Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Information Technology Management for Business
- Typical A-level offer: AAA
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABB
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBB
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL
Course unit details:
Business IT Architecture
Unit code | BMAN32141 |
---|---|
Credit rating | 10 |
Unit level | Level 3 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Students should learn the concepts, models and techniques underpinning the IT architecture discipline and the importance of IT architecture and the role of IT Architects in organisations. Students should also be able to gain practical experience in designing an IT architecture solution for a business scenario case study. The foundations and approaches to IT architecture design will be studied together with the analysis of the limitations of ad-hoc IT design methods which led to the development of the IT architecture discipline. An understanding of state-of-the-art trends in IT architecture should also be gained. The course has been developed in partnership with IBM-UK and utilises problem-based learning techniques and case studies.
Pre/co-requisites
Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Business Analysis | BMAN24630 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
IT Risk, Cybersecurity and Governance | BMAN32301 | Co-Requisite | Compulsory |
Programme restrictions: core for ITMB/ITMB Specialism.
Aims
Students should learn the concepts, models and techniques underpinning the IT architecture discipline and the importance of IT architecture and the role of IT Architects in organisations. Students should also be able to gain practical experience in designing an IT architecture solution for a business scenario case study. The foundations and approaches to IT architecture design will be studied together with the analysis of the limitations of ad-hoc IT design methods which led to the development of the IT architecture discipline. An understanding of state-of-the-art trends in IT architecture should also be gained. The course has been developed in partnership with IBM-UK and utilises problem-based learning techniques and case studies.
Learning outcomes
Problem solving, professional IT Architecture, and digital skills will be gained by the application of Business IT Architecture models and techniques via problem-based learning methods.
Syllabus
- Introduction to IT Architecture
- IT Architecture Processes, Activities and Roles
- Qualities & Constraints in IT Architecture
- IT Architecture Development: Methods, Models and Techniques
- IT Architecture in Practice (Case Study Workshop)
- Advanced Topics in IT Architecture
Teaching and learning methods
A mixture of learning processes is adopted. These include lectures, class activities and case study workshop activities. They are supported by material on the e-learning system such as videos, research papers, and links to practical problem-solving articles.
Scheduled activity hours
Lectures - 20 hours
Practical classes & workshops - 6 hours
Tutorials - 4 hours
Independent study hours - 70 hours
Notional hours of Learning (Total Study Hours) - 100 hours
Knowledge and understanding
Describe and evaluate key IT Architecture modelling techniques
Understand the foundational concepts of IT architecture
Describe and evaluate the implications of IT architecture design decisions in information systems
Critically apply IT architecture concepts to develop practical solutions to IT requirements
Describe and evaluate the correlations between IT architectures and Business Processes
Understand and assess state-of-the-art trends in IT architecture
Intellectual skills
Demonstrate an understanding of the role and importance of IT Architectures, understand the principles and objectives of IT Architecture Development
Demonstrate an understanding of the trade-offs between practical operational deployment vs. functional requirements
Develop IT architectures based on a set of requirements
Critically understand and assess state-of-the-art trends in IT architecture
Be able to propose and justify the use of IT Architectures to address business issues
Demonstrate competence in IT Architecture design
Practical skills
Use IT Architecture Frameworks to support the practical case assignments in the module
Design IT architecture models and diagrams
Apply IT Architecture methods in projects.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
Demonstrate systems design and modelling skills
Demonstrate communication skills
Demonstrate problem analysis and solving skills
Demonstrate the application of IT Architecture theory to solve practical problems
Demonstrate teamwork skills
Demonstrate group presentation skills
Assessment methods
Formative assessment: Verbally during class exercises and groupwork interactions
Group presentation (50%)
Individual coursework (50%)
Feedback methods
- Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar or workshop.
- Responses to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum.
- Specific course related feedback sessions.
- Written and/or verbal comments on assessed or non-assessed coursework.
- Written and/or verbal comments after students have given a group or individual presentation.
Recommended reading
Recommended reading
Martina Seidl · Marion Scholz Christian Huemer · Gerti Kappel: UML @ Classroom - An Introduction to Object-Oriented Modelling (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science) Springer; 2015.
Mitra, Tilak: Practical software architecture: moving from system context to deployment, IBM Press, 2016.
Further Reading:
Len Bass, Paul Clements, Rick Kazman: Software Architecture in Practice, 4th Edition - SEI series in software engineering, Addison-Wesley Professional, 2021
Neal Ford: Fundamentals of Software Architecture: An Engineering Approach, O’Reilly, 2020
James Serra: Deciphering data architectures: choosing between a modern data warehouse, data fabric, data, data lakehouse, and data mesh, O'Reilly Media, 2024.
Marc Lankhorst: Enterprise Architecture at Work: Modelling, Communication and Analysis (The Enterprise Engineering Series), 4th edition Springer, 2017.
Humberto Cervantes, Rick Kazman Designing Software Architectures: A Practical Approach (SEI Series in Software Engineering), Addison-Wesley Professional; 2nd edition (2024)
Ian Gorton: Essential Software Architecture, 2nd Edition Springer-Verlag, 2011.
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
---|---|
Lectures | 20 |
Practical classes & workshops | 6 |
Tutorials | 4 |
Independent study hours | |
---|---|
Independent study | 70 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
---|---|
Pedro Sampaio | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Programme restrictions: core for ITMB/ITMB Specialism.
Peer Assessment: To ensure that all group members will make a significant contribution to the assignment, marks within student groups can differ based on the results of a peer assessment between group members (individual contribution sheet is attached).
For Academic Year 2023/24
Updated: March 2023
Approved by: March UG Committee