Industry-aligned Digital and Business Technology Education
Our focus is on designing and delivering industry-aligned digital and business technology education that responds directly to employer needs, skills shortages, and the realities of modern digital workplaces. Across our undergraduate portfolio, we intentionally bridge academic rigour with applied practice, ensuring graduates have theoretical knowledge and confidence and experience of apply those skills directly at their workplace.
This approach is embedded across three closely related programmes within our Business Information Systems provision:
- BSc (Hons) Business Technology (Outgoing Programme)
- BSc (Hons) Digital Business Technology & Innovation
- BSc (Hons) Digital Business Analytics
Together, these programmes form a coherent suite that supports different digital career pathways while sharing a common commitment to employer engagement, applied learning, and real-world relevance.
Programme Portfolio and Evolution
Our contribution focuses on embedding industry relevance and work readiness within undergraduate digital programmes, notably:
- BSc (Hons) Business Technology: is an established programme that has played a foundational role in shaping our industry-aligned approach to digital education. Insights and employer feedback from this programme have directly informed the development of our newer degrees, ensuring continuity, relevance and progression across the portfolio.
As the Business Technology programme phases out, its core principles and industry-informed learning design continue through our new Digital Business Technology & Innovation and Digital Business Analytics degrees.
- BSc (Hons) Digital Business & Technology Innovation: a newly approved programme preparing students to lead business transformation via digital technologies, innovation, data analytics, responsible technology use and entrepreneurial thinking.
- BSc (Hons) Digital Business Analytics: is a new programme focused on data-driven insight and decision-making. It develops students’ capabilities in data analysis, visualisation, business intelligence and analytics-led problem solving, ensuring graduates can translate complex data into meaningful business value.
While each programme has a distinct focus, they are intentionally aligned through shared pedagogic principles, business understanding along with industry engagement approaches, and employability outcomes.
The programmes are delivered within the University’s triple-accredited Business School, where applied learning, employer engagement and real-world relevance are central to curriculum design and delivery.
Industry Engagement and Co-creation
Industry alignment is embedded throughout the student journey rather than treated as an add-on. Key features include:
- Co-designed, co-created and co-delivery by our employer’s insight and current industry practices.
- Live projects, case studies reflecting real organisational challenges
- Guest lectures and practitioner-led sessions that expose students to professional contexts and experience
- Industry mentoring and short, focused engagement opportunities that support career awareness and confidence
This layered engagement model allows employers to contribute meaningfully while ensuring students benefit from authentic, varied interactions with industry.
Students, Outcomes and Impact
Our students come from diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds. Industry engagement plays a critical role in helping them connect theory to practice, understand employer expectations and develop a strong professional identity.
Across the portfolio, outcomes include:
- Increased student confidence in articulating digital and analytical skills
- Strong engagement with applied digital tools and technologies
- Graduate progression into roles across digital transformation, business analysis, data analytics, technology consulting and related fields
Employers consistently value our students’ adaptability, professionalism and ability to apply learning in real-world contexts.
Future Plans and Opportunities for Collaboration
Looking ahead, we aim to further strengthen employer collaboration by:
- Expanding co-created assessments and live project opportunities
- Deepening mentoring and analytics-focused engagement
- Strengthening pathways between study, placement and graduate employment
Call to Action
We welcome engagement from employers who wish to:
- Shape future digital, technology and analytics talent
- Contribute to live briefs, applied projects, industry visits (UK and international), or guest-led sessions
- Support mentoring, placement or early-career recruitment pathways
We invite employers to work with us to co-develop the next generation of digitally capable, business-ready graduates.
Get in touch:
- Dr Opeoluwa Aiyenitaju – Programme Leader, Business Technology (phasing out) and Digital Business and Technology Innovation
- Dr Muhammad Fayyaz – Programme Leader, Digital Business Analytics
