• Undergraduate
  • Apprenticeship

Digital and Technology Solutions: IT Consultant

BSc (Hons) Level 6
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Overview

Overview

This IT Consultant Degree Apprenticeship will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to provide technology-enabled solutions to stakeholders and customers, both internal and external. Gain a highly valuable university degree without paying tuition fees, as you earn money in a relevant, challenging job role.

The role of an IT consultant

To be a successful IT consultant you will need to develop a broad range of skills. These include:

  • business analysis
  • solutions development
  • network infrastructure
  • data
  • cyber security.

You will use your consulting skills to advise clients on how to best make use of technology to meet their business objectives, overcome problems and increase productivity. You will also provide technical assistance and are likely to be responsible for providing training on the use of information and communications technology.

Business professionals gathered around a computer

Select a start date below to see relevant course information:

Start date:

View apprenticeships standards End Point Assessment
Requirements

Requirements

Requirements for apprentices

A levels (level 3), normally in a minimum of two subjects, plus A*-C or 9-4 GCSE qualifications (Level 2) in English and Maths. Applicants with no formal qualifications will also be considered on an individual basis.

English and maths only

If you do not have evidence of these qualifications, then we strongly recommend you achieve these before you start the apprenticeship.

For applicants living in London*, we have free courses-please see information here:

Open the door to new career possibilities with our free courses in Maths and English (uwl.ac.uk)

*You must be able to meet the eligibility criteria.

If you have an overseas qualification, we will check this for its UK equivalency during your application and let you know what you may need to do to meet the requirement.

Eligibility

All apprenticeships starting from 1 August 2021:

Eligibility is subject to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Apprenticeship Funding Rules. Over the duration of the apprenticeship, you must meet the eligibility requirements in place at the time, including:

  • Have the right to work and study in England
  • Spend at least 50% of your working time in England; and
  • Are a UK citizen and have been ordinarily resident for the last three years in the UK or meet one of the following immigration statuses:

UK and Irish Nationals: have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for the three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

EEA nationals: have either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Gibraltar, or the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

*Non-EEA nationals: you are eligible if you have permission from the UK government to live in the UK, (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

* You must meet the UK government’s eligibility criteria for apprenticeship funding: 

Where an applicant for an apprenticeship does not hold a UK passport as a British citizen, these requirements state that you must have an immigration permission in the UK that allows you to study and will cover the length of the whole apprenticeship in full without you needing to extend your visa or immigration permission during the apprenticeship.

Please check the guidance for further clarification, particularly for information on:

  • Family members of UK and EEA nationals
  • Individuals with certain types of immigration status and their family members
  • Asylum seekers
  • Other immigration status.

You can also contact the Student Admissions Team admissions@uwl.ac.uk if you require further clarification.

Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

The aim of this apprenticeship is to produce IT professionals who are capable of making a real contribution to their employer in a range of roles during and after the degree. The Degree Apprenticeship will equip you with the key IT professional skills and knowledge across three years.

Compulsory modules

  • Mathematics for Computing

    This module will introduce students to the main concepts and techniques of discrete structures and their applications in computer science. Main areas covered by the course include logic, set theory, relations and functions and combinatorics.

  • Programming

    The module provides a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of Java programming language and object programming concepts. It will focus on the design and build of Java desktop applications using the Java Development Kit and popular Integrated Development Environments, following established industry standard methodologies. The module will have a strong emphasis on using OO modelling techniques to interpret and implement business related applications.

  • Information Systems and Databases

    This module aims to introduce students to information systems theory and to explore the way that databases underpin IS systems. The module will also examine the principles and techniques involved in implementing relational databases. It will cover database environments, database analysis, database design and will also give an introduction to database security and transaction management. Oracle will be used to explore the capabilities of SQL and to construct a small relational database.

  • Introduction to Business Management

    This module will provide a broad understanding of business management in the modern world. It will cover both the internal and external business environments. the external business environment covers the political context within which business operates, legal structures of businesses in private and public sectors, and corporate responsibility. The internal business environment covers organisational structure and functional areas, organisational behaviour, culture and values, individual and personal behaviour, group and team processes, accounting and finance.

  • Fundamentals of Network and Security

    The module provides a business focussed view of networks and security. The role of the network is fundamental to most organisations and the key focus of this module is on understanding some of the key technologies and services offered; how they fit within an organisation with emphasis on security issues and the role of the professionals that plan, deploy and manage the networks.

  • Work-Based Studies in Digital and Technology Sector

    This module gives academic credit for learning that occurs in the workplace. Current knowledge will be identified and evidenced. New learning relevant to the needs of you as the apprentice and your employer will be identified along with learning opportunities and resources.

    The learning outcomes will be unique to you and your employer. They will be defined in an individual learning agreement, which will include details of how the outcomes are to be achieved. You will identify a work-related issue or challenge which requires investigation, leading to the identification of a suitable topic, which must present you with sufficient intellectual challenge.

