Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This individual work-based project is a substantial piece of independent work which is designed based on your job role and the specialism that you are undertaking as part of the Digital and Technology Solution Specialist Master’s Degree. You are expected to solve real-world problems, focus on live business scenarios, develop your own specialist expertise in the project topic, and further improve and demonstrate your professional development skills. You will work closely with your employer, academic supervisor and the apprenticeship skill coach.

Specifically, the module aims to equip the apprentices with the following knowledge and skills:
• To deepen the core professional competencies and Data Analytics specialist KSBs (Knowledge, Skills, and
Behaviours) acquired in the programme through practice.
• To develop an awareness of the range and limitations of technologies available.
• To develop an awareness of the real-world problems in Data Science.

Outline Of Syllabus

Toward the end of the programme, a lead academic supervisor accompanied by multiple academic supervisors will agree upon a business-related project with the apprentice’s employer and the apprentices based on the apprentice’s job role and specialism that they are undertaking as part of the Digital and Technology Solution Specialist Master’s Degree. The independent assessor of the EPA (End Point Assessment) should present the meeting for finalising the topic for the capstone project. If the apprentice or their employer needs to change the capstone project scope, they must resubmit a project proposal for the EPA Assessor to approve.


The agreed project will present a typical business task appropriate for demonstrating the skills and knowledge on the standard. In every project, there will be a research component and a strong design, programming and/or analytic element.

1. Project Definition and Planning: The agreed project will be comparable in terms of content and complexity
for all apprentices – it is the context within which the knowledge and skills must be demonstrated that will
vary. The project is undertaken and completed on programme and pre- gateway to the EPA (End Point
Assessment). The project itself is not part of the EPA.
2. Supervision: Each project has at least one academic supervisor from the School and one partner supervisor
from the apprentice’s employer. The apprentices and the supervisor will meet regularly throughout the period
of the project.
3. Research: Background research will be undertaken in the selected topic with access to the library and online
resources.
4. Development and Analytics Skills: The core of the project will involve carrying out the project plan largely
independently, but with guidance from the supervisors.
5. Dissertation: A dissertation will be prepared, describing the technical background, the work undertaken, the
analysis of results and directions for further work. Guidance on the style and content of a dissertation
will be provided by means of lectures and through the supervisor.
6. Project presentation: apprentices will demonstrate their ability to communicate their work to the
stakeholders.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

To be able to describe and discuss:
1 The concepts, tools and techniques for data visualisation, including how this provides a qualitative
understanding of the information on which decisions can be based.
2 How key algorithms and models are applied in developing analytical solutions and how analytical solutions can
deliver benefits to organisations;
3 The principles of data driven analysis and how to apply these. Including the approach, the selected data, the
fitted models and evaluations used to solve data problems;
4 The properties of different data storage solutions, and the transmission, processing and analytics of data
from an enterprise system perspective. Including the platform choices available for designing and
implementing solutions for data storage, processing and analytics in different data scenarios;
5 How relevant data hierarchies or taxonomies are identified and properly documented.

Degree Apprenticeship standard.
K4 Own employer’s business objectives and strategy, its position in the market and how own employer adds value to its clients through the services and/or products they provide.
K9 Technology road-mapping concepts and methods and how to apply them.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Core skills to demonstrate:
1. Identifying, documenting, reviewing and designing complex IT enabled business processes that define a set of
activities that will accomplish specific organisational goals and provides a systematic approach to
improving those processes.
2. Professionally presenting digital and technology solution specialism plans and solutions.
3. Self-direction and originality in solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing data
analytics specialist tasks at t professional level.
4. Being competent at negotiating and closing techniques in a range of interactions and engagements, both with
senior internal and external stakeholders.

Data analytics specialist skills to demonstrate:
1. Identifying and selecting that business data that needs to be collected and transitioned from a range of
data system; acquire, manage and process complex data sets, including large-scale and real-time data;
2. Undertaking analytical investigations of data to understand the nature, utility and quality of data, and
developing data quality rule sets and guidelines for databased designers;
3. Formulating analysis questions and hypotheses which are answerable given that data available and come to
statistically sound conclusions;
4. Conducting high-quality complex investigations, employing a range of analytical software, statistical
modelling and machine learning techniques to make data driven decisions solve live commercial problems;
5. Documenting and describe the data architecture and structures using appropriate data modelling tools, and
select appropriate methods to present data and results that support human understanding of complex data
sets;
6. Scoping and delivering data analysis projects, in response to business priorities, create compelling
business opportunities reports on outcomes suitable for a variety of stakeholders including senior clients
and management.

Degree Apprenticeship standard.
S1 Identify, document, review and design complex IT enabled business processes that define a set of activities that will accomplish specific organisational goals and provides a systematic approach to improving those processes.
S4 Negotiate and agree digital and technology specialism delivery budgets with those with decision-making responsibility.
S5 Develop and deliver management level presentations which resonate with senior stakeholders, both business and technical.
S6 Professionally present digital and technology solution specialism plans and solutions in a well-structured business report.
S7 Demonstrate self-direction and originality in solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing digital and technology solutions specialist tasks at a professional level.
S8 Be competent at negotiating and closing techniques in a range of interactions and engagements, both with senior internal and external stakeholders.
S13 Create and implement innovative technological strategies to support the development of new products, processes and services that align with the company’s business strategy, and develop and communicate compelling business proposals to support these.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The project is undertaken with a lead academic supervisor, working collaboratively with the apprentice's employer. There will be a designated Skill Coach to offer additional assistance or advice.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The final dissertation allows apprentices to apply their accumulative knowledge and skills in their area of speciality to an agreed upon project by themselves, their employer and university supervisors. The formative assessment of writing an interim report will help apprentices prepare their final report. A video presentation at the end of the module will provide an opportunity to showcase their projects to each-other and their employers. Overall the project, dissertation and video submission should help prepare apprentices towards the apprenticeship Gateway, Project Report and EPA.

General Notes

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