Business Intelligence and Social Media

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This exciting new programme explores developments in cloud based and mobile commerce that are changing the way businesses will operate in the future. The course draws together technology and business perspectives in order to understand the implications for social-media enabled business.

This course helps students prepare for a career in business and management within and beyond the IT sector by gaining technical skills and an appreciation of the crucial role social web technologies play in todays organisations and their ability to transform business processes.

Aims

The MSc in Business Intelligence and Social Media provides students with sound knowledge and understanding of new-media related business practices and to provide them with transferable skills designed to meet the challenges of employment within the global economy.

The course helps students understand the importance of information and mass communications technologies to the operations of modern businesses of all kinds.

Students are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of concepts to business and apply their newly developed skills in advance studies or professional practice. Successful graduates of the course progress to leadership and decision making roles in industrial organisations or develop successful consultancy and advisory businesses of their own.

Practitioners seeking a more commercially relevant and technology oriented Masters qualification in the area of new business technologies rather than an MBA find this course of interest.

Employability
The business climate is changing fast and there is a wide spread expectation that new jobs will be created in the technology business sector; but it is also widely perceived that there is a worldwide shortage of qualified managers with the skills to capitalise on newly developing disruptive technologies.

As a direct result of new technological advances that enable innovative ways of conducting business and creating value, there are many new opportunities for business professionals to create careers that didnt exist even just a few years ago. It is reported in the industry literature that these new roles are becoming necessary to handle the responsibilities created by disruptive technologies that have disrupted or changed the traditional business models.

It is expected that new job titles will continue to emerge and we anticipate that graduates of the MSc in Business Intelligence and Social Media course will be well placed to fill these new roles in the USA, China, India essentially globally. Companies that are actively seeking candidates include technology sector businesses, but also banking, insurance, retail and education. In fact, it is expected that virtually all business sectors will need to address Big-data and inevitably will need skilled people to manage development. Hence, we have designed the course to target the types of new job roles being created and anticipated in business

The Schools Business Life Employability Programme is designed to help students to acquire a range of employability and networking skills, enabling them to gain a distinct edge in the labour market and to manage their career search and development more effectively.

Core Modules

Professional Project in Business Intelligence and Social Media

The aim of this module is to encourage the application of professional advisory and management principles to the generation of business solutions. Through the study of appropriate methods it is intended that students will develop skills to enable them to produce reliable solutions of high quality and increase their appreciation of the significance of adopting a professional approach to the process of business analysis and consultancy.

The module will provide students with an opportunity to develop consultancy and advisory skills, practical skills and technical competencies while working collaboratively to undertake an authentic task. Students also will be given the opportunity to practice and evaluate realistic decision-making in a simulated business environment, with particular emphasis on the organisational implications of evolving business models. It is anticipated that students will achieve a high level of understanding of the global view of collaborative solutions development and be well prepared for professional practice.

Social Media

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of developments in communication channels and the business implications of these new social media technologies. It is intended that students will develop a solid appreciation of the applications and opportunities for the commercial sector to capitalise on social media, as well as to understand the theoretical underpinnings of social organisations and structures.

Business Intelligence

The aim of this module is to present the most significant technologies associated with business intelligence, big data and data analytics, with a particular emphasis on applications in the corporate sector. Students will be supported in developing state-of-the-art knowledge and professional competencies in the analysis, interpretation and management of corporate knowledge resources, with the expectation of gaining proficiency in application tools of relevance to business. (Note that this module does not require programming skills.)

Mobile, Social Media and Cloud Services

This module aims to present the principles and concepts of social media within the context of cloud services and the mobile web. It takes a specific perspective of how new social media technologies are integrated with cloud based services and mobile platforms in support of business functions. It supports students in developing knowledge and competencies on the principles and technologies enabling cloud services and mobile commerce, and the role that social media has in supporting new technological applications and business processes within the technology sector.