    You will develop and demonstrate that you have applied study skills effectively, such as exploring complex concepts and theories, and making informed judgements.

Compulsory modules

  • Mobile Web App Development

    This module will allow you to gain experience in developing mobile web applications, and have an introduction to the tools, languages and design techniques required for building functional applications. During the module you will gain exposure to a programming language that can support native mobile application development, and you will be introduced to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) software design pattern.

  • Enterprise and Business Development

    This module helps students develop the skills and knowledge needed to launch and manage a small business successfully. It examines the concepts of entrepreneurship and innovation and then defines and helps students acquire the personal and professional skills needed to succeed as entrepreneurs in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). Students are helped to reflect on their own abilities and aspirations and assisted in the preparation of a viable business start-up plan. By the end of the module students will have located and evaluated sources of information related to support, advice and funding of business start-ups and will have developed functional skills appropriate to the management of SMEs.

  • Group Research Project

    This module is designed to bring together the tools and techniques covered in earlier modules dealing with industrially recognised development frameworks that incorporate prototyping. It looks at the methods of analysing a business problem and subsequently highlights the process of utilising the different software development process models, which can be applied in the realisation of a software solution. In particular it addresses the issues raised through following iterative and incremental development approaches.

    In addition, the module is designed to allow students to learn to carry out research activities in a systematic and organised way and to critically evaluate and review their work and the work of others. The skills learnt within this module will prepare students to research and explore project ideas that they may work on during their final year.

  • Human-Centred Computing

    This module is about human and technical aspects of interactive computing systems and organisations. In the course of taking this module, you'll consider the interplay between human users, designers, developers and computers. Therefore, its basis is in psychology and human factors as well as in software engineering and interaction design.

  • Systems Analysis and Design

    This module will allow the student to practice systems analysis and design techniques in order to provide a design solution to a specific problem. The content of module will include:

    1. Elicitation methods
    2. Task and data analysis
    3. Establishment and management of requirements
    4. Analysis and design documentation, e.g. use cases, sequence diagrams, conceptual models
    5. Change management
    6. Risk management

  • Marketing and Organisation Management

    This aim of the module is to enable the students to gain an overall understanding of marketing and organisation management. It allows the students to fully understand the day-to-day operations, including the various functions within organisations. Students will also learn how HRM can play a significant role in organisations in the long term through learning and development. Furthermore, the module will introduce the principles, methods and tools of marketing.

Compulsory modules

  • Business Domain Analysis

    This aim of the module is to enable the students to gain an overall understanding of business domain analysis. Business analysis ensures the alignment between business needs and business change solutions, e.g. IT systems, and business-IT alignment allows business solutions deliver the desired business outcomes. This module focuses on a holistic view on the people, organisation, technology and information perspectives of business domains. It covers the theories, methods and techniques of identifying, capturing and analysing business needs in relation to business strategies, stakeholders and business processes.

  • Managing IS Projects

    This module aims to give you an understanding of how to manage information system (IS) development projects so as to deliver quality projects on time and within budget. Your studies will apply to the management of your individual project as well as to team leader roles in the management of larger scale commercial projects.

  • Enterprise Security Management

    This module emphasises on the security requirements for enterprises in the digital world. It will take an explicit approach towards identifying the security risks for organizations in the current era and delve into a holistic approach to address/mitigate against these risks. The content of the module will include:

    • Introduction to a digital enterprise
    • Threats to enterprise infrastructure
    • The information security process: Prevention, Detection and Response
    • Authentication and Authorization for enterprise networks
    • Risk Assessment
    • Intrusion Detection and Response
    • Security Auditing
    • Backup and Disaster recovery
    • Best practices for organizational security
    • Emerging trends for enterprise security.

  • IT Consultancy

    This module will enable students to learn and actively and critically apply business strategy concepts to diagnose, manage, design and change challenges by organisations. Concepts of consulting will be also analysed to provide students with a strong understanding of strategic approaches for managing consulting projects and managing client relationships.

  • Synoptic project

    The synoptic project is a work-based project that broadly represents the skills, knowledge and behaviours in the standard. The project will provide substantive evidence from a business-related project to demonstrate the application of skills and knowledge. The end point assessment integrates the project outcomes and presentation into the overall synoptic project assessment. It will take place over a period of around 6 months, in the final year of the programme. It is designed to assess apprentices in a consistent way, irrespective of their particular workplace. Because of the significance of the project, the employer and university should work together with the apprentice to agree a project that is achievable within the employer’s business constraints and that meets the requirements of the standard. The project should be conducted as part of the apprentice’s normal work. Employers should make suitable allowance for the project to be undertaken, both in terms of time and resources. However there are some elements such as the writing of the report, particularly in its reflective aspects, that may be undertaken outside of normal work. This should be agreed between apprentice, employer and university such that apprentices are not disadvantaged in any way from performing their job and meeting the requirements of the project. Any issues with confidentiality and/or security will also be addressed between the university, employer and apprentice, allowing for projects of business value to be undertaken using real data. The project should relate to one of the specialisms in the standard.

