Digital Skills Academy Launches World's First Online Degree in Integrated Digital Technology, Business and Design

DUBLIN, June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Pioneering programme targets North America, Mexico, South Africa, UK and Ireland 

International BSc blends technology and business expertise in demand from tech world 

Digital Skills Academy has launched the world's first online degree in integrated digital technology, business and design. The International BSc (Honours) in Digital Technology, Design and Innovation commences in October 2015 with international participants from North and Latin Americas, Africa, the UK and Ireland.

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While a handful of similarly pioneering 'on campus' degrees exist - including the much heralded USC Jimmy Lovine and Andrew Young Academy for the Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation in Los Angeles - the Digital Skills Academy programme is the first of its kind to employ Online eLearning delivery, making it globally available. The aim of the International BSc is to combine digital business acumen with digital technology expertise, a hybrid skillset increasingly sought after by leading tech players worldwide, as well as by multiple sectors, including banking, insurance, telecoms, media, aviation and retail.

The one year, part-time and online course is accredited by Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and facilitates work in international teams on real world projects via virtual platforms.  With an emphasis on multidisciplinary teaching by respected industry leaders, participants have the opportunity to acquire a comprehensive understanding of modern digital business and in-demand digital technology skills.

The degree programmes are primarily aimed at corporates who want to up-skill staff, people currently employed in other fields looking to secure positions in the digital technology sector, and graduates who are looking to improve their career prospects. Digital Skills Academy works with a number of international industry partners to give students cutting edge experience of working in international teams to develop digital products and services, while allowing partner businesses to work in new and innovative ways and identify talent. Industry partners are central to the BSc Degree, ranging from startups and SMEs to global corporations like Allianz, Oracle, Ernst & Young, Telefonica and BT.

Paul Dunne, CEO and founder of the Digital Skills Academy, said: "By employing the latest developments in online learning and online team working technologies, our degrees are offered across the world, opening up a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas on a global scale."

"Our format is proving highly effective for working professionals who must continually up-skill in line with changing technologies and market demands, and real life applications run through everything we do."

New York, San Francisco, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Johannesburg, Cape Town, London, Edinburgh and Dublin are the main target cities for the 2015/2016 degree.

About Digital Skills Academy - Founded in Dublin in 2008 by CEO Paul Dunne, Digital Skills Academy is a premier industry provider of online higher education and degree programmes and has produced over 2,000 graduates now working with organisations like Google, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Vodafone, SAP and Heineken.  Over 90% of participants from the 2014 honours degree level programme achieved their career advancement goals within 4 months of graduating.

Notes 

1. The global digital economy is forecast to grow to over 2 trillion US dollars by 2020.
2. The impact of digital technologies is now felt not only in the IT department, but across
3. the entire organization, creating a huge demand for digital skills - Digital Talent Gap, Capgemini Consulting, 2013
4. "Successful leaders are going to be true hybrid professionals." - Markus Nodlin, CIO Zurich Insurance, Digital Talent Gap
5. "Technical talents need a strong understanding of business.  Business professionals must understand the language of IT." - Digital Talent Gap
6. The eLearning market is forecast to grow to over 100 billion US dollars by the end of 2015.
7. IBM says companies using eLearning strategies can boost productivity by up to 50 per cent.

For further information:  Paul Dunne +353-1-690-8090 [email protected] or Nick Freer  Mob: +44-(0)7841-571-871  [email protected]

SOURCE Digital Skills Academy