Knowledge Management, Social Networks and Innovation

This module explores the intersection between knowledge, social network technologies and innovation. It examines how organisations create, utilise and communicate knowledge in the global knowledge-based economy and the wider social and economic factors affecting knowledge transfer. The module identifies the exploitation of Web 2.0 which enables social engagement and processes for business development.

Entrepreneurship

This module focuses on the nature of entrepreneurship and its importance in society. The module examines: i) the person, through the analysis and understanding of the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the entrepreneurs; ii) the process through the review and analysis of the main approaches to entrepreneurship. In addition, the module shows how entrepreneurship unfolds in a wide range of contexts.

Understanding Business and Management Research

Quantitative and qualitative methods clearly have an extremely important part to play in management research and senior managers benefit from having a thorough grounding in how to appraise research reports and how to use information to improve the quality of their work, the decisions they make, and their understanding of complex management problems. Over the course of this module, students will acquire an appreciation of the importance of research within a particular field and gain the skills and understanding needed to be able to critically identify relevant information in a research report. This module will provide students with knowledge of the relevant research methods and techniques needed for their dissertation.

Dissertation

A research-based dissertation is an integral element of the programme to which considerable importance is attached. It offers students the opportunity to demonstrate their academic competence and professional potential. There are few constraints on the research topic other than that it must be directly relevant, amenable to enquiry and of appropriate intellectual depth. The dissertation, which should be no more than 12,000 words in length, involves the full cycle of proposal development, literature review, methodology, evaluation, and final reporting. Students who have industry connections may draw on the experiences they have gained to undertake a more practical and industry relevant project.

Electives

Choose one module from these:

Technology Management

In this module students will explore the current and emerging approaches to technological management and business development and related business models and strategies. Students will assess the management of technology within different settings, such as start-up companies, small and medium enterprises and large corporations, together with the resultant business planning and implementation challenges. Through assessment of current theory, and the practice of management, students will be able to demonstrate a critical and practical understanding of the issues associated with modern technology management and creative business development.

Global Outsourcing

This module explores the development of outsourcing and analyses the role played by outsourcing organisations; the development of outsourcing tools and the implications of the outsourcing decision for client organisations. In addition, the module explores vendor assessment procedures, the importance of effective procurement strategies and the legal aspects associated with outsourcing.

International Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

This module focuses on business ethics and corporate governance in the international context. Both areas will be addressed from the perspective of the dual "business" models of the shareholder and the stakeholder approaches. Further the broader societal impacts of business activities will be considered in-depth. The full range of businesses will be considered from large corporations through to SMEs. Empirical studies will be used to apply the theoretical resources of moral philosophy, CSR and corporate governance.

Strategic Corporate Marketing

This module focuses on corporate marketing. It examines the philosophy and management of corporate marketing at the strategic level and considers its historiography. The dimensions of the corporate marketing mix are examined in the context of key, corporate-level constructs/theories relating to corporate branding, corporate identity; organisational identity, corporate communications; corporate image and reputation. Stakeholder theory and corporate social responsibility are also studied. Students gain an understanding of how to evaluate, plan and manage corporate marketing activities, taking into account factors such as corporate positioning, change management, the CEOs vision, stockholder concerns, and the business environment.

We emphasise the business and commercial implications of disruptive technologies on this course, therefore, our applicants are normally expected to have a Business, Management, Economics or other closely related first degree, or have extensive business and management experience. The course should also appeal to candidates with professional experience in IT management, as well as those with an MBA wishing to expand their understanding of technology management and consultancy.Applicants should normally have at least an upper second class degree (2.1) or equivalent in a business-related discipline with evidence of numeracy skills. Applicants with a lower second class degree (2.2) may be considered, providing they can show evidence of significant relevant (eg 2 years minimum work) experience. Applications from candidates with non-degree qualifications will be also considered. Such candidates will have relevant experience (minimum 5 years) in an appropriate occupational setting (eg accounting and management) with achievements indicating potential for success in coping with the demands of postgraduate study.English Language Requirements * IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas) * TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5) * TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20) * Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores) * BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas) English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 580 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.