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University College Cork

Information Systems for Business Performance - Conversion Course

Overview
Awarded the Best Postgraduate Course in Ireland in 2016 (IT), 2015 (Business), 2014 (IT) & 2013 (IT)

This is a conversion course with an excellent employment record. It provides you with a coherent set of skills which are essential in building, managing and leveraging effective and efficient information systems (IS) for organisations. MSc ISBP graduates will acquire the skills necessary to manage and leverage IS for problem-solving, value-generation and cost savings.

This is a 12-month intensive course with industrially mentored collaborative projects. Students are taught from beginner level, and prepared to take up business analyst/programmer and management positions in IT departments in small, medium or large organisations, whether public or private, in the financial services, manufacturing or any sector.

Course Practicalities
Consists of 8 taught modules which run from October to March, followed by summer examinations, followed by a collaborative industry research project during the summer months.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2.2 honours degree, except graduates holding a degree in Business Information systems or equivalent. Those without the minimum degree requirement but with significant practical or professional experience may be considered.

Detailed Entry Requirements
To be eligible for the MSc in Information Systems for Business Performance candidates must hold at least 2.2 honours primary degree or equivalent, except graduates holding a degree in business information systems or equivalent.

Candidates who do not meet or achieve the 2.2 honours degree standard may be admitted to the programme on the basis of extensive practical or professional experience as deemed appropriate by the Professor of Business Information Systems and the School of Commerce.

If you are applying with Qualifications obtained outside Ireland and you wish to verify if you meet the minimum academic and English language requirements for this programme please see course webpage (link below) to view the grades comparison table by country and for details of recognised English language tests.

Duration

1 year full-time.

Number of credits

90 credits

Careers or further progression

Skills and Careers Information
MSc ISBP develops highly competitive and desired business and IT graduates. In fact, the 2010 and 2011 graduating classes have achieved 100% employment with over 95% employment in 2012. MSc ISBP graduates are employed nationally and internationally as business analysts, programmers, managers, web and database developers, project managers, auditors, researchers, business intelligence consultants, marketing managers and consultants in industry sectors reliant on IS.

Further enquiries

Dr. Audrey Grace
Business Information Systems
UCC
Tel: 00 353 21 4903820
Email: A.Grace@ucc.ie

or
Dr. Karen Neville
Business Information Systems
UCC
Tel: 00 353 21 4903668
Email: KarenNeville@ucc.ie

Subjects taught

‌MSc Information Systems for Business Performance (ISBP) consists of eight taught modules (Part 1) and a collaborative industry research project (Part 2), which add up to a total of 90 credits over 12 months.

Part 1 takes place over the eight months of the academic year from the end of September to the end of May.

It consists of the following taught modules:
Electronic Business Models and Systems
IT Organisation
In-sourcing and Outsourcing
Enterprise Business Intelligence
Business Continuity and IT Value
Application Modelling and Design
Data Modelling and Database Systems
Storage Technology
Current Issues in IT

Part 2 takes place over the four months following Part 1 from the beginning of June to the end of September and consists of a collaborative industry research project. This will give you a practical experience of a research project in a business context. This collaborative project will allow groups of students to specialise on a chosen industry sectors (e.g. financial services, technological, pharmaceuticals, government, retail/distribution) in the context of a research project carried out under the supervision of an industry expert and an academic specialist. Groups will develop a proposal and carry out fieldwork in order to produce a report on their selected topic.

Further details on the content and modules are available on the ‌Postgraduate College Calendar.

Comment

Unique Aspects of the Course
The MBS ISBP is currently the most popular IS course, business course, IT conversion course and UCC postgraduate course.

Key elements of course are:
◾hybrid business / IT orientation
◾focused on understanding how organisations operate
◾strong links with industry
◾curriculum based on leading-edge technologies
◾emphasis on developing students ability to work as a team
◾develops technical skills from scratch
◾customised career and professional workshops
◾challenging and collaborative industrial projects
◾mentored by leading industrial entrepreneurs, Chief Executive Officers, IT managers, Chief Information Officers and business consultants
◾access to an IS and business alumni of over 2,000 professionals

Assessment method

The assessment methods vary in order to facilitate group and individual applied learning. Report writing, presentations, development projects and in-class exams are examples of the types of assessments used.

Application date

Closing dates

Closing Dates for Application

Applications for 2018 start dates will open on November 1st 2017.

EU Applicants: UCC operates a rounds closing date system for the majority of postgraduate taught programmes (detailed below).

Some programmes have a specific closing date. Applicants are advised to consult with the postgraduate prospectus for programmes with a specific closing date.

The UCC rounds EU application system closing dates for Postgraduate Taught courses are detailed below. However, we would advise applicants to apply as soon as possible.

Deadline for receipt of Applications: Offers will be made:
For all completed applications received by January 15th 2018 Offers will be made by January 29th 2018

For all completed applications received by March 1st 2018 Offers will be made by March 15th 2018

For all completed applications received by May 1st 2018
Offers will be made by May 15th 2018

For all completed applications received by July 2nd 2018
Offers will be made by July 16th 2018

Late applications may be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for any courses that have remaining capacity for places.

While there is no official closing date for Research courses applicants are advised to submit their application at least two months ahead of their proposed start date. There are four official Research start dates September/October, January, April and July.

Non-EU Applicants:

Please visit the following page for further information for Non EU applicants http://www.ucc.ie/en/international/studyatucc/postgraduateprogrammes/tau...