Diploma in Information & Communication Technology with a specialism in Data Informatics

This APU Diploma in Information & Communication Technology with a specialism in Data Informatics is designed to provide:

• Provide students with skills in software systems development, with emphasis on aspects of data informatics.
• Prepare students for careers in the ICT environments with emphasis on solutions design, software development, technology infrastructure support, data informatics application.
• Enable appreciation of the proven principles and techniques to the development and support of software systems in commercial organisations.
• Provide students with critical, independent and cooperative learning skills so as to facilitate response to continuous future changes in industry practices.
• Develop students’ intellectual skills, communications ability and team working capability.

Admission Requirements:

SPM
3 Credits in at least 3 subjects at SPM level including Mathematics, with a minimum of a pass in Bahasa Malaysia and Sejarah (History);

IGCSE/O-Levels
3 Credits (Grade C & above) in at least 3 subjects at IGCSE/O-Levels including Mathematics;

UEC
3 Credits (Grade B & above) in at least 3 subjects in UEC including Mathematics;

Pass relevant Certificate Programme or its equivalent;

A qualification that APU accepts as equivalent to the above.

Note: Please take note that a Credit Pass in Mathematics at SPM/IGCSE/O-Level is required for progression to BSc (Hons) in Information Technology with a specialism in Business Information Systems.

Malaysian Students who do not possess a Pass in English at SPM/IGCSE/UEC; will be required to sit for the APU English Placement Test, and based on the outcome of the test may be required to attend the APU Intensive English Programme (IEP) prior to commencement of the Foundation/Diploma/Certificate programme.

Please note that under Ministry of Higher Education regulations, only students who have achieved the minimum requirement in the English Language proficiency assessment as indicated above will be allowed to continue their studies in the main study programme. Students who do not have the required English Language achievement may apply for a student visa on conditional basis and are allowed to enrol in an English Language Certification programme at APU upon arrival in Malaysia and, subsequently, appear for the IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/MUET assessment.

Students who are unable to obtain the required level of English Competency during the maximum 12 months’ period, will not be allowed to pursue their studies in the main programme and will have to return to their home country.

Students from English speaking countries and those with qualifications taught in English (IGCSE, A-Levels, IB, American High School Diploma etc) are exempted from English requirements. Applications for exemption must be accompanied by supporting documents.

Note: The above entry requirements may differ for specific programmes based on the latest programme standards published by Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

The qualification and entry requirements for the programmes will be determined based on the "Comparison List of Equivalency of International Qualifications with SPM (O-Levels equivalent) and STPM (A-Levels equivalent)" published by Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

What You Will Study:

At the beginning of the programme, students will acquire basic language and communication skills along with core information technology skills. Students will gain an understanding of basic concepts and terminology related to technology and business management.

The second semester builds on and extends the foundation knowledge developed in the first semester. Language and communication skills are taken to more advanced levels of research and professionalism. The ability to analyse and solve problems using quantitative skills, and familiarity with technology are enhanced.

This semester moves students to a new level in information and communication technology related areas such as computer programming, databases, internet applications and computer system architecture. With this knowledge, students are able to use computing tools and techniques to solve common real-world problems.

Students are exposed to more advanced development concepts, including the system development life cycle. Specialisation starts here, with an introduction to data analytics that covers topics such as big data, data warehouse and data mining. Data informatics also requires a deep appreciation of algorithmic thinking, based on calculus and algebra. Besides, usability principles in the web design and development process, and software engineering processes are introduced and developed to support the software development project in the final semester.

In their final semester, students acquire basic knowledge of computer networks to deepen their knowledge of computing technology. Students also design and implement algorithm using their second programming language. Two more specialised modules Behavioural Science and Marketing Analytics, and Introduction to Artificial Intelligence will bring an insight into the techniques used in the design of software and the building of data informatics based systems. The semester completes with Software Development Project which integrates skills, knowledge and understanding from the full programme where students are expecting to include a range of data informatics techniques for problem solving.

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 8 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

* In addition to the above, all students are also required to successfully complete General Studies modules as stipulated by the Malaysian Qualification Agency, as well as fulfill credit requirements for Co-curricular activities.

Further Studies:

Upon successful completion of the Diploma Programmes with a minimum CGPA of 2.5, you will be eligible to progress into Year 2 of any of the following degree programmes offered at APU and APIIT.

Students who undertake this programme will be eligible to progress into Year 2 of:

• BSc (Hons) in Information Technology
• BSc (Hons) in Information Technology with a specialism in:
  • Information Systems Security
  • Cloud Computing
  • Network Computing
  • Mobile Technology
  • Internet of Things (IoT)*
  • Financial Technology (FinTech)
  • Business Information Systems
• BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering
• BSc (Hons) in Computer Science (Cyber Security)
• BSc (Hons) in Computer Science
• BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with a specialism in Data Analytics
• BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with a specialism in Digital Forensics*
• Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) (Intelligent Systems)

* Bridging module/s needed before progress into Year 2
- For the full listing of our Diploma Programmes, please refer to the Pre-University programme brochure.

Note: Student with CGPA above 2.0 and below 2.5 may be accepted using rigorous assessment conducted by APU/APIIT and subject to the approval of the Academic Board.

Course Fees:

* Fees stated above do not include Deposits and other Miscellaneous Fees. Please refer to Fee Guide for details.

MQA Accreditations: