Management and Information Systems: Change and Development MSc (Distance Learning)

Information systems are spreading into every sphere of business and non-business organisations. They herald the dawn of a new 'Information Age' in which information, information systems and information technology are recognised as key organisational resources and in which management activities become more information-intensive.  Yet the majority of information systems - including e-business, e-government, and e-development systems - are under-performing or are failures.

A key cause of this problem is the gap of knowledge, of skills, of culture and of language that exists between functional managers and information systems professionals.

The aim of this Masters degree is to close that gap by training individual staff to become 'hybrid managers'. Hybrid managers are those who understand both the job of management in its organisational setting and the role, management and jargon of information, information systems and information technology.  These individuals will be in a strong position to lead the successful development and implementation of new information systems in their organisations.

At the end of the programme, participants will have been provided with:

• conceptual frameworks to understand the role of information, of information technology and of information systems in organisations;
• new knowledge and skills to help in the effective planning, development implementation and management of information systems;
• new knowledge and skills to help in the effective management and change of organisations.

The next intake for this programme is January 2014. Informal enquiries, prior to applications, are welcomed.

Equity & Merit Scholarships (Open for applications September 2013)are available for Nationals of Bangladesh, Rwanda and Uganda,  to study on the distance learning  programme, further details are available at the following link

The distance learning programme starts annually every January.

Participants study on the distance learning degree without leaving home or interrupting their careers.  A typical study route would involve completion of four compulsory modules in the first year of study, and completion of the remaining four modules in the second year.  A dissertation is undertaken in the first half of the third year.  Using this route, participants complete the full Master's programme in just over two-and-a-half years.  For example, those starting in January 2014 would complete in September 2016.

However, the programme is flexible and can accommodate faster or slower study and completion speeds in order to take account of work, family or other personal commitments. For example, after completing teaching period one, students can accelerate their study by spending a twelve-week semester in Manchester, studying alongside students on our face-to-face Master's programmes. Students can also slow down, perhaps taking only one module rather than two in a particular teaching period, or taking a complete break of a teaching period during which no modules are studied. Different study plans are possible as long as students complete the programme within four and a half years.

To complete the MSc programme, participants must complete eight taught modules plus a 12,000-15,000-word dissertation.

Seven modules are compulsory:

• Fundamentals of Information and Information Systems
• International Management
• Introducing Information Systems in Organisations
• Issues in the Management of Information Systems
• Organisational Behaviour
• Organisation Development and Change
• Research Methods

Participants must also complete one of two optional modules:

• e-Business
• Human Resource Practice

Fees for January 2014 entry are;

• Course Unit fee for overseas students: £1,025.00
• Course Unit for UK/EU students: £530.00
• Dissertation fee for overseas students: £4,100.00
• Dissertation fee for UK/EU students: £2,260

Masters students take 8 course units, plus the dissertation therefore the total cost of the programme is as follows;

• Overseas students £12,300
• UK/EU students £6,500

Diploma students undertake 8 course units and therefore the total cost of this programme is;

• Overseas students £8,200
• UK/EU students £4,240

Students only need to pay for those course units they intend to take in this academic year, i.e. January - December 2014.

Students have the option to pay in full in January or to spread the cost of the fees over three equal instalments in January, April and July.  

For details of the next University Postgraduate open day, visit open days and visits

Academic entry qualification overview: Applicants should have a good first degree (minimum 2:1 or equivalent) in a relevant discipline from an approved university, and are expected to have one year's full-time or two years' part-time work experience. Admission of candidates who do not meet this criterion may be approved if satisfactory evidence of postgraduate study, research or professional experience can be provided. Prior computing expertise is not a pre-requisite for entry onto the programme

English language: Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

• IELTS - score of 6.5 or more Overall with a 6.0 in writing and 6 in the other subsections or
• TOEFL - Internet based score of 88 or more overall; with a score of 22 in the writing and 22 in the other subsections
• Pearson Test of English score of 59-65 or more overall, with a minimum score of 59 in the each section or
• Grade C in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or
• Grade B Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English.  (Please note that the Cambridge First Certificate in English is not acceptable.)

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.  In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Flexible study

The distance learning programme starts annually every January.

Participants study on the distance learning degree without leaving home or interrupting their careers.  A typical study route would involve completion of four compulsory modules in the first year of study, and completion of the remaining four modules in the second year.  A dissertation is undertaken in the first half of the third year.  Using this route, participants complete the full Master's programme in two-and-a-half years.  For example, those starting in January 2014 would complete in July 2016.

However, the programme is flexible and can accommodate faster or slower study and completion speeds in order to take account of work, family or other personal commitments. For example, after completing teaching period one, students can accelerate their study by spending a twelve-week semester in Manchester, studying alongside students on our face-to-face Master's programmes. Students can also slow down, perhaps taking only one module rather than two in a particular teaching period, or taking a complete break of a teaching period during which no modules are studied. Different study plans are possible as long as students complete the programme within four and a half years.

Each module generally requires one assignment of 3,500 words. Assignments for all modules typically relate to organisational application of management and information systems ideas.

Participants must also complete a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice approved by the Programme Director.  Students are encouraged to base their dissertations on topics of direct professional concern to themselves.

Since many participants will not have access to an academic library, they receive very detailed study packs for each module, sufficient to allow them to meet the requirements of assessment.  Participants join an Internet tutorial group for each module, using email to discuss module topics with a tutor and fellow participants during an eight-week period for each module.  Students therefore need access to an Internet-linked computer and an email account.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Support Office. Email: disability@manchester.ac.uk

This programme is designed to develop two groups of participants: functional managers who wish to take greater control over, and make a more direct contribution to, change in their organisations via the development and implementation of information systems; and information systems professionals who wish to improve the success rate of the information systems they develop or use, and who may also wish to upgrade their management skills and knowledge.

It will be relevant to those with career trajectories in the private, public, and NGO sectors, and it is particularly appropriate for those working in or with newly-developed, transitional and developing countries.

IDPM has a large and diverse postgraduate population, with 85% of our students drawn from outside the UK, particularly from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe, but also reaching out to Latin America, North America and the Pacific. Graduates from the MSc M&IS programme have gone on to careers that typically incorporate a mix of management, information systems and information technology responsibilities such as business analysis, change management, and e-business and e-government roles with public, private and NGO sector organisations. Others have pursued further academic study leading to a PhD and academic/research consulting careers, including study with the University's Centre for Development Informatics . Since its foundation, IDPM has trained over 7,000 individuals from 170 different countries.