Code | Faculty |
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07130173 | Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences |
Credits | Duration |
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Duration of study: 3 years | Total credits: 422 |
Informatics studies the application and use of the computer and information systems within the organisation. Our students’ strength lies in their broad background of the economic and management sciences, which implies that the world of business is nothing sinister to them. The use of information technology by organisations is growing exponentially and new, more complex and challenging applications are explored and developed on a daily basis. It has the benefit that, in addition to the work of informatics specialists being extremely interesting, there will only be a very small chance that they will ever be without work.
The Informatics specialist has the knowledge to analyse the information needs of organisations, be that businesses, government departments, non-profit organisations or any other group where information is crucial. They not only analyse the needs but then address those needs by designing and implementing information systems. Information systems nowadays refer to computer-based systems (including mobile applica-tions) which store and manipulate data such that people can understand, use, interpret and make decisions based on the information.
The BCom (Informatics) programme at UP is the only degree in South Africa that is internationally accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) of the USA.
Minimum requirements | ||||||||
Achievement level | APS | |||||||
Afrikaans or English | Mathematics | |||||||
NSC/IEB | HIGCSE | AS-Level | A-Level | NSC/IEB | HIGCSE | AS-Level | A-Level | |
5 | 3 | C | C | 4 | 3 | D | D | 30 |
Please note:
Module outstanding | Register for | Module in which student has to attend class | Examination | |
Exam paper | Write with | |||
INF 315 | INF 315 | INF 315 + INF 301 | INF 315 | INF 315 |
INF 324 | INF 324 | INF 324 + INF 301 | INF 324 | INF 324 |
INF 354 | INF 354 | INF 354 + INF 301 | INF 354 | INF 354 |
INF 370 | INF 370 | INF 370 + INF 301 | INF 370 | INF 370 |
According to General Regulation G.3 students have to comply with certain requirements as set by the Faculty Board.
Minimum credits: 163
Module content:
Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology. Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.
Module content:
By the end of this module students should be able to cope more confidently and competently with the reading, writing and critical thinking demands that are characteristic of the field of Information Technology.
Module content:
This module deals with the core principles of economics. A distinction between macroeconomics and microeconomics is made. A discussion of the market system and circular flow of goods, services and money is followed by a section dealing with microeconomic principles, including demand and supply analysis, consumer behaviour and utility maximisation, production and the costs thereof, and the different market models and firm behaviour. Labour market institutions and issues, wage determination, as well as income inequality and poverty are also addressed. A section of money, banking, interest rates and monetary policy concludes the course.
Module content:
This module deals with the core principles of economics, especially macroeconomic measurement the private and public sectors of the South African economy receive attention, while basic macroeconomic relationships and the measurement of domestic output and national income are discussed. Aggregate demand and supply analysis stands core to this course which is also used to introduce students to the analysis of economic growth, unemployment and inflation. The microeconomics of government is addressed in a separate section, followed by a section on international economics, focusing on international trade, exchange rates and the balance of payments. The economics of developing countries and South Africa in the global economy conclude the course.
Module content:
The nature and function of accounting; the development of accounting; financial position; financial result; the recording process; processing of accounting data; treatment of VAT; elementary income statement and balance sheet; flow of documents; accounting systems; introduction to internal control and internal control measures; bank reconciliations; control accounts; adjustments; financial statements of a sole proprietorship; the accounting framework.
Module content:
Property, plant and equipment; intangible assets; inventories; liabilities; presentation of financial statements; enterprises without profit motive; partnerships; companies; close corporations; cash flow statements; analysis and interpretation of financial statements.
Module content:
Introduction to information systems, information systems in organisations, hardware: input, processing, output, software: systems and application software, organisation of data and information, telecommunications and networks, the Internet and Intranet. Transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, information systems in business and society, systems analysis, systems design, implementation, maintenance and revision.
Module content:
Introduction to business management as a science; the environment in which the enterprise operates; the field of business, the mission and goals of an enterprise; management and entrepreneurship. Responsible leadership and the role of a business in society. The choice of a form of enterprise; the choice of products and/or services; profit and cost planning for different sizes of operating units; the choice of location; the nature of production processes and the layout of the plant or operating unit.
Introduction to and overview of general management, especially regarding the five management tasks: strategic management; contemporary developments and management issues; financial management; marketing and public relations. Introduction to and overview of the value chain model; management of the input; management of the purchasing function; management of the transformation process with specific reference to production and operations management; human resources management and information management; corporate governance and black economic empowerment (BEE).
