St.

Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU

ARBAMINCH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (AMIT)

(ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY)

“St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU”

Group members name and Id no.

Group name ID
1 Samson
Debela……………………....................................RAMIT/1816/06
2 Abdulmalik
Redwan………………....................................RAMIT/1544/06
3 Abdulwahab
Hajibushra………….......................................RAMIT/1545/06
4 Neja Redi………………………….....................................
RAMIT/1797/06
5 Adnan
Juhar……………………….......................................RAMIT/1561/06

Advisor: Mr. Bikila Alemu

A senior project (proposal)

Submitted to Department of Computer Science and IT, Faculty of Engineering, AMIT, Arba Minch
University, in Partial fulfillment for the requirement of the Degree of Bachelor Science in (Computer
Science and IT).
Arbaminch, Ethiopia

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 St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU

Table of Contents
List of Tables......................................................................................................................................iii
Executive Summary............................................................................................................................iv
Abbreviation........................................................................................................................................v
1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background information of the Arba Minch University...............................................................1
1.1.1Vision.......................................................................................................................................1
1.1.2 Mission....................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Background of the project..............................................................................................................2
1.3 Team Composition.........................................................................................................................3
Tasks and Schedule..............................................................................................................................4
1.4 Statement of the Problem...............................................................................................................5
1.5 Objectives......................................................................................................................................6
1.5.1 General Objectives..................................................................................................................6
1.5.2 Specific Objectives.................................................................................................................6
1.6 Feasibility Analysis........................................................................................................................7
1.6.1 Operational Feasibility.........................................................................................................7
1.6.4 Behavioural/Political Feasibility.............................................................................................7
1.7 Scope and Significance of the Project.........................................................................................10
1.7.1 Scope of the Project..............................................................................................................10
1.7.2 Significance of the Project....................................................................................................10
1.8 Target Beneficiaries of the System..............................................................................................11
1.9 Methodology for the project........................................................................................................12
1.9.1 Data Source...........................................................................................................................12
1.9.2 Fact Finding Technique 12

1.9.3 Systems Analysis and Design........................................................................................13

1.9.4 Development Tools...............................................................................................................14
1.9.5Testing procedures.................................................................................................................15
1.9.6 Implementation.....................................................................................................................15
1.9.7 Limitation of the project.......................................................................................................16
1.9.8 Risks, Assumptions and Constraints.....................................................................................16
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................18

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List of Tables

Table 1.1 Team Compositions.................................................................................................................3

Table 1.2 Task and schedule...................................................................................................................4

Table 1.3 Project Cost.............................................................................................................................8

Table 1.4 Cost Breakdowns....................................................................................................................9

Table 1.5 Target Beneficiaries of the System.......................................................................................11

Table 1.6 Development Tools...............................................................................................................14

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 St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU

Executive Summary
Forgery has long crept into our educational system and counterfeit certificate(s) and
document(s) have upper hand in various certificate and degrees awarding institution. Invalid
studentship has become greater than valid studentship. The need for student verification
system has become necessary to check mate and expunge invalid studentship, invalid
document and invalid certificate yielding for the authenticity of certificate and documents.
This project titled “St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for Arba Minch
University”. The proposed model is concerned with verifying certificates (graduate,
postgraduate) issued from AMU and processing several academic requests from the
graduated students in the future. Graduates Credentials Verification System for Arba Minch
University provides a comfortable communication among AMU and outside organization(s)
as nation’s source for accurate degree data. Moreover, it will be a web based system where
the users will be provided with comfortable interfaces to interact with AMU for their
immediate requirements in a trustworthy manner from anywhere. The system will have a
great significance on the AMU as well as Ministry of Education in the future. This is an
attempt from Ethiopians for the Ethiopians to obliterate the counterfeit from the educational
systems.

