Management Information & Managerial Accounting Systems - Conversion Course

Course Outline
Our MSc (Management Information & Managerial Accounting Systems) (MIMAS) is a full-time conversion programme running for 12 months from the date of first registration for the programme. Students take taught modules from September to May, followed by the completion of a group-based research project and culminating with a graduate placement commencing from June onwards.

MIMAS is a challenging postgraduate degree course. The employment record for our graduates is excellent and many are currently employed in a variety of positions, including management consultant, project manager, business analyst, business intelligence analyst, management accountant and financial accountant.

The programme includes a three-month industrial internship and you will also take modules in a variety of subjects relevant to both management accounting and Information Systems (IS).

The IS modules will give you an appreciation of how technology can be used to support the operations and transactions of modern organisations. The management accounting modules will provide you with a thorough understanding of management accounting concepts and techniques and how these can be used to support managerial decision-making.

Course Practicalities
This course consists of traditional classroom-based lectures in addition to a series of computer practical sessions. You will also gain experience of seminars, industrial site visits, guest lectures, student presentations to (and feedback from) leading industry experts etc. On average, you can expect 25 contact hours per week (i.e. lectures/practical sessions) with the remainder of your time spent researching and completing projects and assignments.

Programme content

In total you will take 90 credits including taught modules to the value of 60 credits, and a placement module (AC6016) to the value of 30 credits. In the event of a placement not being secured an unplaced student will undertake a 30-credit Industry Report module (AC6017).

Part I

AC6002 Accounting Information Fundamentals (5 credits)
AC6011 Analysis of Accounting Information (5 credits)
AC6412 Financial Management and Business Ethics (5 credits)
AC6419 Principles of Cost Management (5 credits)
AC6420 Advanced Managerial Accounting and Governance (5 credits)
AC6421 Performance Management, Risk and Control (5 credits)
IS6125 Database Analysis and Design (5 credits)
IS6126 Databases for Management Information Systems (5 credits)
IS6200 Introduction to Business Programming (5 credits)
IS6217 Programming for Business (5 credits)
IS6218 Understanding Business Processes (5 credits)
IS6219 Enterprise Data Reporting and Visualisation (5 credits)
Part II

AC6016 Placement (30 credits) or AC6017 Industry Report (30 credits)
See the Postgraduate College Calendar (MSc MIMAS) for more information.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

The MSc Management Information and Managerial Accounting Systems (MIMAS) is a conversion programme designed for applicants who have not previously studied Accounting or Software Development. As such, the course is not suitable for graduates from degrees with high levels of software development and management accounting content (e.g. BSc Business Information Systems, BSc Accounting).

This course is open to graduates of all disciplines (but not for graduates from degrees with high levels of software development and management accounting, as stated above) with a minimum Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8). Applicants who do not meet the Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) standard may be admitted to the programme under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) on the basis of significant practical or professional experience as deemed appropriate by the Head of Department and subject to the approval of the School of Business.

It is important to apply early as this programme is often over-subscribed. If your application is successful at this stage you will receive an offer or (if you have not yet received your final exam results) a conditional offer. If you meet the application requirements but the course is full, you will be placed on the waiting list. Students on this waiting list get priority over later applicants. If the course has not been filled in the first round, or by the first round waiting list, and your application is successful, you will receive an offer or a conditional offer. If you meet the application requirements but the course is full, you will be placed on the waiting list.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

A variety of assessment methods are used during this course. In addition to the traditional end-of-year written examinations, you will undertake a series of individual and group assignments and projects during the year in the areas of both management accounting and information systems.

In addition, an applied research project is undertaken in groups by all students during the second teaching term, culminating with a series of group presentations to leading industry experts who in turn provide invaluable feedback and advice to each student group.

The IS6215 Business Research and Communications Skills module (10 credits), which forms part of the course syllabus, is an invaluable tool for you in preparing for such presentations.

12 Months full-time.

Start Date 31 August 2020

Skills and Careers Information
You will acquire the skills to steer organisational performance and monitor financial health, analyse historic data to predict future trends, and budget and forecast. In parallel, you will learn to design and build information systems from a process, database and user interface perspective. You will be introduced to business intelligence and data analytics, and you will gain important communication skills.

MIMAS students become business analysts, accountants, auditors and information systems professionals.