Module content:
The nature and development of entrepreneurship; the individual entrepreneur and characteristics of South African entrepreneurs. Creativity and innovation, opportunity finding and exploitation. The business plan and resource requirements are explored. Getting started (business start up). Exploring different routes to entrepreneurship: entering a family business, buying a franchise, home-based business and the business buyout. This semester also covers how entrepreneurs can network and find support in their environments. Case studies of successful entrepreneurs - also South African entrepreneurs - are studied.
Module content:
Descriptive statistics:
Sampling and the collection of data; frequency distributions and graphical representations. Descriptive measures of location and dispersion.
Probability and inference:
Introductory probability theory and theoretical distributions. Sampling distributions. Estimation theory and hypothesis testing of sampling averages and proportions (one and two-sample cases). Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques.
Module content:
Multivariate statistics:
Analysis of variance, categorical data analysis, distribution-free methods, curve fitting, regression and correlation, the analysis of time series and indices.
Statistical and economic applications of quantitative techniques:
Systems of linear equations: drafting, matrices, solving and application. Optimisation; linear functions (two and more independent variables), non-linear functions (one and two independent variables). Marginal and total functions. Stochastic and deterministic variables in statistical and economic context: producers' and consumers' surplus, distribution functions, probability distributions, probability density functions. Identification, use, evaluation, interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques.
This module is also presented as an anti-semester bilingual module.
Module content:
Budgeting, payroll accounting, taxation – income tax and an introduction to other types of taxes, credit and the new Credit Act, insurance, accounting for inventories (focus on inventory and the accounting entries, not calculations), interpretation of financial statements.
Module content:
General systems theory, creative problem solving, soft systems methodology. The systems analyst, systems development building blocks, systems development, systems analysis methods, process modelling.
Module content:
This module provides an overview of the fundamentals of marketing by considering the exchange process, customer value, marketing research and the development of a marketing plan. It also addresses the marketing mix elements with specific focus on the seven service marketing elements namely the service product, physical evidence, people, process, distribution, pricing and integrated marketing communication.
Minimum credits: 150
Module content:
In this module students are equipped with an understanding of the moral issues influencing human agency in economic and political contexts. In particular philosophy equips students with analytical reasoning skills necessary to understand and solve complex moral problems related to economic and political decision making. We demonstrate to students how the biggest questions concerning the socio-economic aspects of our lives can be broken down and illuminated through reasoned debate. Examples of themes which may be covered in the module include justice and the common good, a moral consideration of the nature and role of economic markets on society, issues concerning justice and equality, and dilemmas of loyalty. The works of philosophers covered may for instance include that of Aristotle, Locke, Bentham, Mill, Kant, Rawls, Friedman, Nozick, Bernstein, Dworkin, Sandel, Walzer, and MacIntyre.
Module content:
Basic principles of law of contract. Law of sales, credit agreements, lease.
Module content:
Labour law. Aspects of security law. Law of insolvency. Entrepreneurial law; company law, law concerning close corporations. Law of partnerships.
Module content:
Database design: the relational model, structured query language (SQL), entity relationship modelling, normalisation, database development life cycle; practical introduction to database design. Databases: advanced entity relationship modelling and normalisation, object-oriented databases, database development life cycle, advanced practical database design.
Module content:
Database management: transaction management, concurrent processes, recovery, database administration: new developments: distributed databases, client-server databases: practical implementation of databases.
Module content:
Systems analysis. Systems design: construction; application architecture; input design; output design; interface design; internal controls; program design; object design; project management; system implementation; use of computer-aided development tools.
Module content:
*Module content will be adapted in accordance with the appropriate degree programme. Only one of KOB 281– 284 may be taken as a module where necessary for a programme.
Applied business communication skills
Acquiring basic business communication skills will enhance the capabilities of employees, managers and leaders in the business environment. An overview of applied skills on the intrapersonal, dyadic, interpersonal, group (team), organisational, public and mass communication contexts is provided. The practical part of the module (for example, the writing of business reports and presentation skills) concentrates on the performance dimensions of these skills as applied to particular professions.
