Anyone done an Open Uni Computing course?

[Goose]

I'm currently unemployed and struggling to find work as i'm only able to go for part-time jobs due to my health. I'm trying to research courses in computing with the aim of working in computer forensics (or something similar).

I have a degree in American Studies which is onbiously no good to me as far as an IT career goes and i've also never worked in IT. I've always been a bit geeky and interested in computers and i'm hoping that will be enough for me to try and make my way in to the industry.

I've been reading about this OU course as it seems the most logical choice and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the OU or any general advice for someone in my position?

Thanks

 

[Ayahuasca]

I've always been a bit geeky and interested in computers and i'm hoping that will be enough for me to try and make my way in to the industry.

Sorry to burst your bubble but this isn't enough to help you get you into the industry. There's a difference between being a bit geeky and being able to build a PC compared to being good and interested in computer forensics. I think you need to think about it a little deeper.

 

[AJK]

I have to say, while I applaud you for looking into ways to improve your employability, I can't imagine there are many employers out there looking for part time workers with no IT qualifications or experience to work in some form of IT forensics...

Have you considered looking for any other kind of part time IT role, such as tech support or administration, to see if it's actually for you?

 

[dowie]

It's a start at least... don't know about the specifics of that career but for employment in general it could be helpful... really you should probably carry on and do the whole MSc. These conversion MSc courses for non tecnical grads tend to cover part of an undergrad course. If your chosen career is something that a fresh grad with a BSc and no experience would struggle to get into then an MSc which only covers part of what a BSc would cover isn't going to be sufficient either... might open doors to a job where you can build up some relevant tecnical experience though and then try.

 

[:(Rhodri:)]

Have you considered doing a more entry level IT course before jumping in to do a degree? There's a huge amount out there and some of them could feed into computer forensics if you decide to continue down that route, while making you more employable in an IT support role.

 

[AJK]

These conversion MSc courses for non tecnical grads tend to cover part of an undergrad course. If your chosen career is something that a fresh grad with a BSc and no experience would struggle to get into then an MSc which only covers part of what a BSc would cover isn't going to be sufficient either...

The course he's linked to isn't a Masters conversion, it's a PG Certificate. A lot more credits are required to progress that to a diploma and Masters.

 

[Goose]

Sorry to burst your bubble but this isn't enough to help you get you into the industry. There's a difference between being a bit geeky and being able to build a PC compared to being good and interested in computer forensics. I think you need to think about it a little deeper.

I have to say, while I applaud you for looking into ways to improve your employability, I can't imagine there are many employers out there looking for part time workers with no IT qualifications or experience to work in some form of IT forensics...

Have you considered looking for any other kind of part time IT role, such as tech support or administration, to see if it's actually for you?

Maybe my OP wasn't worded very well but at no point have I expected to get a job in IT without qualifications/experience. My OP is about advice on getting a qualification (such as the one I linked to) and then trying to get a job or further study if thats whats needed.

Have you considered doing a more entry level IT course before jumping in to do a degree? There's a huge amount out there and some of them could feed into computer forensics if you decide to continue down that route, while making you more employable in an IT support role.

The course i linked to is a postgraduate one year certificate which is about as basic as they get at the OU i think.

 

[Deiwos]

Maybe my OP wasn't worded very well but at no point have I expected to get a job in IT without qualifications/experience. My OP is about advice on getting a qualification (such as the one I linked to) and then trying to get a job or further study if thats whats needed.



The course i linked to is a postgraduate one year certificate which is about as basic as they get at the OU i think.

To quote the qualification:

There are no entry requirements for this postgraduate certificate, but you must be suitably prepared for study at postgraduate level. You will typically have studied to degree level, or have had equivalent practical experience in the computing industry, or in work related to computing. The individual module descriptions will tell you more about the expected requirements for study.

I worked for the OU for 5 years as a student adviser (work at another uni now) and I can tell you now that you would not be able to do this qualification. It's postgraduate level (higher than a degree) and requires you to have a good background in Computer Science. Being 'a bit geeky' won't cut it.

