Professional Diploma in Agile Development

Award: NFQ Level 9 Major Award (90 ECTS)

The UL @ Work Professional Diploma in Agile Development addresses a specific need to increase graduate skills in the area as well as offering skills development opportunities for those in the labour market. Agile Development methods have become popular in a whole range of areas where software is developed. This includes many manufacturing industries, financial services, etc. Such methods enable working software to be prepared more quickly, allowing users to see the software much earlier and to be able to use it. Familiarity with such techniques is a prerequisite for hiring in many software development teams.

Delivered fully online, students will experience a supportive and dynamic learning environment in which there will be an emphasis on peer learning, team learning, critical reflection and feedback.

On successful completion of this course, the graduate will be able to:

• Use intelligent system approaches and techniques to develop business/technical solutions to the competitive challenges within industry and with a particular focus on the role of simulation modelling within digital enterprises.
• Have familiarity with agile development practices, their advantages, benefits, and how they are implemented. Use digital approaches and techniques to develop business/technical solutions.
• Understand the necessary process to develop software as part of an agile team. Form and work in multidisciplinary teams in response to design challenges around identified digital issues or themes.
•  Understand the development process using popular approaches to agile development. Develop software using agile approaches, producing quality software that works.
• Reflect on and identify the contribution of individual disciplines and the disciplinary perspectives of other team members in addressing complex, transdisciplinary problems.
• Understand the development process and how agile approaches affect it and produce software more quickly. Reflect on individual roles within an interdisciplinary process and workplace.
• Understand the implications for the development process and the quality of the product as a result of using agile approaches.

Entry Requirements:

Applicants are normally expected to hold a primary honours degree in a cognate (related) discipline, (minimum H2.2), or equivalent and have at least 5 years of relevant industrial experience. The course admission team may interview applicants at their discretion as part of the admission process.

Alternative Entry Route: Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry criteria may be considered in accordance with the University’s policy on the Recognition of Prior Learning. These candidates will be required to submit a portfolio to demonstrate their technical and/or management experience. Alternative Entry Route applicants will be required to undertake an interview and satisfy the course admission team that they have the experience, motivation and ability to complete and benefit from this course.