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 St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU

Abbreviation

AMU------------------------------------------------------------------Arba Minch University

WTI-----------------------------------------------------------------Water Technology and Institute

SGCVSAMU-----------------------Student Graduate Credentials Verification System for AMU

RAMIT-------------------------------------------------Regular Arba Minch Institute of Technology

HTML--------------------------------------------------------------------Hypertext Mark-up Language

GB------------------------------------------------------------------------Giga Bytes

IE--------------------------------------------------------------------------Internet Explorer

IIS-------------------------------------------------------------------------Internet Information Service

MS------------------------------------------------------------------------Microsoft

MySQL------------------------------------------------------------------Structured Query Language

PHP----------------------------------------------------------------------Hypertext Pre-processor

UML---------------------------------------------------------------------Unified Modelling Language

CD-----------------------------------------------------------------------Compact Disc

ID------------------------------------------------------------------------Identity

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 St. Graduates Credentials Verification System for AMU

1 Introduction
A verification system as in this project is an application program used to verify that
someone or something rightly and legally belongs to a collection or an organization.
Credentials verification system is used to know whether or not the certificate provided is
legal and rightly issued for the student. In this context, it is also used to verify that a student
belongs to an institution and to confirm that he or she is properly registered in a particular
department running any of the institutions program and checking whether the student
Credentials is correct even if their name is registered and certificate is given for them. This
Credentials verification system, is an electronic and computerized means of verifying
someone’s claim of studentship or validating degree certificate by an institution using an
output clearly showing the truth or false of his or her claim.

1.1 Background information of the Arba Minch University

The WTI in Arba Minch University, founded in 1986, has been mandated to offer both
undergraduate educations, conduct research and provide community services in the areas of
water resources. Since 2004 it has got the authorization to postgraduate in the field of
Hydraulics & Hydropower, Irrigation and Water Supply & Environmental Engineering. The
university has now diversified its programs to include colleges of agriculture, college of
natural sciences, college of Business and economics, college of Social sciences and
humanities, college tradition of partnering with international institutions in conducting joint
research and training. The institute hosts a regional Applied Training Centre for Nile Basin
countries centre of excellence on Mini-Hydropower and centre on solar power energy.
(amu.edu.et, 2016)

1.1.1Vision

Arba Minch University aspires to be a leading university in Ethiopia, a centre of excellence

in the field of water resources in Africa and competitive in the world by 2020.

1.1.2 Mission

Arba Minch University has a mission of offering relevant and quality education and
training; conducting demand driven research and rendering accessible community services.

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1.2 Background of the project

Over the past decades, students identification and verification has been a major problem in
large institutions as documents, certificate and studentship can be forged at a great rate and
easy way, using the computer negatively. Forgers fail to know that in this fast moving world,
the computer has equally served as an aid to decision making, verification and authentication.
This is because of computers efficiency in terms of speed, accuracy, reliability, cost and
security among others. In recent years, awareness has existed and created in people as it
concerned the use of computer in verifying, authenticating and security activities either
through web-based (internet) or window-based. The value of every degree is the reputation of
the institution and the students produced, hence, the greatest obstacle to any academic
institution which is dishonesty and forgery has to be checked with verification and
authentication systems and processes. Certificate verification is mandatory for most of the
reputed companies or organizations in order to reduce the risks related to it. Most of the
universities as well as educational providers comes up with computerized verification
systems and also support electronic verifications. But Arba Minch University still now has no
such verification system that can help essential for the graduated students when they are
hiring or hired in any organization. Also enrolment verification is designed to fulfil the
verification requirements of companies that offer products or services requiring proof of a
student's enrolment status. For accessing several academic documents graduated students
spends much time and cost and loose several good career opportunities in their life.

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1.3 Team Composition

In our team every task must be done by all members of the group, so the group participates
on every activities of this project by sharing ideas. Since entire member of the team have the
same responsibility to do the project our group organization is based on Decentralized
control Team organization.

