Business Studies-Office information systems/Information systems managment

Emzyxoxo

Hi, I have a big interest in computers and I was wondering could anyone give me some info on Office Information systems.I want to this this in Tralee next year. Its not so much programming im intrerested in more software and office work! is it a good course? Wat does it intail etc...would like some details please! Also is there anyone hus interested in doing this or wanting to go to the college next year? ( it would be nice to get to know people) Info would be apperiated!
Emzy

kerry4sam

Emzyxoxo wrote: »

Hi, I have a big interest in computers and I was wondering could anyone give me some info on Office Information systems.I want to this this in Tralee next year. Its not so much programming im intrerested in more software and office work! is it a good course? Wat does it intail etc...would like some details please! Also is there anyone hus interested in doing this or wanting to go to the college next year? ( it would be nice to get to know people) Info would be apperiated!
Emzy

Hi there Emzyxoxo, welcome along to our forum

Hopefully someone will come in with some info for you, in time.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

starlit

Emzyxoxo wrote: »

Hi, I have a big interest in computers and I was wondering could anyone give me some info on Office Information systems.I want to this this in Tralee next year. Its not so much programming im intrerested in more software and office work! is it a good course? Wat does it intail etc...would like some details please! Also is there anyone hus interested in doing this or wanting to go to the college next year? ( it would be nice to get to know people) Info would be apperiated!
Emzy

I completed this course a few years ago so has changed a lot since I did it even while I was doing the step by step and did the degrees the OIS course changed a bit while I was doing the degree especially when it became more modulated and semesterised like the degree meaning it began to offer more subjects and what we did in the degree some of the subjects transferred into OIS. The course itself is constantly changing to meet the needs of the jobs market.

Ya its very much borders on software and office side of things. Very little in the way of programming which I think is a disadvantage depending what career path you want to follow. Most of my classmates were happy with the two year course but the way it branched out for the degree they weren't too sure about it. I suppose for me I had some interest in business but I was more interested in the IT, IS and multimedia side of things compared to my classmates. Those were my best areas in the OIS and ISM courses though don't get me wrong I learnt a lot from the two year course even though it was very much business related the only thing extra were the Text processing/IS/IT modules.

From the OIS point of view you are very much on the right track if its just software and office work you are looking for! I learnt a fair bit of software applications/programmes. You probably learn Sage, Dreamweaver, Microsoft Office and a couple of other software depending what modules you will be doing and how much has changed since I did it.

The programming languages are mainly HTML from OIS, VB/VBA and actionscript from the degrees. The programming languages might have changed since by adding more ore less. I know that the Law modules have been chopped and changed a bit and are introducing more languages and creative media.visual communication modules in the mix as well as keeping with the business and IS/IT side of things. Internet Technologies in OIS and ISM and Internet Programming in the degrees when I did it included creating and publishing live websites using asp.net and bit of .net stuff too and visual studio5.

Its quiet a good course I highly recommend it if its just software and office work you are looking into but if you want to pursue something else or further from the course well you can either do the ISM degree after OIS if you want to touch on various subjects and branch out after into another course or Postgrad but I would highly recommend branching out into another or different degree after OIS if you want to pursue something else or further than OIS like a module you study in OIS maybe go into something more specific like a business degree, multimedia degree, or IT/IS degree.

Most of the subjects are geared between business/business administration/Office Administration, multimedia/interactive multimedia/visual communication/Desktop Publishing, IS/IT/Social Media/Digital Marketing/Business Analytics/E-commerce/Web Technologies and web programming.

These are the subjects I've done but has changed and branched out a bit since, OIS: HR, Business Law, Business Management, Internet Technologies, Business Information Technology (learn excel, databases and sage, Desktop publishing/Text Processing (learning to type and create documents like adverts in word and publisher), Marketing, Financial Accounting, Economics, Interpersonal Communication (included grammar!) There were options for behavioural science, inventory, french, and shorthand I think in my time.

