Higher National Diploma in Information Technology
The Higher National Diploma in Information Technology (HND-IT) program at Tthe Sri Lanka Institute of Advance Technical Education (SLIATE) was
developed and commenced in the year 2000 with the objective of producing the
middle level IT professionals required for the new millennium. The initial curriculum
designed for the course was revised two times, first in year 2005 followed by the second
in year 2007. However, both the revisions were of minor nature and did not affect the
status core of the program. A major revision was done with the University of Moratuwa
through the IRQUE project in year 2011.
The course aims at school leavers with GCE (A/L) qualifications in
Mathematics, Science, Accountancy and Arts streams. Candidates are selected
through the order of merit in their GCE (A/L) examination and through an aptitude/ IQ
test. According to the existing curriculum documentation, the aims and objectives of
the initial course are stated as follows.
The course duration consisted of five semesters namely Semester I, Semester
II, Semester III, Semester IV and Semester V, covered over a period of two and half
calendar years. Academic activities were held during the first four semesters and
during the fifth semester students were required to complete a full-time industrial
placement. The duration of each semester was 15 weeks.
From 2007 the program was planned to be offered through nine different institutes
throughout the country under SLIATE. The program had a significant demand during
the initial years but has started to face increased competition since there cent past
from other parallel programs offered by the state and private sector institutions as well
as from the external IT related degree programs offered by state universities.
In a response to this situation in 2011 SLIATE has decided to go ahead with a major
revamp of the program inclusive of a major curriculum revision through funding
available under the World Bank supported “Improving Relevance and Quality of
Undergraduate Education (IRQUE)” project. In a parallel effort to this a second
initiate was also taken to start another Higher Diploma program specializing in the
area of Software Engineering through funding available from the Asian Development
Bank supported “Education for the Knowledge Society (EKSP)” project. These two
initiatives, even though supported by two different projects had the same common
objectives of improving the relevance, quality and demand of the Higher National
Diploma in Information Technology program offered by the Sri Lanka Institute of
Advanced Technological Education.
Requirements (Full Time)
Requirements (Part Time)
Note
Only for those applying for Part Time Course, should be employed in IT
related field.
| Level | Skill /Competency Levels | Expected Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Certificate in Information Technology (After the completion of one year) | Enriched with fundamental theoretical knowledge and practical exposure required in utilizing ICT in an office environment |
Ability to install and maintain (including basic hardware maintenance) personal computers and networking devices in general office environment. Ability to configure basic messaging and networking services on client computers. Determine requirements and specifications of devices and software for general office use. Develop small software application and websites for general office work. |
| Diploma in Information Technology (After the completion of one and half years) | Developed with competencies, skills and knowledge in a broader spectrum of specialized areas in Information Technology. |
Ability to analyze problems and issues in the specialized domain Ability to determine solutions and requirements for identified problems in the specialized domain. Ability to configure, manage and maintain ICT solutions in the specialized application domain. Ability to provide necessary information to the senior management for making decisions in the areas related to the specialized domain. |
| Higher National Diploma in Information Technology (After the completion of complete program | Developed with in‐depth knowledge and competencies in the selected specialized area of ICT. |
Carryout in‐depth analysis on problems and requirements in the area of specialization. Develop solutions for complex problems that require in depth analyzing the area of specialization. Take managerial decisions of the implementation, configuration and maintenance of solutions in the area of specialization. |
- Developer Track
- Administrative Track
- Analyst Track
At the end of the diploma the student should be able to:
Function as a software developer
Train personnel in IT skills.
Carryout in-depth analysis on problems and requirements in the area of specialization.
Develop solutions for complex problems that require in depth analyzing the area of specialization.
Students completed HNDIT at SLIATE are exempted at the Level I and Level II for certain course modules of the three year external degree program conducted at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka leads to BIT program.
Birmingham City University of UK grant 2 year exemptions for the HNDIT Software Engineering program for their course leading to the B.Sc (Hons) degree.