Post Grad Dip Internet & Web Programming Fitzwilliam Institute

G2DG

Looking for advise from people already in the industry if the Post Grad Dip in Internet & Web Programming in Fitzwilliam Institute would be a good course to complete.

I had been enrolled to complete the Diploma-in-Science-in-Web-Technologiesin NCI but there was not enough numbers for it to go ahead.

I am self employed and have an online shop which I got a developer to do for me but would like to have more control over all aspects of the website and also have an interest in websites / programming and feel it would be something I would like to get into further down the line.

Just wondering if anybody has any knowledge of the courses in Fitzwilliam, if they would recommend them and if the course would be a good starting point in learning about web development programming etc.

All feedback appreciated.

P.S. Sorry I can't post links to the courses. Still a newby!!

SimonTemplar

I've no personal experience with Fitzwilliam but I've heard mixed things. Some say it's great, others say it is only OK with lecturers taking a very long time to respond to queries.

You mentioned you got a developer to develop an online shop and you want to have more control of it. The first thing is to find out what language the server side is written in. There is no point doing a course in PHP if your website is written in .NET MVC.

Secondly, are you looking for a qualification or just to upskill yourself. If you are not looking for a piece of paper at the end of the course, there are a huge amount of free (or almost free) courses online in many web technologies both client and server side that would be a fraction of the cost of Fitzwilliam.

G2DG

Thanks for that. I guess I am looking at further down line and would like to have a piece of paper at the end of it. The site is PHP all right but I would still like to be able to build a site from scratch also. But thanks for the feedback. I'll just have to make up my mind if it will be worth it.

Tom Dunne

From an educational perspective, I note that there is no indication of what level on the national framework this post-graduate diploma is at. A quick search for the course on www.qualifax.ie confirms that while it calls itself a postgraduate diploma, there is no NFQ level assigned to it.

This essentially means that it is not comparable to a post-graduate diploma in a university or institute of technology and as such, I would argue, would not be valued by employers. You could argue that as you are self employed, this is not an issue. Also, there do not appear to be any entry requirements, which is most unusual for a post-graduate qualification.

I would also question the course itself. While to topics appear to be quite comprehensive and comparable to an undergraduate degree course, there does not appear to be any indication as to how you actually learn. I would fear that you are essentially given a load of notes and told to read them. Not exactly pedagogically sound.

I could go on.

My advice? Buy a book and teach yourself. Or go to an institution with a recognised qualification (such as you were enrolled in, the NCI - a very reputable institution).

G2DG

Tom,

Apologies for the delay getting back to you we had a family bereavement and it now looks like a good thing that the course is cancelled after all!! Anyway what you have said is exactly what my instinct was telling me and I had already checked the course on qualifiax.

Might have a look at some of the online courses too. A friend of a friend told there was courses I could do online associated with Harvard and the likes that are free. So when things settle down here I'll get another look at it.

Thanks again for the help.

test2014

Did the java Postgrad. Very expensive for what you get. Most people who enroll are people on Grants from work etc. who dont need to worry about the cost.

Would be better buying a MacBook Pro / Good Windows Laptop and signing up for a few courses here.

qqq.coursera.org/about/partners --- Cant post links so google Coursera

Having an expensive laptop will give you motivation to learn i believe. People will argue that point but i think youll be more determined to learn after spending 2k on hardware rather than a course thats not as good as Coursera.

G2DG

Cheers for that. I'd love a mac for this kind of thing so might just treat myself
!!