MSc Information Systems - Business IT: The University of Manchester

Course description

Business Information Technology is one of the four pathways for the MSc Information Systems course.

In a changing, and increasingly globalised, workplace, information and communication technologies (ICT) can play a pivotal role in whether a business fails or succeeds. With employees and customers in many locations, the ability to communicate effectively across boundaries is paramount.

This pathway helps you to understand how to use ICT technologies to realise business goals and innovate business processes. Rather than learning to develop business computing solutions, you concentrate on how to exploit the power of modern IT to improve business effectiveness.

You focus on how group working and virtual teams can be best facilitated, how e-business and distributed networked systems support business objectives, and how business and knowledge processes can be modelled to achieve superior results. You learn to communicate, collaborate and co-ordinate across global teams, developing winning solutions for real life business problems.

Your knowledge and skills will be relevant to the needs of business and help companies to communicate, collaborate and co-ordinate across global teams and achieve superior results.

Module details

The course consists of two taught semesters followed by the dissertation.

You are required to study the following core options:

• IT Leadership Forum
• Research Methods and Practice
• Plus three core units:
• Computer-Supported Co-operative Working
• Information and Knowledge Management
• IS Strategy and Enterprise Systems

You then take three optional course units  from a range of subjects available on the course.

Having completed the taught element of the course you will carry out an original piece of research. You will have a supervisor, who will discuss your choice of research project with you and advise and guide you through the process. Some feature industrial placements.

Career opportunities

Successful completion of the course provides an entry platform into a variety of career paths in IT management including procurement, auditing, and marketing, as well as technical roles in database management, user and applications support and business analysis. Recent recruiters include Co-Operative Group, Coexis, Deutsche Bank, Lenovo and ESTEQ.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview:

Theynormally look for a UK bachelor degree with upper second class honours, or the overseas equivalent, in a science, engineering or technology related subject.

When assessing your academic record they take into account your grade average, position in class, references, and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification. They particularly welcome applications from institutions of high ranking and repute.

English language: If English is not your first language, you are required to take an English language test to prove your level of proficiency.

They accept the following tests and minimum scores:

• IELTS: 7.0 with no individual element below 6.0
• TOEFL Paper-based: 623
• TOEFL Internet-based: 100 with no individual element below 20
• Cambridge Proficiency Examination (CPE): Minimum grade C. Please note Cambridge First Certificate is not accepted.
• Cambridge Advanced Examination (CAE): Minimum grade B. Please note Cambridge First Certificate is not accepted.
• English for Academic Purposes (EAP): Minimum grade A with no element below C