ISM: 3rd year - Business Maths (quants/statistics), Company and Corporate Applied Law, Interactive Multimedia, Marketing Research, Principals of Management/Organisational Studies, Databases/Information systems. Internet Technologies 3rd and 4th year. Options for Supply chain management or Law or Tourism/Cultural Studies, or a language.

ISM: 4th year - Internet Programming, Decision Support Systems, E-commerce/Project Management, Strategic Management and Information Systems. IS Legal Issues.
Interactive Multimedia, Software Development (but no java as it was linked in with our interactive multimedia module for our interactive multimedia cd project in 4th year so actionscript was the language used in this case was more to do with prototype design and software quality for the software development module), technical writing (grammar, creative and instructional writing), think this subject has gone or changed or taken out of 4th year and similar module put in another year of the courses.

Options for Internet Programming, Direct Marketing, can't remember the subject but was related to topic of customers, tourism/cultural studies think was branched onto the global side of things, think there were a few more business options and a language.

I say what I did be no different to what ye be doing but to be honest it may have changed a bit to suit the needs of the ever changing job market!

If you have any other questions on the course do not hesitate to ask!

Best of luck with the course! You'll enjoy it and enjoy ITTralee too!

starlit

Just remembered its Consumer Behaviour related module option I think that's related to the topic of customers.

I am reassessing my own career options myself but otherwise any questions you like to ask on the course or anything OP let me know!

Best of luck with your future! May it be a good one!

Emzyxoxo

thanks a million for all the help much apperiated, if you dont mind me asking how long ago did you do the course? and what job did you get from it? any interesting modules you would recommend me doing?

starlit

No probs. Any other questions about it just let me know, I be happy to answer them.

I finished the two year course six years ago - 2006, did the ordinary degree, then the honours in it in 2008. Worked in the Public/Civil Service Technical support for a few months, then worked in a shop for a while and then went back to college to do a dip in computing but haven't found anything yet though would say I have had more job opportunities and interviews since doing the dip compared to the degree but its up to you what career path to follow. I wanted to go down the technical support or web design/programming road as I felt I wanted to do more than just office work.

If you going into further study after the degree best to business/BIS or multimedia depending what path you want to follow anything is possible you can branch off from the modules easily enough and specialise in one of the modules if you wanted.

You need to experience the course to have an idea what you'd like to do. Though I recommend maybe doing the two or three years and then finish or take a break and try and find work if you happy in that area of work but finding a job in admin or sales even marketing or multimedia is hard enough without some level of work experience behind you. Social media is an area that might stay popular in the future that be relevant enough to what you might do in 2nd and 3rd year.

The course has changed since I did it, they added a lot more modules for the first two years, what I did in third and forth year they have put some modules as part of the 1st/2nd year modules. There are three streams now for 3rd and 4th year. We didn't have that, we had to do all the core modules. We had option modules alright.

I did law in my first year as an option though think a language been a better option, 2nd year I did HR but think inventory management been a better option, 3rd year I did law say tourism been a better option but most chose Supply chain Management good subject but very hard and 4th year internet programming most went with either consumer behaviour, tourism/cultural studies or global studies I think. In our fourth year we had a lot more options similar to those who were doing the business degrees.

I recommend doing a business, skilled/transferable skilled type module or a foreign language if you could as an option module! Foreign languages have become a key thing to have these days in terms of the jobs market. Research big time and when you finish each year best to ask the year ahead of you about the modules on offer they give you the best advice on the modules.

I just had a look at the current electives on the course at the moment and for semester 2 of year 1, I would go for one of the foreign languages but organisational studies is good too if you don't want to do a language. Spanish or French/German be best if doing a language.

Semester 1 of year 2, I would recommend a language again especially if you did it in first year, its good to have it anyway as part of a college qualification, but if don't want to do it photography be a better option if going the IT/multimedia road. Wouldn't recommend the behavioural science one unless you like anything to do with psychology.

Semester 2 of year 2, I say unless you like languages and want to keep them on do one but I think if you covered a language in 1st year or in semester 1 of 2nd year I think no need to keep a language as it already part of your qualification and you have it so maybe HR or business maths but I think business maths or design print be a better option depends on career path and what stream you want to do in 3rd and 4th year what option subject you choose in 2nd year be beneficial what you do in 3rd and 4th year. IT wise either business maths or design print. HR good if going the business road/sales/marketing. Business Maths suited to IT or business/BIS/Marketing. Design print suited to Multimedia/IT.

3rd year, the stream you choose really depends what career you want. IT either the multimedia or web technologies one be the best stream to follow unless you want to go down the business/business admin/BIS or office road you do the business admin stream. Any stream be handy going into marketing. In terms of programming MM or the web tech is best.

Business admin - languages, law or business related module be best.
Multimedia - Media writing S1 and interactive one S2.
Web Technologies - social media and a language Semester 1, creative web content and a language for semester 2. Best to have it varied rather than having two languages!

Add in a language as a second module for semester 2 for all three I'd say best thing all round and have a module related to the stream as well, best to be varied. If it just the one module they asking you to do either do a language or one related to the stream, I be in favour of doing a module related to the stream!

4th year
Business Admin - S1 either consumer behaviour or a language, S2 Language and or educational practise one or the consumer behaviour one, language or consumer one be best.
Multimedia - S1 Law be good or a language, S2 but think the educational practices might be better or a language depends.
Web Tech - S1 Web Science be better option than a language, S2 Business Analytics be a better option I think than a language but maybe consider the educational practices one as well. Analytic one be the best to have whether going the IT or business road, the educational practise one best to have going the multimedia road.

If you like to go the teaching road, be good to have something specific in business or IT or multimedia or a foreign language TEFL is an option too but its EBM I think? Might be an extra module you like to take on and you can teach English in a foreign country.

Not sure what the EBM's are? Maybe alternative options?

Here's the link for the course modules in more detail but only mentions a provisional syllabus.

http://www.ittralee.ie/en/CourseModules/program-display.php?prog_code=TL_KOISY_C&stage=all&sem=all

http://www.ittralee.ie/en/CourseModules/program-display.php?prog_code=TL_KINFS_D&stage=all&sem=all

http://www.ittralee.ie/en/CourseModules/program-display.php?prog_code=TL_KINFS_B&stage=all&sem=all

Best of luck with it!

angs77

Hi Emzyxoxo & Doovdela

I just finished this course in May. It has changed quite a bit over the years. What you will find is that a lot of the lecturers are former graduates of the course, and are willing to help if they see you working.

When I entered the ITT, I started as a second year - after completing a 41 week PLC course and took on the role of Class Rep.

I would recommend you do the two year OIS (tl350) course first, as it gives you more options at the end of the Higher Cert. I have spent my summer teaching students that are in the four year ISM (tl299) programme and have no option but to complete the four year cycle.

Just to give you a bit of insight into what has changed with the course. For the first two years of the course, you will do a mix of business and office information modules. This will give you a very good idea of what will suit you for your degree, if you choose to keep going.

The highlight for me in second year was Shorthand, but they have dropped that now, and offer a list of several electives and EBM's (educational broadening modules), depending on the numbers that take a specific module.

Modules you will cover over the first two years include:-

Marketing
computerized and manual accounting
intro to law (quite a nice module)
Word processing & Keyboard skills (learning to type and create documents)
Databases (Microsoft Access)
Excel (Microsoft Excel)
Office Practice
Intro to Web (learning the basics of HTML [Hypertext Mark-Up Language])
Dreamweaver (an adobe application that writes html to produce webpages)
Desktop Publishing (using Microsoft publisher to produce posters etc)
Digital Imaging (Adobe Photoshop - really nice intro to the world of photoshop)
Economics
Intro to third level
Visual communications

That's just a taste of the first two years outside of EBM's or Electives will offer you.

As I said, it gives you a really good intro to practical and theory subjects and prepares you for what could be in a work situation - it will also help you when deciding what stream to branch off into for your degree.



The main change that has happened, relates to the degree options. The ITT now offer three degree programmes once you complete your higher cert.

1. Business & Administration
2. Multimedia & Education
3. Web Technologies (this year is the first year of this stream)


I choose the Multimedia & Education stream for my degree.


