MSc Information Systems (Integrated)

Program Overview

It prepares students with HND or equivalent qualifications for careers as data managers, analysts, researchers, and other roles in the IS/IT industry, emphasizing the practical application of technology in supporting business goals. The course includes a final dissertation project, providing hands-on experience in critical academic writing and report writing.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This two-year full-time MSc Information Systems course aims to give you a full understanding of how information systems (IS) are designed, constructed and integrated within organisations. Your studies will take into account the large, varied and distributed nature of IS today, with multiple devices in different locations being used to access systems. This course is designed for students with a higher national diploma (HND) or equivalent in computing who want to gain a Masters degree in this field. It is an integrated course, combining studies for the final year of an Honours degree with those for a Masters degree. As a result, this is a challenging and engaging course to take. Throughout your studies, you will benefit from our highly supportive culture and extensive industry experience, as well as high-quality computing resources.

Outline:

• Level 6
• Supporting modules:
Learning and Professional Development (for international students only).
• Level 7
• Compulsory modules:
• Project:
In the final year of your degree course, you will create your own project with a high degree of independence. You will be allocated a supervisor and then given the freedom to create a piece of work, which you feel really represents you as a student. You will be guided and supported, but this is your vision and your chance to show the world what you have achieved while you’ve been at UWL.
• Managing IS Projects
• Business Intelligence Technologies:
By taking this module you'll be introduced to machine learning and data mining techniques that are typically used in business applications. You will develop a toolbox of quantitative analytical techniques and skills from which you can build solutions for various business scenarios. This module aims to cover some of the developments in the broad range of "Big Data" problems. It will give you a good understanding of data structures, software development procedures and the range of analytical tool used to undertake a wide range of standard and custom analyses to provide data solutions to these issues.
• You must take all compulsory modules and may choose one of the optional modules excluding Learning and Professional Development.

• Compulsory modules:
• Consultancy and Technological Innovation:
On this module you will explore the skills needed to understand, and work in, the complex multi-sourced environment that supports business change. Focusing on the strategic management of leading-edge technology, you will examine the organisational structure of IT, including systems integrators and consultancy, and gain an overview of the IT consulting world, its principles and practice.
• Principles of Project Management: During this module you will be introduced to the concepts, principles and techniques needed for effective project management.
The module covers the roles, responsibilities and skills required to work in ever-changing project environments and how these relate to effective project management.
• Knowledge Management: In this module you will be exposed to the concepts and fundamental principles of knowledge management.
You will explore the methods, techniques and circumstances in which knowledge management principles can be applied. It will provide you with a range of views on the social, behavioural and organisational conditions associated with bioinformatics knowledge and data management. It will also introduce you to a range of tools and techniques to support the curation, management and dissemination of knowledge including knowledge representation, ontologies, data mining and knowledge storage. It will provide you with an understanding of digital disruption and how tools and frameworks can be applied in the planning and implementation of a digital transformation strategy for an organisation.
• Big Data Analytics: Big data is a fast-growing field and skills in the area are some of the most in-demand today.
Big data technologies cover a range of architectures, frameworks and algorithms designed to handle very large and often highly complex datasets. The module will enable you to understand big data, its applications and associated issues for storing, managing, processing and analysing massive amounts of datasets, as well as become familiar with software tools and frameworks underpinning big data analytics. You will also acquire the knowledge of statistical, mathematical and machine-learning techniques, and develop the ability to design and implement big data analytics modelling and applications to real-world problems.
• Research Methods
• Project Dissertation
• Optional modules:
• Mobile Web Component Development:
During this module you will be introduced to the concepts and techniques required to support component-based development for mobile web. The module will also give you practical experience in modelling component specifications as well as an indication of future developments in this area.

Teaching:

• Throughout the course, you will have access to laboratories and dedicated information and communications technology (ICT) suites, as well as specialist networks and software, the University library and digital resources.
• You will benefit from our highly supportive culture and extensive industry experience.
• Teaching staff:
• Professor Jose Abdelnour-Nocera:
Course leader
• Parisa Saadati
• Professor Wei Jie
• Dr Laden Husamaldin
• Dr Malte Ressin

Careers:

• There is demand among employers for skilled IS and ICT professionals on both the development and service sides.
• Our graduates have been successful in finding employment in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
• Once you graduate, you could go on to work as a:
• data manager
• information officer
• information service staff
• content or intelligence gatherer
• analyst
• researcher
• searcher or intermediary – making sure network users have current information
• librarian
• advice or assistance worker
• management information systems staff
• multimedia content manager
• You could also apply to advance your studies with an MPhil or PhD, either at UWL or another institution.

Other:

• The success of any IS/IT strategy is largely dependent on specialists who recognise diverse business needs and understand how technology can support an organisation to achieve its goals.
• Your studies will cover system architecture and supporting technologies as well as the effective management and delivery of content and data.
• The skills and knowledge that you will develop on the course, including those in practical work, report writing and critical academic writing, will prepare you to complete your final dissertation.
You will take two extra modules to prepare you for the course and you must study full time. We also provide English-language support if you need it. Once you complete these two modules, you can progress directly onto the integrated Masters course.

• UK: £9,750 per year
• International: £17,250 per year