Career opportunities:

The ACSD aims to equip students with the necessary skills required to follow a career within the Software Development field as a web developer, application developer, website developer, and Junior Programmer in a software company. This program also aims to equip successful graduates with enough skills and knowledge to work as freelance developers/programmers. It is also aimed at those who wish to study computing at this level before undertaking a career in another field where such skills are subsidiary, but often very necessary.

Admission Requirements

• Minimum Grade 12 or equivalent Canadian qualification or 3-year experience in the relevant field.
• If English is not a student’s mother tongue, they are required to have an IELTS level 6.0 OR equivalent (in case of other testing standards) to be admitted to the course. If, on starting the program, their language proficiency proves to be significantly lower than what is expected of an IELTS 6.0, they will be required to take an English course at Focus College before being able to continue with their program studies.

Who does this qualification suit?

The ACSD is suitable for a wide range of candidates including:

• school leavers
• adult returners to education
• individuals in employment who wish to enhance their career prospects
• people who wish to start their own business or work as freelance developer/programmer

Required textbooks and material

Class lecture notes and/or recordings will be available to the students.

Equipment required for this program

Computer with the required software

Program Duration

One (1) year / 1140 Hours / 42 Weeks

Homework / Self-study hours:

Approximately 10-15 hours/week of homework is required from students to be successful in this fast-paced and intensive program.

Delivery Method(s)

The program is delivered through the following delivery models:

• On-site delivery
• Distance delivery
• Combined delivery (on-site and distance)

Learning objectives/outcomes:

The ACSD will provide a breadth of competencies. Upon completion of this program students:

• will have developed knowledge and skills in planning, developing, and evaluating
• will have developed employment skills, particularly relating to the IT industry
• will have developed and enhanced transferable skills for employability and Core Skills
• will have developed the study and research skills as well as academic stimulus
• will have developed a range of contemporary computer and software skills that are required by the industry
• will be prepared for employment in competitive international markets
• will be provided with underpinning knowledge associated with appropriate vendor qualifications

Student progress/ assessment methods:

The ACSD qualification is assessed using a mix of continuous unit assessment and Graded Unit assessment. Each course (unit) has a series of assessments which the candidate is required to pass (test banks, quizzes, case studies, essays, projects, presentations, final course exam, and often a mid-course exam too). The allocation of grades awarded are as follows:

• Grade A — Student has achieved a mark of 70% or above
• Grade B — Student has achieved a mark of between 60% and 69%
• Grade C — Student has achieved a mark of between 50% and 59%
• F (Fail) — Student has failed to reach the required standard and achieved a mark less than 50%

Attendance expectations:

Students are required to maintain minimum 80% attendance throughout the program.

Dress expectations (if applicable):

N/A

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must pass all units throughout the program at a minimum of Grade C.

Program Organization

The Advanced Certificate in Software Development program consists of one year of study. Subjects, hours of teaching and credit values are as following: