MSc Computing and IT Management with Placement
Cardiff, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 30,200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for overseas | for home: £11,700
Introduction
Why Study this Course
The placement programme provides the opportunity to undertake a 7-10 month experience as an IT professional for students who successfully find a suitable placement.
Designed for graduates who want to move into computing from another discipline, MSc Computing and IT Management provides you with broad technical knowledge and a sound business context for managing IT systems.
Through this course, you will learn the skills needed to develop business applications through a fundamental understanding of software and web development, e-commerce and database management. You will also gain an understanding of the professional skills required to lead IT managers by working as a part of a team on a business change project.
You will have the option of learning about new and emerging technologies, such as cloud computing, that are radically changing the opportunities and threats for the provision of IT systems. You may also opt for human-centric computing which focuses on defining and delivering effective information systems from a human-centric perspective. You also have the option of learning the knowledge and skills required to create interactive visualisations and explanations of data.
Students may choose to apply for a paid 7-12 month professional work placement to be undertaken on completion of the Spring semester and before completing the MSc course with a 60-credit dissertation. This provides valuable work experience to develop your IT Professional skills.
The dissertation provides the opportunity to develop your research skills and apply technical and management concepts and techniques to solve a complex computing problem.
This two-year course offers a balanced combination of theory and practice and can serve either as preparation for a career as an IT professional, doctoral research or as a self-contained advanced qualification in its own right.
Distinctive Features
- The opportunity to undertake a conversion course in Computing and IT
- Designed for those who wish to move into computing and IT management from another discipline
- Professionally accredited by the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT
- The opportunity to learn the technical knowledge and skills needed to develop business applications
- Working in a team on a business change project to develop IT management skills
- Tailor the course to your interests through a range of advanced option modules
- Includes a 7-12 month experience as an IT Professional for students who find a suitable placement
- You will be provided with a laptop during induction week that will remain with you throughout the duration of the course
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
We are committed to investing up to a total of £500,000 in this high-value competitive scholarship scheme to support UK students who are planning to start an eligible Master’s programme in 2024/25.
Each Scholarship is worth £3,000 and will be awarded a tuition fee discount.
Eligibility
UK students are eligible to apply for the Scholarship. You normally need to have achieved at least a 2.1 or equivalent in your first degree to be eligible. You need to submit an application to study at Cardiff University and be made an offer to study before your fee status can be confirmed.
Curriculum
Students will undertake a placement following the taught stage of the course and prior to undertaking their individual projects and dissertations. Most students start their placement in the summer of Year 1.
The breakdown is as follows:
- Year 1: 100 credits core modules, 20 credit optional modules
- Year 2: 120 credits placement, 60 credits core module
This is a full-time course undertaken over two calendar years. It is also available as a full-time course over one year or a part-time course over three years, both without placement.
Year One
Core Modules for Year One
- Computational Thinking
- Fundamentals of Programming
- Databases and Modelling
- Topics, Research and Skills in Computing and IT Management
- IT Management, Change and Innovation
Optional Modules for Year One
- Distributed and Cloud Computing
- Human Centric Computing
- Data Visualisation
- Algorithms, Data Structures and Programming
Year Two
Core Modules for Year Two
- Placement
- Computing and IT Management Dissertation
How Will I Be Assessed?
The taught modules are assessed through examinations and a wide range of in-course assessments, such as written reports, extended essays, practical assignments and oral presentations.
The placement is assessed through a reflective report that demonstrates that the student has developed skills as an IT Professional.
The individual project and dissertation will enable you to demonstrate your ability to build upon and exploit knowledge and skills gained to exhibit critical and original thinking based on a period of independent study and learning.
Program Outcome
What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?
Students will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline-specific and more generic ‘employability skills’, such as being able to:
- Critically analyse and evaluate current issues in the application of computing
- Clearly communicate ideas, principles and theories by oral, written, diagrammatic and practical means
- Demonstrate self-direction, initiative, professionalism, critical judgement and planning skills in tackling and solving computing problems using appropriate technologies
- Design, using appropriate tools, a simple information system or selected part of a larger system
- Apply technical and management concepts and techniques to the solution of computing problems
- They will also develop a number of valuable research skills through the completion of the dissertation
Furthermore, graduates will be expected to demonstrate:
- A systematic understanding of general computing concepts, both theoretical and practical
- Understanding of the nature of organisations and their use of information for business purposes
- Understanding of the methods, techniques, and tools available to specify, design, implement and manage computer-based systems for organisations
- Understanding of the principles and characteristics of computer and communications hardware and software and how these support the development of computer systems
- Critical awareness of current trends in selected research areas of computing, and discuss their contribution to developing computer-based systems
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Program delivery
How Will I Be Taught?
The School of Computer Science and Informatics has a strong and active research culture which informs and directs our teaching. We are committed to providing teaching of the highest standard and received an excellent report in the most recent Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) review.
A diverse range of teaching and learning styles are used throughout the MSc in Computing and IT Management. Students will attend lectures, participate in seminars, workshops and tutorials, and carry out practical and laboratory work.
Students obtain support materials usually via Learning Central (Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment).
You will also undertake a project and independent study to enable you to complete a dissertation. Dissertation topics may be suggested by you or chosen from a list of options proposed by academic staff reflecting their current interest.