Net course aims to unite business and design skills

An online course aimed at marrying the increasingly sought-after skills of business, design and digital expertise is targeting students in Edinburgh as part of its launch this autumn.

The online course is targeting students in Edinburgh as part of its launch this autumn. Picture: PA

Accredited by the Dublin Institute of Technology, the integrated degree will also roll out in Ireland, Mexico, North America and South Africa from October. It is the first of its type to be offered entirely online, with only a handful of similar degrees available on a campus environment.

The International BSc (Honours) in Digital Technology, Design and Innovation is aimed primarily at tech employers who want to upskill their staff, as well as professionals in other fields who would like to transfer into digital technology. It is also open to graduates keen to improve their career prospects.

The company behind the degree, Ireland’s Digital Skills Academy, aims to combine business and design acumen with digital technology expertise. This hybrid set of skills is in increasing demand from leading technology companies around the world.

Paul Dunne, founder and chief executive of the Digital Skills Academy, said participants will work in international teams on “real-world” projects via virtual platforms. With an emphasis on multidisciplinary teaching from industry leaders, participants are expected to acquire a comprehensive understanding of modern digital business.

“By employing the latest developments in online learning and online team working technologies, our degrees can be offered across the world, opening up a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas on a global scale,” Dunne said.

“Our format is proving highly effective for working professionals who must continually up-skill in line with changing technologies and market demands, and real life applications run through everything we do.”

The degree is a part-time one-year course. Other cities being targeted in its inaugural year include Cape Town, Dublin, Guadalajara, Johannesburg, London, Mexico City, New York and San Francisco.

Digital Skills Academy has produced more than 2,000 graduates since its inception in 2008. More than 90 per cent of its graduates in 2014 claim to have achieved their career advancement goals within four months of completing their degree.