You'd be much better looking for things like CISCO and Microsoft qualifications but you will struggle to find part time work in IT.

Edit: I should add, there's no funding for PG so you'll be paying full whack yourself.

 

[dowie]

The course he's linked to isn't a Masters conversion, it's a PG Certificate. A lot more credits are required to progress that to a diploma and Masters.

What an odd post, you've partially quoted me to tell me something that I've already commented on in the bit if my post you've cropped

I can see exactly what it is, it is the first part of an MSc, and that is why I've suggested he complete the full MSc...

The OU works that way with their courses - you can get a certificate then diploma for completing (usually 1/3 then respectively 2/3 of a degree)

 

[broken--89]

Hi Goose,

Have you thought of doing a college course? I used this to get onto a computer forensics course a few years back.

personally i haven't taken a career path in forensics, i much prefer network and network security and have gone into a support role, as have a few others that were on this course. If you want to know the sorts of things that are required to do computer forensics fell free to message me

 

[AJK]

Maybe my OP wasn't worded very well but at no point have I expected to get a job in IT without qualifications/experience. My OP is about advice on getting a qualification (such as the one I linked to) and then trying to get a job or further study if thats whats needed.

Right, but the course you linked to is, in your own words, "about as basic as they get". The educational route to a serious Computer Science-based job (such as Forensics) will be long and expensive. What will you do in the meantime?

I'm seriously asking - have you considered and/or applied for any other type of IT work in the meantime, to get some experience of the sector? Tech support or office administration (depending on your background) can both be available as part time jobs, and depending on the company both can be suitable for entry without lots of IT qualifications.

How far does your interest in computers extend - is it just that you've built your own PC, or do you have other interests in the area?

What an odd post, you've partially quoted me to tell me something that I've already commented on in the bit if my post you've cropped

Not "odd" at all, just that I misread your post slightly, sorry. No need for the tone.

 

[dowie]

I worked for the OU for 5 years as a student adviser (work at another uni now) and I can tell you now that you would not be able to do this qualification. It's postgraduate level (higher than a degree) and requires you to have a good background in Computer Science. Being 'a bit geeky' won't cut it.

the course description mentions that it is ok for people who don't have a computer science undergrad.

Edit - sorry actually I'd agree from looking at the details for individual modules that some modules likely would require some prior experience...

Having said that if the OP is going to put the effort in then he could get up to speed via the various free course websites pretty quickly... the Cisco stuff perhaps not but some of the software engineering modules don't appear to cover much more that an undergrad would.

 

[Deiwos]

Sorry but that is poor advice - the course description is clear that it is for people who don't have a computer science undergrad.

That's marketing for you. It's utter guff. Look at the modules and the entry requirements for them, nearly all of them require computing background.

Edit: Have you read the qualification description? It literally says 'The modules in the postgraduate computing programme are for professional computer specialists, engineers, technical managers and scientists who need to update their skills and knowledge in specific areas, and gain recognised qualifications to develop their careers.'

 

[dowie]

OP check out Coursera, udacity, MIT open courseware, EDx, Stanford online, Stanford engineering everywhere (in fact this one is probably about as good as you'll get anywhere for an introduction to computer science).

You can easily find materials to get yourself some background knowledge.

 

[Goose]

Hi Goose,

Have you thought of doing a college course? I used this to get onto a computer forensics course a few years back.

personally i haven't taken a career path in forensics, i much prefer network and network security and have gone into a support role, as have a few others that were on this course. If you want to know the sorts of things that are required to do computer forensics fell free to message me

Thanks for the suggestion dude, i'll look in to it. I wanted to send you a trust message but you dont have it enabled unfortunately. I dont know if its an issue or not but i'll be 33 in a couple of months so I might not even be eligible for college courses.

OP check out Coursera, udacity, MIT open courseware, EDx, Stanford online, Stanford engineering everywhere (in fact this one is probably about as good as you'll get anywhere for an introduction to computer science).

You can easily find materials to get yourself some background knowledge.

Thanks for that, i'll google them all and see what i can come up with.