Project St. Graduates Credentials Verification System For AMU (SGCVSAMU)

Title

Prepare S.N Name ID. No Email/Mobile Responsibility

d By o

1 Samson RAMIT/ [email protected] All activity of

Debela 1816/06 the project
Mobile: 0927465882

2 Abdulmalik RAMIT/ [email protected] All activity of

Redwan 1544/06 the project
Mobile: 0910267422

3 Abdulwab RAMIT/ [email protected] All activity of

Hajibushra 1545/06 the project
Mobile:0935633236

4 Adnan RAMIT/ [email protected] All activity of

Juhar 1561/06 the project
Mobile: 0915129533

5 Neja RAMIT/ All activity of

[email protected]
1797/06 the project
Redi
mobile:0920317229

Date December 19, 2016

Advisor Mr Bikila Alemu

Table 1.1 Team Compositions

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Tasks and Schedule

Time schedule

Activities List

March 30-
Dec 10-21

March 25

June 05-
April 20
Dec 23-

Feb 9-

June 6
Jan 6-
Feb 7
Jan 4
Project Proposal

Requirement Analysis

System Design

Implementation/coding

Testing

Project Defence

Table 1.2 Tasks and Schedule

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1.4 Statement of the Problem

At present Arba Minch University is not having any computerized system to deal with
degree verification for bachelors as well as post graduate degree holders from here. Only
thing is the employer or whoever concerned needs to contact the office of registrar or
academic record office for such purposes can contact the registrar and then get the student
Credentials. This is one of the great impacts on Arba Minch University and also the country.
 Difficulty of searching the graduated students file.
 Time consuming and costive.
 Vulnerable to different factors such as fraud certificate and corruption.
 Lack of security in existing system.
 Tedious and less speed.
 Illegal or faulty modification of credentials.
 Fault certificate made by Arba Minch University name.
 Increased illegal employee in the country.
 Declined legal credentials values.
 Embarrassment and negative impact to the organization's reputation.

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1.5 Objectives

1.5.1 General Objectives

The general objective of this project is to design, develop and to test ‘SGCVSAMU” that
provides instant online verifications of university degrees and post graduates certificates,
immediate, secure and affordable online credentials verifications, various timely and well
informed service for different verification requests from organizations and management of
the graduate student’s information are centralized.

1.5.2 Specific Objectives

To achieve the above mentioned general objective, the project addressed the following
specific objectives. The system provides the following:
 Prepare user friendly website where specific action for registrar, administrator and
external users such as organizations are defined.
 Store and manage graduated student’s information.
 Give proper administration features like:
 User management and authentication.
 Having downloaded or send features in order to download or e-mail the verified
information of the candidate or degree and post graduated professional certificate(s)
in the form of mark sheet.
 Online application for various service required by the organization.
 Design and implement a database for proper implementation of the system.
 Search graduated students file.

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1.6 Feasibility Analysis

1.6.1 Operational Feasibility
The system can be used effectively after it has been developed. Users will not have
any difficulty with the new system, producing the expected benefits. System will be
developed based on the policies of the university plus the new business rules.
1.6.2 Technical Feasibility
the system can be technically feasible because the technical resources need to
develop, install and to operate is available in the present infrastructure. It doesn’t
require any technical expertise and can be integrated with the existing system.
1.6.3 Economic Feasibility
the purpose of assessing economic feasibility is to identify the financial benefit and
cost association with the development project, economic feasibility is referred to us
cost benefit analysis.
1.6.4 Behavioural/Political Feasibility
The system provides online verification and manages service related to graduated
students, which is more convenient to use for graduated students and registrar workers
in AMU. This will provide a good communication among the outside organization
and AMU. The system “AMUSGCVS” will be a significant contribution to the
development endeavours of our country and supports the rule and regulation of the
government hence it’s politically feasible.
1.6.5 Schedule Feasibility
The system can be implemented in an acceptable timeframe. Project manager is
also responsible for monitoring & controlling the project development based on the
schedule. Or may another optional condition regarding the department allow.

