Mark Whitfield – Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) from 1988 to 1990

Senior IT Project Manager Mark Whitfield attended the Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) from 1988 to 1990, graduating overall first in his class with a Distinction in his 2-year full-time BTEC HND in Computer Studies.

Mark Whitfield, Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) from 1988 to 1990
Mark Whitfield | Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) from 1988 to 1990

📊 Academic Overview & Curriculum

  • Institution & Dates: Attended September 1988 – July 1990 at Deane Road, Bolton, UK. BIHE later became the University of Bolton/Greater Manchester.
  • Core Modules: The curriculum combined technical and business disciplines, including Computer Systems Architecture, Programming Methodology, System Analysis, Data Processing, Business Information Systems, Business Studies, and Quantitative Techniques.

Course & Module Breakdown

The executive-level curriculum combined core computer science, software engineering, and business information systems across seven primary modules:

  • Computer Systems Architecture: Focused on hardware design, central processing unit (CPU) structures, and system configurations.
  • Programming Methodology (Theory / Practice): Covered software development lifecycles, core logic, code optimization, and a final-year practical project.
  • System Analysis: Taught methodologies for gathering business requirements, modeling systems, and mapping out technical system designs.
  • Data Processing: Addressed data management workflows, batch/transaction structures, and storage systems.
  • Business Studies: Provided foundational knowledge of organizational structures, commerce, and corporate operations.
  • Quantitative Techniques: Focused on mathematical, statistical, and analytical tools applied to business and computing problems.
  • Business Information Systems (Theory / Practice): Explored how information technology supports business decision-making and operational workflows.

💻 Final Year Project

His final year project was a student administration database system for BIHE: [1]

  • Architecture & Design: Utilized SSADM and a Third Normal Form (3NF) database model.
  • Tech Stack: Built on an ORACLE SQL database and ORACLE SQL-forms GUI running on MS-DOS, supporting full CRUD operations and transaction rollbacks.
3. Mark Whitfield | Graduated in Computer Studies in 1990 | BIHE
2. Mark Whitfield | Graduated in Computer Studies in 1990 | BIHE
1. Mark Whitfield | Graduated in Computer Studies in 1990 | BIHE
Mark Whitfield | Graduated in Computer Studies in 1990 | BIHE
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Author: Mark Whitfield

Welcome to my site! After graduating in Computing in 1990, I accepted a position as a programmer at a Runcorn based software house specialising in electronic banking software, namely sp/ARCHITECT-BANK on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop). This was before the internet became more prevalent and so the notion of enabling desktop access to company accounts for inter-account transfers and book keeping was still quite a cutting edge idea (and smartphones only ever hinted at in Space 1999). The company was called The Software Partnership (which was taken over by Deluxe Data in 1994). I spent 5 years in Runcorn developing code for SP/ARCHITECT for various banks like TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank and Girofon (Denmark) to name but a few. I then moved onto a software house in Salford Quays for further bank facing projects. After a further 23 years in the IT industry and now a Senior IT Project Manager (both Agile and Waterfall delivery), I thought I would echo out my Career Profile in this corner of the internet for quick and easy access.

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