Po s t g r a d u a t e Di p l o m a i n Co m pu te r So f twar e an d M e di a A ppl i c ati o n s
B a ck g r o un d
Postgraduate Diploma i n C om p u t er Software and Med ia Appl i cati ons
( w i t h sp eci al i sati o n i n D ata An al yt i cs a n d B u si n e ss In te l l i ge n c e )
Annually the World Economic Forum (WEF) engages the world’s foremost thinkers and leaders in business, politics and society on matters that shape and influence global, regional and industry agendas and to prepare us for “the next best thing.” At its 2016 meeting, its German founder and economist, Prof. Klaus Schwab, argued that we are at the tipping point of (what he advances as) the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This revolution differs from its predecessors in speed and intensity and it will change everything in the way we work, socialise, learn and experience. Whilst revolution has positive influences through vast technological changes, it will also have disruptive outcomes on conventional business. Schwab states that this new revolution will “… have no historical precedent, and are disrupting almost every industry in every country. For example, engineers, designers, and architects are combining computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering, and synthetic biology to pioneer a symbiosis between microorganisms, our bodies, the products we consume, and even the buildings we inhabit.” Evidence from private and public sector organisations of the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution via nanotechnology, biotechnology, genetics, artificial intelligence, etc., clearly points towards an environment in which smart systems in our work, home, schools and cities will become the norm. In an environment in which technology has become the central driver in the way we “do things”, the WEF presents case scenario’s in which organisations will “… experience very high growth centred on data analysts and software and applications developers—not just within the Information and Communication Technology industry but across a wide range of industries, including Financial Services & Investors, Media, Entertainment and Information, Mobility and Professional Services, as computing power and Big Data analytics constitutes a significant driver of employment growth in each.” Although the concept of Big Data has been around for years, it is only in the recent past that organisations have begun to realise and understand that they can productively utilise the volumes of information they have access to (and to use these data sets to) develop trends and insights. However, in order to optimise the analysis and interpretation of data, industries are required to create larger pools of skilled talent. The MIT Sloan Management Review of 2013 states that since data analytics still finds itself in the infancy stage many organisations are experiencing major challenges in determining how to use data, where and when to use it.
P o s t gradu at e Di pl o m a i n C o m p ut e r So ft wa re a nd M e d i a A p p l i cations
Data analytics are broadly described as methods of examining raw data and extracting data in a format that enables meaningful engagement with the purpose of drawing conclusions about that information. It is used in many industries to allow organisations to make better business decisions and in the sciences to verify or disprove existing models or theories. Businesses all over the word are wrestling with the challenges and opportunities that call for the application of analytics. Davenport and Dyché state that big data analytics are important for organisations to identify new opportunities through significant cost advantages from improved efficiencies, faster and better decision-making by analysing data immediately, and by gauging from customer needs and satisfaction through analytics organisations are better-positioned to create new products and services.
The purpose of the programme The purpose of the programme is to: 1. Develop the necessary skilled human capital in the field of data analytics and business intelligence to fulfil in the talent shortage that is currently experienced in the South African market, to help ensure that the country can effectively compete. 2. Contribute towards a depth of data analytics expertise that will assist South African companies to create job opportunities (for especially young people) by offering South Africa as the data analytics BPO destiny of choice. 3. Provide students with the required theoretical knowledge and practical career experience to be able to fulfil a data analytics and business intelligence role within an applied business context. 4. Equip students to apply data analysis and business intelligence skills and know-how to identify and address business challenges to inform decision making. 5. Equip students to understand the potential ‘wealth” of data (and data sets) and to pro-actively explore available (or new) data sets in view of uncovering trends and/or new opportunities.