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 Project Costs

Resources like time and equipment are needed for any system development. Some of
resources needed for project team are listed below with their estimated cost.
No. Item Description Quantit Unit Unit Price Total price
y
1 Removable flash disk 2 Birr 150.00 300.00
2 Blank CD 5 Birr 6.00 30.00
3 Binding 2 Birr 20.00 40.00
4 Paper 1 pack Birr 100.00 100.00
5 Pencil 4 Birr 1.00 4.00
6 Pen 10 Birr 4.00 40.00
8 Printing 3 Birr 50.00 150.00
Total 664.00
Contingency 31.70
Grand Total 695.70

Table 1.3 Project Cost

Cost Break Down

One Time Cost

A cost associated with the project initiation and start-up of the development of the system. In our
project costs that belong to one time cost or during start-up the project that we are used are, computer,
and EDRAW and MS office.

Recurring cost
A cost associated with ongoing evolution and use of a system. A cost which used to ongoing the
project or to do the project at the time includes Flash, paper, pen and copy.

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Types of Item Quantity Unit price In Total price In birr

Costs birr

One-time Computer 1 10,000 10,000

cost
EDRAW 1 free _____

MS office 1 free _____

Flash 1 150 150

Paper 1 pack 100 100

Recurring Pen 5 4 20
cost
Copy unknown ______ _______

Tota 10254 10274

l

Table 1.4 Cost Break down

Cost Benefit Analysis

Tangible Benefits

These benefits can be measured in money and visible to the users. Some of tangible benefits
are such like, cost reduction, error reduction, increase the speed of gathering activity,
increased accuracy and availability, improvement in information management, and increasing
user’s interest in their work.

Intangible Benefits

These benefits derived after the development of a system that cannot be easily measured in
terms of money.

..

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1.7 Scope and Significance of the Project

1.7.1 Scope of the Project

The scope of this project focus on online St. Graduated credentials verification system for
AMU and authentication of documents only for bachelor’s degree and post graduate degree.
Thus graduates were must be graduated from AMU and also the system is available only for
AMU.

1.7.2 Significance of the Project

The benefits of the project are listed below:

 Cost and time reduction.
 Minimize faulty certificate.
 Avoid modification made by students on their credentials.
 Increased the speed of access or faster credential verifications.
 Reduction in material usage.
 Increased accuracy and availability.
 Increased quality of education throughout the country.
 Minimize corruption.
 Greater convenience.
 Allows Accessing database easily.
 Improved fraud detection.
 To make timely and well-informed hiring, promotion and compensation decisions in
an organization.
 Avoiding data loss because of improper data storage.
 Reduce manpower etc.

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1.8 Target Beneficiaries of the System

There are different bodies that can be benefited from our system or in this system.

Target Groups Benefits

For Organizations or Verified and Validated information about candidates or employees

Companies

For AMU Control the risk associated with forgery in Credentials.

Promotion of University’s good name.
Reduce the Registrar Office or academics record office work load

For AMU Graduates Minimize time and cost and get several good careers opportunities
in their life
For Government Reduce corruption and illegal parties

For Minister of Reduce faulty credentials in the country

education
For Parents Cost saving

Table 1.5 Target Beneficiaries of the System

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1.9 Methodology for the project

1.9.1 Data Source

Data collection is one of the important tasks in determining and analysing the existing
system. The data that we need to develop the new system are obtained from system users,
forms and documents in the Arba Minch main registrar.
1.9.2 Fact Finding Techniques
to gather data from the different users and manager of the existing system our team used
following techniques.

 Interview

Different users of the existing system along with manager were involved to have an
understanding about how the system works, what are its different features, factors, and any
disadvantage as well as advantages so we obtain detail information from them etc.

 Direct Observation

We observed various online verification systems and academic request service providers on
the internet. We will have also observed the existing academic credentials request system to
knowhow the process is going and to understand the management features it provides.

 Document Analysis

To get information about background of the system project team review necessary
documents, books that support this project. To make this project more feasible and structured
the team are analysing other thesis management websites from universities other in our
country and others, and internet for explanation about some word definitions and for search
books.