Teaching & learning

Teaching & learning

A male student sat down negotiating in front of his laptop next to other students.

The approach to learning and teaching on this course draws on the experience of our academic staff in delivering part-time and work-based provision, combined with our expertise in the digital and technology field. Our approach promotes the principles of scholarship, employability and active learning.

Combining theory with professional practice will be key to your learning. We will introduce you to the key theories and concepts, and you will be able to explore these in relation to real-world examples and case studies. These can be drawn from your own professional practice as well as those provided by the academic staff team.

The teaching and learning strategy includes the provision of blended modes of delivery, i.e. combining digital methods with traditional classroom-based tuition, to encourage you to engage actively with your course. Staff will routinely draw on a range of technological resources, which include: 

  • videos
  • wikis
  • webinars
  • screen capture technologies.
Student talking to staff member in an office

Our virtual learning environment (Blackboard) will support you as a student, both on and off campus. Electronic submission and feedback is used where appropriate, and we use a range of technologies to support communication between you as a student and your lecturers, personal tutor and other UWL staff.

We will encourage you to develop critical scholarship and independent learning, and be actively engaged as you progress through your studies. The culmination of this is the synoptic project, which is a major piece of work-based and scholarly activity that combines your academic studies with professional practice. The synoptic project is work-based, enabling you to provide substantive evidence from a business-related project to demonstrate your ability to apply skills and knowledge.

The End Point Assessment (EPA) integrates the project outcomes and presentation into your overall synoptic project assessment. The EPA will take place over a period of around six months, during the final year of your course. It is designed to assess your knowledge and skills in a consistent way, irrespective of the workplace in which you are based.

Two male figures working at their laptops making notes on the piece of paper

Study mode

As an apprentice, you'll spend 20% of your working time 'off-the-job', studying at the University. Study is part-time, on weekdays, in a combination of single days and blocks of days: 

  • Day release: One day per week in the Autumn (September - January) and Spring (February - May) semesters. Hours of study are six hours a day for 16 weeks in Year 1 and eight hours a day for 14 weeks in Years 2 & 3.
  • Block release: 10 days over 4 weeks in the Summer (June to August) semester.
Professional researching on laptop

How you will be assessed

The course has been designed to offer a strong combination of academic study with vocational application developing expertise and skills for a professional career in the digital and technology field. Opportunities to apply your learning in the workplace and reinforce university-based studies will be provided throughout the course. You will also be expected to draw heavily upon your workplace for examples, broader opinions and opportunities to apply concepts and try out techniques and tools.

Modules are assessed predominantly by coursework assignments reflecting a work-based orientation of the course. Although not all assessment can be based on work undertaken in the work place, where possible this will be the preferred mode of assessment.

At all levels the assessment of modules includes a mix of summative and formative elements. A key goal is to ensure that assessments are supporting the learning experience. The driving force of the assessment strategy is the course learning outcomes.  A key goal is to ensure that assessments are supporting the learning experience. 

Costs & fees

Costs & fees

Costs for apprentices

Although there are no tuition fees payable by you as an apprentice, additional costs may be incurred which are outside of the apprenticeship levy funding. Please discuss additional costs directly with your employer.

Costs for employers

For employers, the costs of training your apprentice will usually be covered by the apprenticeship levy. Find out more about how apprenticeship funding works.

Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Malte Ressin

Dr Malte Ressin

I have extensive experience of working within the software development industry and academia; academic authoring and publication review for journals and conferences.

I have extensive experience of working within the software development industry and academia; academic authoring and publication review for journals and conferences.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

Teacher or industry professional helping a student in front of a computer.

As an apprentice on this course, you will be able to apply the knowledge you gain from your studies to your professional practice. You will benefit from:

  • a BSc (Hons) degree from University of West London without having to pay tuition fees
  • the opportunity to work in a professional area and be paid a salary
  • being able to study partly by work-based learning, which can be more immediately and clearly relevant.

More specifically, the BSc (Hons) Digital & Technology Solutions (IT Consultant) Degree Apprenticeship will help you gain the ability to:

  • present optimised solutions to improve business processes and workflows through improved technology
  • recommend options based upon risks, costs vs benefits, and impact on other business processes
  • participate in walk-throughs for IT, to identify and document key risks within a client’s organisation
  • support training of end-users in preparation for system activation
  • evaluate the success of a new system, process, initiative, etc.

This degree apprenticeship also enables successful apprentices to progress to a MSc-level apprenticeship.

Contact us

Contact us

Janet is wearing a smart stripey jacket and black top. She has pink lipstick and red-brown hair and is facing towards the camera.

Janet Rowson, Director of Apprenticeships

Please get in touch with Janet Rowson to find out more about working with the University of West London as a training provider.

Please get in touch with Janet Rowson to find out more about working with the University of West London as a training provider.

More information