Deanship of Educational Services

Computer Technology & Programming

Description of the Program

The program  prepares students to have strong backgrounds in the development of computer programming . The program gives students a wide base of knowledge about important facets of computer technology.

The objective is to produce graduates that have the abilities to write computer applications in the day-to-day operations of organizations, to maintain computing environments effectively and efficiently for the organizations, and to develop automated procedures for  routine organizational tasks.

The program covers the following areas: computer hardware, system software, internet services and web development, and system administration and management.

The graduates of the program will have the following skills:  They can design, write and maintain industrial application programs, maintain computing environments effectively and efficiently, design and build databases, help  network administrators, and work for an Internet service providers and web development organizations.

Our graduates can receive jobs from any of the following companies or institutions: Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Saudi Airlines, Financial Institutions, SCECO, Software Houses, Internet Service Providers, the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu, and the Ministry of Interior. 

Total credits for Diploma Program in Computer Technology & Programming: 64

ICS 004 Preparatory Computer Applications                           (0-2-1)
Computer components, use of computers in work environment, Introduces the commonly used software packages.  Emphasizes the hands on experience of the commonly used software packages with regard to creating, organizing, and maintaining directories/ files or documents.

ICS 011 Computer Programming                                             (2-3-3)
Problem solving.  Introduction to a typical programming language.  Basic data types.   Selection structures.  Repetition structures.  Arrays and studying. Procedures and functions.  Simple algorithm development.

ICS 012 Visual Programming I                                                (2-3-3)
Introduction to the principles of visual programming for windows such as Visual Basic or other visual programming environment.  Event driven programming. Control structures. Data types and structures. Properties, events, and methods of control of forms. Modular programming.

ICS 013 Computer Organization                                              (2-2-3)
Overview of computer hardware, communication hardware, and peripherals. Functional level description of computer organization, various functional units and different cards/peripherals.

ICS 014 Database Applications                                                (2-4-4)
This course is an introduction to database management.  Using appropriate database software, students will learn how to design, create, manipulate, and maintain data in an organized, accessible, and accurate manner.  Emphasis is placed on the use of PC-based relational database management software for common business applications.
Co-requisite: ICS 012

ICS 015 System Analyses & Design                                          (2-2-3)
Introduces software life cycle.  Requirements collection. Software design.  Software project management.
Co-requisite: ICS 012, ICS 014

ICS 021 Visual Programming II                                                 (2-2-4)
Students will program windows applications while learning menu layout, programming logic, form design and control, structured testing and debugging, user interface, conditional logic and loops, input validation, form connecting, introduction to object-orientation, and database front end design.
Prerequisite: ICS 012, ICS 014

ICS 024 PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting                           (2-4-4)
Overview of system features and components. Microprocessor types and specifications. Motherboards, bus slots and I/O cards, memory, power supply, input devices, video display hardware, audio hardware. Floppy disk drives and controllers, hard disk drives and controllers, CD-ROM drives, and network cards. Preventive maintenance, backups, and warranties. Software and hardware diagnostic tools. Software and hardware troubleshooting.
Prerequisite: ICS 013

ICS 022 Computer Networking                                                 (2-4-4)
The course provides a comprehensive study of microcomputer networking.  Topics include the selection, installation, maintenance, and management of network software and hardware.
Prerequisite: ICS 013

ICS 023 PC Operating Systems                                                 (2-4-4)
The course will focus on the study of disk-based operating systems used in micro-computer systems.  Laboratory practice will give the student a working knowledge of MS DOS, UNIX, and MS WINDOWS.
Prerequisite: ICS 012, ICS 013

ICS 027 Computer Systems Management                                   (2-2-3)
Introduces the computer systems administration including login, file system, security, print services, network architecture, performance monitoring, and event viewing. In the lab specific environment like Windows NT will be used to give the students hand-on experience.
Prerequisite: ICS 023

ICS 025 Internet Services and Web authoring                             (2-4-4)
Electronic mail and file transfer.  Information  retrieval services and tools. Multimedia applications: Audio-video conferencing; networked hypertext and hypermedia; visual cyberspace.  World wide Web (WWW) page and program development. The Hypertext Markup Languages and the Hypertext Transfer Protocols. Common Gateway Interfaces, Java Script. Web page style and design.
Prerequisite: ICS 021, ICS 022

ICS 026 Capstone Project                                                         (1-6-3)
This course is designed to give students the experience of tackling a realistic problem.  The intent is to show how to put theoretical knowledge gained into practical use by starting from a word description of a problem and proceeding through various design phases to end up with a practical solution. The project advisor guides the student in conducting feasibility study, preparation of specifications, and the methodology for the design.  Detailed design and implementation of the project are carried out followed by tasting, debugging, and documentation. An oral presentation and final report are given at the end of the semester.
Prerequisite: ICS 014, ICS 021

For further information, please contact us on:

University Diploma Programs
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
P. O. Box 5077, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Tel:   (+966-3) 860-1222
Fax:  (+966-3) 860-1255
E-Mail: diploma@kfupm.edu.sa