Module content:
Introduction to income tax in respect of companies and individuals
In this module an introduction to the administration of deceased and insolvent estates is provided. Specific emphasis is placed on the preparation of the executor's account for deceased estates as well as the trustee's account for insolvent estates. The calculation of estate duty is also dealt with in detail. Introduction to taxation, objection and appeal, gross income, source of income, gross income (special inclusions), exempt income, general deduction formula, assessed losses, special deductions for companies, special deductions for individuals, capital allowances.
Module content:
Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Companies Act, the Framework and Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: presentation of financial statements; revenue; investments; provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets; events after the balance sheet date; inventories; income taxes; leases; property, plant and equipment; impairment of assets; intangible assets; investment property, changes in accounting estimates and errors; introduction to financial instruments.
Module content:
Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: employee benefits; the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates; accounting policies; earnings per share; cash flow statements; interests in joint ventures. Branch accounting. Introduction to consolidations, including basic consolidation techniques for both wholly-owned and partly-owned subsidiaries. Introduction to public sector accounting.
Module content:
Introduction to the audit environment. Nature, objectives, history and development of internal auditing. The internal auditing profession and the role of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Ethical code and standards of internal auditors (IPPF). An organisation’s internal control environment and internal control systems. Introduction to Information Technology (IT). General controls and application controls frameworks. The internal audit process and tools and techniques used during the audit Introduction to sampling.
Module content:
Introduction to corporate governance. Relationship between internal auditing and other related disciplines and individuals. Background to external auditing. Internal and external audit approaches.The identification of weaknesses, risks and controls for the revenue and procurement systems in the system. The audit of internal control systems and the audit of financial statements.
Module content:
Logistics management
The role of logistics in an enterprise; definition and scope of customer service; electronic and other logistics information systems; inventory management; materials management with special reference to Japanese systems; management of the supply chain. Methods of transport and transport costs; types and costs of warehousing; electronic aids in materials handling; cost and price determination of purchases; organising for logistics management; methods for improving logistics performance.
Module content:
Project management: Introduction
Project management concepts; needs identification; the project, the project manager and the project team; types of project organisations; project communication and documentation.
Planning and control: planning, scheduling and schedule control of projects; resource considerations and allocations; cost planning and performance evaluation.
Module content:
Counting techniques. Probability theory: Sample spaces, events, rules of probability, conditional probabilities, independent events and Bayes’ theorem. Probability distributions and probability densities: cumulative distribution functions, marginal distributions, joint distributions, conditional distributions and independence. Expected values: Moments, Chebyshev’s theorem, moment-generating functions, product moments, moments of linear combinations of random variables and conditional expectations. Transformation techniques of random variables. Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques.
Module content:
Special probability distributions: the discrete uniform distribution, Bernoulli distribution, binomial distribution, negative binomial and geometric distribution, the hypergeometric distribution, Poisson distribution and multinomial distribution. Special probability densities: Uniform distribution, gamma, exponential and chi-square distributions, the beta distribution, the normal distribution and the bivariate normal distribution. Functions of random variables. Sampling distributions, point estimation, interval estimation and hypothesis testing. Regression Analysis. Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques.
Module content:
Role and environment of managerial finance; Financial statement analysis; Cash flow and financial planning; Time value of money; Risk and return. Capital investment decisions; Working capital management.
Module content:
Introduction to management accounting; Cost terms, concepts and classifications; Job-order costing; Process costing; Cost behaviour; Variable versus absorption costing; Cost-volume profit relationships; Budgeting.
Module content:
Internal and external influencing factors of consumer behaviour, the consumer's decision process and application fields of consumer behaviour, consumerisms and social responsibility, buying behaviour of consumers in both product and service related industries, consumer psychology and the influence thereof on buying behaviour, psychology of pricing, influencing factors in consumer buying behaviour, the impact of various forms of marketing communication on buying behaviour.
Module content:
Integrated brand communications approach, marketing communication planning, objectives and budgets for integrated marketing communications, principles and strategising of marketing communication elements, new media, the brand name communication process, marketing metrics and evaluation for marketing communication effectiveness.
Minimum credits: 120
Module content:
*INF 301 is a module that combines INF 315, INF 324, INF 354 and INF 370. Students register for all these modules, but receive a calculated percentage for INF 301.
A review of current trends that are relevant to the application of information systems within a business environment. Information systems in organisations, social and ethical responsibilities, the role of the Informatician. IT end-user relationships; IT management. Advanced programming. Application of systems analysis and design in a practical project; programming; use of computer-aided development tools.