For my degree the modules were as follows:-

THIRD YEAR

Databases (theory and practical)
Entreprenurship [my EBM]
Marketing Research (theory first)
Media Writing [my elective]
Audio and Video production (learning how to use a camcorder, record footage and create a 3 to 4 minute video)
Web Programming (intro to the world of ASP.net/VB.net - the lecturer is very good)
Dynamic Websites (this has changed this year, it is now DNN [Dot Net Nuke])
Excel (theory and practical)
Interactive Interfaces (building the design of a site in Photoshop)
Management Practice (the different types of management, the rules etc that they could use in the workplace etc)
Marketing Research Project (working with a group for a real company to create a marketing research report for them)
Multimedia Animation (using Adobe Flash & Actionscript to create little animation projects)


FOURTH YEAR

Business Intelligence (Microsoft Excel - theory and practical)
Interaction design (creating the design of a flash project for the second semester)
Media Law (pretty much what you covered in Second year)
Multimedia Authoring (writing actionscript in Adobe Flash)
SMIS 1& 2 (Strategic Management of Information Systems [this is a group project, you have to find a company to work with as a group for the two semesters] nice project really and lecturer)
Web Development 1 & 2 (a mix of Dot Net Nuke and ASP.net)
Education Principles and Practice [my elective] (teaching you to teach)
Intro to TEFL (teaching english as a foregian Language) [my EBM]
Multimedia project (a double weighted Flash Project)


The course as a whole, has a lot to offer - and if the lecturers see you working, they are more than willing to help you from my experience.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask.


You also mentioned about moving on from the course to further education - the ITT have started a masters in Creative Media this year, however (as Doovdela knows) I am about to start a Masters (MSc) in Interactive Media in UCC as a result of this course. The masters requires some knowledge of programming, and the creation of videos for industry - having this degree has give me that.

starlit

Ya that be very much describe what we did too in the first two years.
We had shorthand as an option but its not as important these days I think in the jobs market not really sure. I didn't take it up but a few of my classmates did. Its no different to text processing the typing part but its good its a nice module and good to have learnt to type properly!

Ah I see what the EBM's are. We didn't have a stream back when I did the courses but the two year course seems to be better tailored to suit what ever stream you wish to follow in the current way the courses are set out. Ya that is true I think once you do the two years the only option after is the ISM they won't allow you to do the business ones unless you go back to transfer into them 1st or 2nd year. They be restrictive like that but you can transfer onto another business degree in other colleges and uni's if you wish after 3rd year of ISM I think. Depends what path you want to follow.

Very true some of the lecturers we had were former graduates of the courses we did. Some went on to postgrad study in the Business in Education one in UL and a Masters in either Computing or Multimedia. Some may have come from other disciplines as well other than business/IT if they did qualified in different courses/colleges. A lot qualified in either ITT, UCC or UL or combination of them. Couple of them did a Masters or Phd in ITT while lecturing there.

The course be constantly changing anyway to suit the jobs market.

Yes, have spotted that but think the Masters in Interactive Multimedia in UCC is a better option due to the variety of the subjects but the course requires a lot of hard work as from what I gather from people who have done the Masters. Ya you need a certain amount of programming to do the Masters in IM in UCC. The degree is a good insight to help you with the Masters and so is the hdip that I did as well, you probably wouldn't be able to do the IM Masters in UCC without the degree in ISM to be honest once you complete the MM modules. It be a good help.

Though Web Tech or Multimedia be the stream option to go for if going the IT road and branch out after that by doing a postgrad course after the degree which can give you that option to branch out in a postgrad related to IT if it blends what you have done in the degree and what you can do extra in a postgrad balances what you have done and what you do in a postgrad is good to have or else do something different. If you want to go down the teaching/lecturing road a hdip in education related to a module you have done in your course or a Masters be the way to go. A few people who did the degree did the IM Masters in UCC one of the lecturers there did.

Best of luck with the Masters Angs, let us know how you get on with it and good luck with the course Emz.

Emzyxoxo

thank you very much I will indeed let ya know