virtual Assistant ChatBot. These projects will enable learners to apply their knowledge and skills in practical settings, enhancing their understanding and competence in generative AI.

Throughout this module, learners will emerge with the ability to harness generative AI models like ChatGPT effectively. They will acquire the skills to develop innovative solutions, facilitate research and content generation, and improve business productivity. The 'Generative AI' module offers an immersive learning experience in this rapidly advancing field.

The Agile Project Management module provides learners with a comprehensive understanding of project management and Scrum methodology implementation. The module covers essential topics such as Agile Project Management, Project Management using Scrum, Building a Scrum Team, and Scrum Planning & Implementation. Learners develop expertise in implementing Project Management using Scrum, including project planning, user story prioritization, role assignment, sprint execution, and defining sprints and success measures.

The unit incorporates real-world case studies to enhance practical understanding. Case Study 1 focuses on the implementation of Scrum within a product team, providing learners with authentic scenarios and challenges. Case Study 2 explores overcoming obstacles in Scrum implementation, equipping learners with hands-on experience in managing project complexities. Case Study 3 examines the impact of organizational and team structures on Agile project management, offering valuable insights for optimizing project performance. Learners will also gain hands on exposure to using ClickUp tool to create and manage the scrum.

By combining theory and practical experience, the unit equips learners to apply Agile principles and leverage Scrum methodology effectively. Upon completion, learners possess the skills needed to navigate project management intricacies and drive successful outcomes.

The Capstone Project - Application Implementation module marks the pinnacle of learners' progression in mastering the design and development of enterprise-level applications within the Advanced Certificate in Software Development program. This module entails an extensive project where learners leverage their expertise to conceive, create, and deploy a practical enterprise application that optimizes business processes, unifies data, and integrates disparate systems into a cohesive environment, that enhance organizational efficiency and productivity. The project commences with a meticulous requirements gathering and analysis, and close collaboration with stakeholders to establish clear project objectives. Drawing upon their solid foundation in enterprise architecture design, development, integration techniques, testing methodologies, and problem management principles, learners proceed with front-end, middleware, and back-end components development. Learners conduct rigorous testing to ensure application quality, and fix the issues by considering scalability, security, and performance optimization before promoting the application to the production environment.

It allows the leaners to demonstrate a diverse range of essential soft skills including interpersonal communication, professional ethics, problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, critical thinking, adaptability, flexibility, negotiation, effective communication, collaboration, and teamwork, empowering them to succeed in the software industry and thrive in leadership roles. In conclusion, learners acquire the skills necessary to pursue careers as all rounded software developers and make valuable contributions to the development of scalable and reliable applications that prioritize the organization growth.