Degree Programme in Business Information Technology

Objectives

The digital world and its applications play an important role both in working life and in people's everyday lives. The ever-expanding supply of digital applications and services requires application development professionals with good prospects for employment. 

After you graduate from the Degree Programme in Business Information Technology, you will be an application developer with a variety of computing  and programming skills. You will be a skilled independent professional and can be a member or a leader in development teams. 

In the field of application development, you are the developer of applications specifically designed for human use. You have strong technical skills, for example, in programming or other application development practices. You also understand the importance of an overall view of application development, user-specific needs, user experience and the quality of operations. 

Degree programme description

The Degree Programme in Business Information Technology (210 ECTS units) is structured as follows: 

- Core competence 120 ECTS 
- Complementary competence 45 ECTS 
- Practical training 30 ECTS 
- Bachelor’s thesis 15 ECTS 



The core competence studies provide you with the knowledge and skills required from a graduate of the Degree Programme in Business Information Technology. The goal is for all graduate students to master this competence. Core competence studies are divided into basic and professional studies and are typically completed during the first two and a half years of the studies. 

The content of complementary competence is freely chosen by the student. These optional studies enhance the core competence of the degree. Your choices enable you to develop your expertise in the direction you want. 

These studies include: 

- Programming and application design 
- Database and content management, implementation and design 
- General application development skills, such as UI/UX design, service design or testing 

The application developer profession requires programming skills. Programming is one of the core contents of the degree programme. Studying programming starts with the basics, and your skills will develop during your studies. At the end of the studies, all graduates have sufficient programming skills for general application development. 

In addition to programming, the skills of an application developer include managing, implementing and designing a variety of information content. Digital applications often contain some sort of information content or databases. The Degree Programme in Business Information Technology equips you with strong knowledge and skills in this area of application development. 

Developing digital applications requires skills beyond programming and content knowledge. These generic application development skills are either expertise in graphic design or service design or expertise in different areas of software engineering, such as requirement analysis, testing, or information security. Common application development skills also include communication and language skills and business and project skills, which are also included in your studies.  


Choice of major studies or specialization 
 
There are no major studies on specialization courses in the degree programme, but you can complete optional studies and specialize in areas of your choice. After two and a half years of studies, you can, for example, choose professional programmer specialty studies or alternatively complete your degree with work-oriented project studies. 

It is possible to complete additional and optional studies as part of the degree in full accordance with personal study objectives. You can freely choose content from the selection of other courses at Xamk. There are many opportunities to complement computer training, including computer technology, game development, cyber security, graphic design, entrepreneurship and business studies, etc. 

Implementation of studies

The studies are organized online. Studying and completing courses is possible without attendance in contact teaching lessons and is suitable for studying, for example, while working full-time.  

The online studies are organized regardless of time and place as much as possible. However, the timing and pace of studies are controlled. Studies must proceed in a specific order for competence to develop appropriately. 

Studying online requires activity, initiative and independent work. In your studies, you must use a computer and network connection you have acquired yourself. Studying is done through independent study of teaching materials and presentations, as well as through various learning assignments or exams.

The language of instruction in communication and teaching interactions is primarily Finnish. However, most of the study materials are in English, and some of the complementary competence studies are only available in English. Reporting on the bachelor´s thesis is done in Finnish. 

Flexible study opportunities  

 

At the beginning of the studies, you prepare your personal study plan (PSP) which helps you make choices related to the studies, practical training, bachelor’s thesis and international activities.  We make every effort to ensure that you can plan your studies in the best way possible, according to your own life situation.  



The studies are implemented using various methods:  

- lectures  
- teamwork  
- projects with companies and other organizations  
- projects carried out at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences  
- examinations  
- practical training.  

Career opportunities

After completing your degree, you can work in a variety of expert roles in application development. Tasks may include application design, development and implementation tasks, as well as tasks in management, training, marketing or sales. The studies also equip you to become an entrepreneur. 

After graduation, your career typically begins with expert-level tasks that include a lot of practical implementation in addition to planning and administration. As your career progresses, you may progress to management and leadership roles. 

Job titles can include: 

- Software developer 
- Software designer 
- UI/UX designer 
- Web designer
- Programmer