Module content:
A review of current trends which are relevant to the application of information systems within a business environment.
Module content:
Information systems in organisations, social and ethical responsibilities, the role of the Informatician. IT end-user relationships; IT management.
Module content:
Application of systems analysis and design in a practical project; programming; use of computer-aided development tools.
Module content:
This project-orientated module is a form of applied learning which is directed at specific community needs and is integrated into all undergraduate academic programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.
The main objectives with the module are as follows:
(1) The execution of a community-related project aimed at achieving a beneficial impact on a chosen section of society, preferably but not exclusively, by engagement with a section of society which is different from the student's own background.
(2) The development of an awareness of personal, social and cultural values, an attitude to be of service, and an understanding of social issues, for the purpose of being a responsible professional.
(3) The development of important multidisciplinary and life skills, such as communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.
Assessment in this module will include all or most of the following components: evaluation and approval of the project proposal, assessment of oral and/or written progress reports, peer assessment in the event of team projects, written report-back by those at which the project was aimed at, and final assessment on grounds of the submission of a portfolio and a written report.
Module content:
The purpose of the module is to enable the learner to calculate the value-added tax liability and to journalise transactions; calculate the normal tax liability (including the determination of taxable capital gains and assessed capital losses) of individuals, companies, estates and trusts, discuss tax principles; and calculate provisional and employees' tax and to object against an assessment.
Module content:
Strategic issues in marketing, strategic marketing, strategic analysis (market analysis, customer analysis, competitor analysis and internal analysis), market strategies (competitive strategies, strategies in the product life cycle and relationship building strategies) and strategy implementation and control.
Module content:
Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: income taxes; property, plant and equipment; impairment; non-current assets held for sale; intangible assets; investment property; borrowing costs; leases; accounting policies; changes in accounting estimates and errors; segment reporting; certain aspects of financial instruments.
Module content:
Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates; earnings per share; related party disclosure; associates. Complex consolidation issues, including intra-group transactions; dividends; preference shares; revaluations; horizontal, vertical and mixed groups; insolvent subsidiaries; change of interest; consolidated cashflow statement.
Module content:
General and application IT controls. The identification of weaknesses, risks and controls for the inventory, bank and cash systems. Statistical sampling. The audit of internal control systems and the audit of financial statements. Internal audit and external audit reports.
Module content:
The identification of weaknesses, risks and controls for the payroll system and health and safety environment. The audit of internal control systems and the audit of financial statements. Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATS). Introduction to performing an operational/performance audit. Relevant legislation and other guidelines that affect the internal audit profession. Introduction to the public sector internal audit environment.
Module content:
Human resource management and development
The environment in which human resource management takes place; job analysis; strategic human resource planning; equal employment opportunities; planning and management of training; development and careers; functioning in a global environment.
Negotiation and collective bargaining
The nature of negotiation; preparation for negotiation; negotiating for purposes of climate creation; persuasive communication; handling conflict and aggression; specialised negotiation and collective bargaining in the South African context.
Module content:
Strategic management analysis and formulation
Basic concepts; formulation of mission; policy and objectives; external evaluation of the business environment; internal evaluation of the enterprise; including intellectual assets; the formulation and development of a strategic plan.
Strategic management implementation
The role of management in strategy implementation; budgets as instrument in the implementation process; leading processes of change within enterprises; supporting policies, procedures and information systems for implementation in the various functional areas; evaluation and control of implementation.
Module content:
Regression analysis: simple and multiple regression; nonlinear regression; correlation and the use of dummy variables. Multivariate distributions: normal, multinomial and poisson distribution. Linear combinations of normal variables. Analysis of variance and covariance. Categorical data analysis. Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques.
Module content:
Regression analysis extensions: heteroscedasticity, serial correlation and lag structures. Time-series analysis. Applications of matrices, differentiation and integration in the economic and management sciences. Evaluation of simple economic models. Theory and applications of time-series models: univariate time series. Stationary and non-stationary time series. ARMA and ARIMA models. Regression models. Model identification and estimation. Spectrum and periodogram. Forecasting with time-series models. Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques. Student seminars.
Module content:
The role of marketing research, the process of marketing research, interpretation of secondary research, qualitative research, survey research, observation, measurement and attitude scaling, questionnaire design, sampling design and sampling procedures, basic data analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, interpretation and reporting of results, research report writing.
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