M.Sc. in Electronic Commerce (Business)

Course details

The MSc in Electronic Commerce is the ideal postgraduate programme for graduates of business and computing degrees who are seeking to advance their careers in the growing ICT industry in Ireland and abroad.

Delivered jointly by DCU Business School and the DCU School of Computing, this e-Commerce Masters programme features a common core curriculum with two distinct streams - business and technical.

The programme has been awarded the prestigious EPAS accreditation. The accreditation recognises the quality of alumni of the programme and their career progression, the market positioning of the programme nationally and internationally, the curriculum content and delivery system, the extent to which the programme has an international focus, its balance between academic and managerial dimensions, and the appropriateness of the faculty who deliver the programme. As such, there is significant free support eligible students.

Aims and Objectives:

The Masters programme is designed to produce the kind of e-business technologists, managers, entrepreneurs and innovators in greatest demand by the information economy. It does this by providing students on each stream with a powerful combination of technological and business skills of relevance to electronic commerce applications. A strong collaborative ethos across the business and technical streams is fostered through the extensive shared curriculum, interactive teaching modes and overall entrepreneurial and innovative orientation.

Programme Structure:

Students on both streams take a core set of modules such as web design, business modelling and process innovation, information access and e-commerce infrastructure in the first two semesters.

Students on the business stream take modules in advanced business topics as well as some fundamental modules in computing. Students with a technical background on the business stream take additional business modules in lieu of the fundamental modules in computing.

Students on the technical stream take modules in advanced security and encryption.

Throughout the programme, students will be given the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-world projects. This may involve running an online marketing campaign, researching a commercial opportunity or international market entry strategy, compiling a business plan or applying some other business process or toolset.

Modules include:

Core Modules

• Next Generation Management
• Business Process Innovation
• Organisation & Management in the Networked Era
• Digital Business
• Web Design & Implementation
• Information Access
• e-Commerce Infrastructure
• Innovation & High Technology Entrepreneurship
• Risk, Regulation & Ethics in e-Commerce
• Practicum

The MSc in e-Commerce is part of DCU Business School' Next Generation Management initiative. Starting with a weeklong immersion course, this initiative provides students with a unique and flexible learning opportunity to develop the competencies required for successful management careers and to contribute to business success. Particular emphasis is placed on reflective and critical thinking, collaborating with people, creating and sharing knowledge and dealing with complexity.

You will complete an applied learning portfolio based upon these themes through activities that you choose. Students have the flexibility to develop skills and knowledge in areas and industries they are interested in. The Next Generation Management learning portfolio has proven to be an excellent talking point for students in interviews and is highly regarded by our graduate employers.

The Practicum module is taken over the summer months typically entails the prototyping of an e-commerce system or development of a software application. Projects are sourced from DCU's research centres, corporate clients, or may be based on students' own insights and ideas. This is a great opportunity to apply all the learning that you will do over the year to a real world case and will be a great asset on your CV upon graduation.

Why DCU:

DCU is Ireland's University of Enterprise with an industry engagement strategy which benefits our students in many ways including:

• Learning from academic experts with high level industry relevant experience ensuring you graduate with the most up-to-date knowledge of theory and practice.
• Exposure to leading international experts and thought leaders during the conferences relevant to business and technology
• Working on real-world industry client projects, applying theory and giving you the practical skills and experience demanded by employers today
• Heavy emphasis on applied learning
• Strong exposure and critical analysis of existing, new and emerging technologies which enable strategic change.

What Our Graduates Say

"I found this Masters to be extremely interesting as it combined nicely with my background in computer science but also provided me with transferable skills, which I have found very beneficial when looking for a job.

Links to the corporate world were facilitated by numerous guest speakers. This provided an excellent insight into organisations and as a result of one guest speaker in particular I developed a keen interest in the area of performance improvement. I have since gained a job in PWC in performance improvement.

I really feel that everything I learned in the last year will stand to me and aid me in my transition from college to the working world."

Kate McSwiney, PricewaterhouseCoopers

"The year I spent doing the M.Sc. in Electronic Commerce was fulfilling and stimulating, both socially and intellectually. The course material was innovative, demanding and well structured; this coupled with a diverse class group truly made for a vibrant and compelling year of study.

The culmination of the year with an IBM led practicum was immense. The practicum gave me and my group the chance to showcase our knowledge and skills. The ability to work on campus at the IBM global centre of excellence was an incredibly valuable experience.

The short year I spent at DCU was a once in a lifetime experience, where I achieved both academic learning and life learning that I will never forget."

Warren Lynam, Project Manager (Innovation Centre), Big Green Innovations, IBM

Career Prospects:

Graduates have pursued a variety of careers in the information economy as managers, entrepreneurs, business analysts, e-marketing specialists and e-business technologists. Graduates have found work in specialist e-commerce organisations and in traditional industry which has begun to innovate its systems and processes to compete in the new economy. Other students have developed their entrepreneurial talents and have won awards for their work.

Employers of our graduates include Accenture, An Post, Cambridge University Press, Google, Heinz, IBM, Mars, Nike, Oracle, PA Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Unilever and Vodafone.