Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) took another step towards international recognition for one of its Master’s degree programmes recently.
In a statement issued yesterday, UTB announced that under its School of Computing and Informatics (SCI), the Master programme for Computing and Information System (By Coursework) is now partially accredited by the BCS as partial Chartered IT Professional (CITP) and partial Chartered Engineer (CEng) (Further Learning). It means that upon graduation, students undertaking the course will have fulfilled part of the academic requirements to be registered as a CITPand as a CEng.
The BCS is the Chartered Institute for Information Technology, a professional body that represents those working in information technology and computer science, both in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally.
BCS accreditation of degrees is an important benchmark of the standard of Higher Education programmes and their contribution to the IT profession, said the university. Other UTB courses accredited by the body include a number of Bachelor of Science programmes in computing, digital media and computer network security.
Dean of SCI, Dr Mohamad Saiful bin Haji Omar said that with this accreditation, the programmes they offered are internationally recognised and benchmarked, offering prospective and graduate students an important mark of assurance that the programme meets the highest standards set by the IT profession.
“Alhamdulilllah, with this achievement it will provide our graduates with a pathway to professional registration such as Chartered IT Professional and Chartered Engineer status. Most importantly it provides added advantage for our graduates when looking for a job as some employers may look for graduates with accredited degrees,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Dean of SCI and SCI Accreditation Coordinator Dr Hajah Nor Zainah binti Haji Siau highlighted the important benefit of this accreditation being an opportunity to consult at length with experts and getting feedback for the SCI’s programmes and modules for development and improvement.
“The exchange is invaluable in ensuring our school’s future direction and was an important agenda for BCS,” she said.
Some important highlights resulting from the accreditation process include: ensuring the learning outcomes of the school are well mapped and represented in every programme, for final year projects; comprehensive guidelines and supervisions, and ensuring the majority of modules meet the criteria of international industrial standards and best practices.