Overview
Several key emergent economies based on information technology are recognised as crucial to the future growth of European and world economies: mobile and internet communication technologies, multimedia, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and e-commerce for example are sectors that feature in European research programmes and are seen as essential to the success of e-commerce. Typical application areas exploiting these technologies in an e-commerce context could be: e-heritage, e-learning, exploiting information technology that facilitates access to cultural heritage. Other applications using e-commerce include: retailing on the web, online service industries, supply chain management, auctions and online content providers. All these applications are associated with well-known internationals such as Dell, Expedia, eBay, Yahoo and Disney, profitable e-commerce companies with powerful brand names.
These future and emerging economies and technologies will require well-trained graduates who will understand not only business, technology and innovation, but also societal issues that impact on successful e-commerce companies.
This programme aims to produce postgraduate students who can enter the e-commerce sector with appropriate IT skills, i.e. both information technology skills, and e-commerce skills, focused on technology and innovation management, that will be invaluable to the new e-based service economies. It also aims to provide a sound introduction to research in information technology, computer science, and technology innovation and management related to e-commerce.
Background
Applicants should have a good background in computing, information technology or any engineering discipline with a reasonable programming content. Students with a business-related degree may be accepted provided they have some programming experience.
Programme structure
The MSc consists of a programme of full-time study running from October in one year to the following September, or part-time study over two years.
Assessment
Each course on the degree programme is assessed by one of the University-approved assessment modes, which can be either unseen exam, programming project, web pages, coursework, essay or other mode. All courses are not necessarily equally weighted, and some are double weighted.
Each course has a pass mark of 40 per cent. To achieve the degree award, a student must obtain an overall weighted mean mark at or above 40%, a pass at or above 40% in the dissertation/project and no more than 30 failed credits. This programme is also offered as a Postgraduate Diploma, which excludes the dissertation.
A merit will be awarded to a student who obtains an overall weighted mean mark of 60% or more in the whole programme, including a pass at or above 60% for the dissertation/project and no fail marks.
A distinction will be awarded to a student who obtains an overall weighted mean mark of 70% or more in the whole programme, including a pass at or above 70% for the dissertation/project and no fail marks.
American Express funding
