Study Guide

Description

The education format is full-time and teaching is primarily conducted on campus. Hybrid and distance learning methods are appropriately utilized in teaching.

BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAMME
Upon completion of the Business Information Systems bachelor degree program, students graduate as ICT-business professionals, prepared for various programming and data processing tasks. The education opens doors to various career opportunities. The program teaches skills that are crucial in many programming and data processing job roles. Graduates often find employment in service business sectors where they can develop various software, applications, and other digital services. Through the program, it's also possible to specialize in the gaming industry or become an entrepreneur in the ICT sector.

FROM DEGREE TO PROFESSION
The degree qualifies individuals for roles requiring a lower university degree. Job positions may include software developer/designer, web designer, user interface designer, database developer/designer, game programmer, game designer, game graphic designer, IT project manager, service manager, consultant, or entrepreneur.

The ICT industry offers diverse opportunities to work on various tasks related to the field in different organizations and industries. Success in the field often requires strong technical skills and the ability to solve problems logically and innovatively. It's important to identify challenges, understand their underlying causes, and develop effective solutions. Continuous learning, creativity, and the ability to apply the latest technologies and methods to solve practical problems are emphasized in work.

Interpersonal skills and the ability to work in teams are often crucial since many tasks require collaboration with different stakeholders and understanding their needs and problems. Those working in the ICT sector may be involved in planning, developing, and implementing various projects, providing opportunities to continuously learn and develop professional skills. Job tasks can vary daily, making the field diverse and interesting for those interested in data processing and its practical application.

CURRICULUM
The curriculum is flexible and offers many choices, allowing students to focus their skills on various ICT job roles. The scope of studies is 210 credits. Completing the ICT-business professional degree takes 3.5 years. The studies are practical, involving many real-world projects. Teaching emphasizes face-to-face instruction and presence, but distance learning is also used appropriately. Studies progress in coaching teams.

The curriculum emphasizes the most essential technologies and methods in the field, necessary for succeeding in the workforce. Strong expertise is developed during the studies, enabling students to transition directly to productive work in the industry.

FIRST YEAR STUDIES are the same for all students. Skills are developed in fundamental areas such as programming, databases, web technologies, project management, teamwork, communication, and languages. During the first year, students also undertake their first client project, working as a team member in their respective roles. The goal of the project is to develop a mobile game or application for a client. During the first year, students choose a study path to continue in the second year.

SECOND YEAR STUDIES begin according to the chosen study path, which may include:

- Software Production, courses in frontend and/or backend development and/or user experience (UX) design.
- Game Production (gamesacademy.fi), courses focusing on game programming or game graphics.
- ICT Entrepreneurship, courses and exercises related to Proakatemia (proakatemia.fi).
During the second year, students also have the opportunity to study abroad. After the year, students often have the qualifications to work in at least supportive roles related to their study path.

THIRD YEAR STUDIES deepen the knowledge related to the study path. For software production, students can further develop their expertise in mobile development, user experience, and fullstack development. Practical client projects further enhance skills. In game production, students develop skills in game programming or game graphics through practical projects.

Practical skills are usually also developed during an internship in the third year, where students can try and improve their skills in a real work environment. Additionally, students start their thesis during the third year, usually their last effort before graduation. The last six months of studies often involve completing the thesis and practical training. Many students graduate with a job already secured during their studies, continuing their work as ICT-business professionals.

CURRICULUM SUMMARY
Basic and Professional Studies: 120–135 credits (depending on the study path)
Elective Professional Studies: 15–30 credits (depending on the study path)
Free-choice studies: 15 credits
Practical Training: 30 credits
Bachelor's Thesis: 15 credits

BASIC AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Basic and professional studies consist of the following parts:
Basic ICT skills: 30 credits
ICT projects: 30 credits
Study path studies: 60–75 credits (depending on the study path)

STUDY PATHS
There are three study paths: software production, game production (Games Production), and ICT entrepreneurship (in collaboration with Proakatemia). Admission to the ICT entrepreneurship program is separate and takes place after the first academic year.

SOFTWARE PRODUCTION, 60 ECTS
In the software production study path, students complete:
Common courses related to frontend development, totaling 15 ECTS, and the Multidisciplinary Software Project course, 10 ECTS.

Additionally, students choose 35 ECTS from elective courses specific to the study path. In these courses, students can focus on a particular area such as backend development, mobile development, user experience, or select courses from all these areas to build a comprehensive skill set in IT.

GAME PRODUCTION (GAMES ACADEMY), 75 ECTS
In the game production study path, studies consist of three parts:
Season 1, 30 ECTS
Season 2, 30 ECTS
Season 3, 15 ECTS

Within the game production study path, students can focus their studies on either game programming or game graphics related to game development.

Seasons 1 and 2 are conducted as part of the game production education (TAMK Games Academy) in collaboration with the English-language Media education program (Degree Programme on Media).

ICT ENTREPRENEURSHIP (PROAKATEMIA)
The ICT entrepreneurship studies are conducted in collaboration with Proakatemia. Admission to Proakatemia takes place through a separate application process during the first academic year. At Proakatemia, students study together with business administration students.

Objectives

DIRECTED OR VERSATILE ICT EXPERTISE
Expertise can be either directed, such as in-depth programming skills, or broad/general ICT industry knowledge.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Teaching is conducted in modules where expertise integrates with project management skills, contributing to the development of project and service business as well as multidisciplinarity.
Project management skills include knowledge of project work models, project planning and management, understanding of project team roles and tasks, customer relationship management, project management tools, documentation, as well as version, change, and quality management.

TEAMWORK SKILLS
Work is carried out in teams that are purposeful, systematic, and efficient.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
The basis of interaction is the ability and willingness for mutual communication and collaboration.

Curriculum development and working life cooperation

In the development of the curriculum, feedback from both students and the industry has been taken into account.

For curriculum development purposes, separate feedback related to the work was collected from students. In addition to this, student feedback is gathered through various forms such as course evaluations, annual feedback, and feedback upon graduation.

A significant part of industry collaboration involves an advisory board, which evaluated the offered education in relation to the needs of the industry. Additionally, feedback from the industry was collected through a survey and followed up with phone calls to companies.

The results of the surveys were utilized, among other things, to diversify the curriculum.