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 today’s organisations and their ability to transform business processes. 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 Master’s qualification in the area of new business technologies rather than an MBA find this course of interest.

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 didn’t 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.