MSc Strategic Information Systems (including with placement)

The modern enterprise operates in a world of complexity and change. This degree will introduce you to the theory, methods, tools and best practice required to ensure that an organisation can achieve real business benefit from its substantial investment in IT. You will learn how to develop and manage the information systems that underpin processes and provide the knowledge an organisation requires both for undertaking day-to-day operations and to realise its strategic goals.

To enhance your CV you can opt for a two-year programme and apply for a paid 12-month work placement (year in industry).

The course

The programme is designed for professionals who have gained either a computing or related degree or relevant industrial experience. You may be seeking to update your technical skills, develop project management expertise, improve management capabilities or gain a prestigious qualification that will help achieve your career aspirations. Students on this course come from a range of first degrees, backgrounds, countries and age groups, which makes for a diverse and stimulating learning environment.

In order to understand the business, managerial and ever-changing technical systems of large-scale, complex IT challenges and how they influence each other as part of an organisation, this degree provides an introduction to Systems Thinking.

Systems Thinking is a powerful and flexible concept which allows a deeper understanding of complexity in any system. Its holistic viewpoint seeks to represent any system as a whole, rather than reducing it to its constituent parts. After all, dependent systems such as IT infrastructure and mission critical processes together often exhibit properties that none of their individual parts may have. For example, understanding how a database works does not describe its contribution to business goals.

You will develop methods of framing problems to better understand the business IT factors which affect an organisation's aspirations and environment (for example when building a business case, applying security settings, choosing software platform or supplier). Using tools such as Soft Systems Methodology and System Dynamics you will learn to identify the risks and opportunities for organisations and to avoid systemic failures. The Systems Thinking approach is a well-regarded, transferable skill that can bring clarity and precision to business decision making and management debates.

Teaching by the School's own experienced practitioners in Systems Thinking is supported by workshops run by globally recognised experts.

As well as developing core themes such as the alignment of IT strategy with business needs and the opportunities offered by electronic business, you may choose from a list of optional modules that include managing data using industry standard products such as Oracle™, the fundamentals of cloud computing and further Systems Thinking.

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Modules taught in 2012-13

For further details of each module see the brief module descriptions and for an overview of the programme see the module timetables for MSc Strategic Information Systems and MSc Strategic Information Systems with Placement.

Full time, part time or with placement

Study for one-year full time or part time over three years (60 credits per year with the dissertation in year 3). Full time students may choose to apply for a paid 12-month work placement to be undertaken on completion of Spring semester and before completing the MSc programme with a 60 credit dissertation. Subject to satisfactory progress we will support you with our professional and experienced work placement consultants who aim to satisfy your individual preferences. You will gain professional recognition of your placement through our accredited internship programme.

Admissions criteria

We welcome applications from those who have a good honours degree (2:1) or above.
This will normally be in computing or a related subject, but graduates from
other disciplines will be considered. Applicants without a first degree, but
with appropriate experience, will also be considered. We are always pleased to consider suitably qualified international applicants. If your first language is not English you must provide evidence of competence in English. Our standard requirement is an overall IELTS result of at least 6.5 with no area less than 6, the University offers English language courses which can help you achieve this. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

How to apply

The course starts in September each year but applications are considered as they arrive throughout the year. Full details of the university application process, and the Online Application Service are available from the University's pages for prospective students. Please feel free to supplement your application with a detailed CV or any other supporting material you may consider to be appropriate.

If you have any questions about the course or the application process please contact the Admissions Tutor,