New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology (Level 5)
Course details
| NZQF Level | 5 |
|---|
About the course
The New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology (Level 5) qualification will give you a broad understanding of the core concepts and practical skills in information technology.
Availability
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
Delivery method
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time.
One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Study type
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3. Some courses may not be available every Trimester, and some may run longer than the standard 16-18 week period.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Teaching weeks
Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.
For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.
Workload
The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:
Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.
Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.
- Level5
- Credits60
- Study type Trimester
-
- Student loan
Available.
This qualification will help you gain valuable fundamental concepts and foundation knowledge for the information technology and computing subject areas. You will be able to build on your existing IT skills from previous qualifications or relevant experience.
As a graduate of this programme, you will be able to apply the fundamentals of current and emerging concepts and practices in IT. You will also be able to demonstrate awareness of appropriate professional practice, and work as part of a team and independently, under broad supervision.
This qualification will give you a pathway to the undergraduate IT degree programme, if you meet the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) degree.
What you will learn
When you complete this programme you will be able to:
- apply IT technical support concepts and practice to manage hardware and software resources to meet organisational requirements
- apply the fundamentals of information systems concepts and practice to support and enhance organisational processes and systems
- apply the fundamentals of interaction design concepts and practice to enhance interface designs
- apply the principles of software development to create simple working applications
- apply professional, legal, and ethical principles and practices in a socially responsible manner as an emerging IT professional
- use your communication, personal and interpersonal skills to enhance effectiveness in an IT role
- use problem-solving and decision making techniques to provide innovative and timely IT outcomes.
Study pathways
Open Polytechnic is an educational partner of IT Professionals New Zealand. IT Professionals NZ is a community of thousands of professionals who work in the IT industry, and care about professional practice, support professional development, set standards, and work hard to help other members get ahead.
When you enrol in our New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology (Level 5) you will get an annual student membership with IT Professionals New Zealand while you are studying with us.
Open Polytechnic programmes
If you don't meet the entry requirements for this qualification we have a range of study options at certificate Levels 1 - 4 that lead to this qualification. Check out our Foundation and Bridging Certificates or contact us to discuss your options.
About the provider
Open Polytechnic is New Zealand's leader in online and distance learning.
What’s our distance learning difference? It’s the almost 30,000 students who join us each year to study and achieve their career and personal goals.
It’s Open Polytechnic being New Zealand’s specialist distance learning provider for over 70 years.
All our students study by distance.
Distance learning is what we do.
Our programmes are designed exclusively for distance learning. Our online courses include a range of rich content to engage you – readings, videos, interactive elements, case studies, quizzes and activities, and forums.
Our academic staff are experts at teaching by distance learning. It’s what they do.
They will be with you every step of the way to encourage you, and ensure you understand the course content. They will help you gain the skills and knowledge you need, so that you can succeed.
If you need other support or help, we’ve got a range of people here for you.
With Open Polytechnic, you’re not alone.