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1.9.3 Systems Analysis and Design

Among the different methodologies available we are using object oriented methodology for
the analysis and design of our system. Object oriented methodology enables us to represent
complex relations among different objects and represent data and process with consistent
notation throughout the system. Important features such as Inheritance, Polymorphism, Data
Hiding, Encapsulation etc.... suits the design very well. This greatly improves the
communication among customers, analyzers, designers and programmers. It increases
consistency among analyser, designer, implementation and testing. It also allows the
reusability of the code which will help to enhance the project in the future. To develop this
system water fall model system development methodology is usable, because of the
following advantages.
It is simple, easy to understand and use.
It is easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model – each phase has
specific deliverables and a review process.
Each phase are processed and completed one at a time. Phases do not
overlap.

Figure1.1 Waterfall model of system design

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1.9.4 Development Tools

We are using various hardware and software tools in order to develop our system. Some of
these are:
Activities Programs Why
Code Writing Macromedia Dreamweaver, Easy to use
Notepad++
Database Server MySQL Database server for PHP
Web Server Apache (IIS) Web server for PHP
Server side Scripting PHP Understand by server
Client Side Coding HTML It works with PHP
Client Side Scripting JavaScript Easy way to validate form
Coding Language PHP Easy to writing code
Platform MS Windows Comfortable to work on it
Browsers IE, Mozilla Firefox, Google Better for displaying web
Chrome pages
Documentation MS Word Easy to use
User Training MS PowerPoint Best for presentation
Modelling and Scheduling Edraw, Star Uml Easy to design diagrams

File Transferring and Flash 8 GB,CD Used to store data temporarily

storing and permanently

Table 1.6 Development Tools

.

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1.9.5Testing procedures

The Credentials Verification and service Management system will be tested using the
following system testing procedures.
Unit or class testing
The team tests at each development step. So, when a problem is encountered we
immediately fix it. It includes: -
Black-box testing
Our project can be viewed solely in terms of its input, output and transfer characteristics
without any knowledge of its internal workings. We used this testing technique for the
following reasons:-
More effective on larger units of code.
Tester and programmer are independent of each other
Tests are done from a user's point of view.
Will help to expose any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the specifications.
White-box Testing
We use this testing technique for the following reasons:

It is easy to find out which type of input or data can help in testing the application
effectively.
It helps in removing the extra lines of code and to optimize the code.
Early detection of errors during software development.

System testing
our team performs to ensure that by putting the software in different environments (e.g.,
Operating Systems) it still works. System testing is done with full system implementation and
environment.
Acceptance Testing
this testing is done by the customer to ensure that the delivered product meets the
requirements and works as the customer expected.

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1.9.6 Implementation

This project implemented partially with the existing system. Because of some cases such
as power and internet connections may not available so the existing system can be used.
To secure and separate user the System will uses Signature algorithm (Digital Signature
algorithm). Signature algorithms (both for signing and for verifying) often begin with a hash
function. There is a verification algorithm that takes as input the message, the signature and
answers "true" (they match) or "false" (they don't). Message-digest algorithms (MD5) are mainly
used in implementing digital signature.

1.9.7 Limitation of the project

Non-graduating students or any person are not entered to the system.

Payment modes for academic credentials verifications requests are only e-mail
message transfer. Internet banking is not made available in our country.
It may vulnerable to threats.
If there is no power and internet connection the system is not available.
The system available for only Arba Minch University.

1.9.8 Risks, Assumptions and Constraints

 Risk

Virus attacks the file used for development.

If a team member leave the project or faces an issues.
If miss installation or configuration with the development tools occur.
If connection or internet is fail in this campus.
If there may not some development tools.
The tool cost may increase during development.

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 Assumptions

We will finish this project with the given schedule.

We use the development tools as the above table 1.4.
The internet is available in the campuses at all days.
The adviser and co –advisers have great role in this project success.
We will meet at all project activity days.
We will think all the developing tools are available.
We will think the developing tools not increment cost.
We will suggest we configure full setup (server).
Constraints

Constraints are the limiting factor of the project that pools back to the activity
of the project. So during the development of the project there may be different
constraints.

There may be holy days and vacations to miss the project activity days.
The developing tools may not exist or live out.
The internet may not available in the campus.
The adviser and co-adviser may be have limited time in order to advise the
team.
The group member may be health problem (sickness).
The developing tools may increase cost or cost variation.
There may miss-configure the server setups.

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