Curriculum for Master of Science in. Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) MsCIT ITCO

Transcription

1 Please note: Only the original study guide in Danish has legal validity in matters of discrepancy Curriculum for Master of Science in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) MsCIT ITCO Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University University of Southern Denmark in Odense

2 This curriculum has been prepared on the basis of (1) the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation s Ministerial Order no. 338 of 6 May 2004 on Bachelor and Master s Programmes at Universities (Uddannelsesbekendtgørelsen), (2) Ministerial Order no. 231 of 22 March 2006 on University Examinations (Eksamensbekendtgørelsen) and (3) Ministerial Order no. 250 of 15 March 2007 on the Grading Scale and Other Forms of Assessment of University Education (Karakterbekendtgørelsen). The curriculum replaces the previous curriculum approved on 27 November 2007 by the Dean of Education at Aarhus School of Business and on 11 September 2007 by the Study Board for Business and Economics at the University of Southern Denmark. The curriculum was approved on 4 June 2008 by the Vice Dean of Education at Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University and on 10 June 2008 by the Study Board for Business and Economics at the University of Southern Denmark. The curriculum is valid for students commencing the MSc in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) study programme on 1 September 2008 or later. Students from the 2007 intake transfer to this curriculum from 1 September In special circumstances, the study committee may grant exemptions from the rules set out in the curriculum.

3 Contents 1 CENTRAL ISSUES AND COURSE CONTENT CENTRAL ISSUES AND CORE COURSES NAME OF STUDY PROGRAMME STUDY PROGRAMME CONTENT OBJECTIVE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS ADMISSION BASIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION RESTRICTED ADMISSION CREDIT TRANSFERS PRESCRIBED CURRICULUM ELECTIVES EXAMS GRADING AND ASSESSMENT FORM COMPUTERS AT EXAMS ORDINARY EXAMS PASSING EXAMS RE-EXAMS AND MAKE-UP EXAMS EXAM REGISTRATION TIME LIMIT FOR THE STUDY PROGRAMME PROJECTS TOPIC GROUP WORK THESIS TOPIC PURPOSE DESIGN AND GROUP WORK DEFENCE... 11

4 1 Central issues and course content 1.1 Central issues and core courses The normal duration of the MSc in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) study programme is two years. The programme consists of four semesters of 30 ECTS each, totalling 120 ECTS. The core courses in the study programme are: Teambuilding and Teamwork, Programming, IT-based Communication, Project Management and Requirements Specifications, System Development and Databases, Integrated Market Communication, Organisation and Management Types, Business Intelligence, IT Strategy and E-business. These courses are equivalent to a total of 75 ECTS. In addition, students must choose an elective equivalent to 10 ECTS. 1.2 Name of study programme The Danish name of the study programme is Kandidatuddannelsen i It, Kommunikation og Organisation. Graduates of the study programme may use the title cand.it. i It, Kommunikation og Organisation. The English name of the study programme is Master of Science in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation), abbreviated MScIT. 1

5 2 Study programme content 2.1 Objective The study programme provides students with the qualifications needed to undertake demanding technical, developmental and managerial assignments involving communication and information technology in organisations. The study programme provides the academic, physical and social scope necessary for the participants developing, through interaction, academic skills and personal competencies within the development, management and implementation of IT-related changes in companies and organisations. This interaction is organised through increasing integration between IT, communication and organisation and through academic progression throughout the course of the study programme. The study programme is planned on the basis of the student s individual academic competencies acquired in their BSc studies, thus ensuring that the close interaction in the MSc study programme between the collective and individual methods of instruction accommodates the development of the special academic competency profile of the individual student. The study programme enables students to: 1. Work highly independently 2. Interpret, design and implement IT-based communication and information systems in organisations 3. Analyse and plan organisational collaboration and communication processes 4. Interpret, understand, evaluate and critically assess communication and ITrelated possibilities and limitations in relation to the organisation and its external stakeholders 5. Analyse, extract and present knowledge contained in information systems and identify the possible uses of this in relation to the organisation and its external stakeholders 6. Identify the basic interpersonal skills required in order to undertake changerelated and managerial tasks and responsibilities 7. Contribute to the improvement and new development of theories, methodologies and technologies with focus on IT in organisations 2.2 Course descriptions Exam forms appear from the course descriptions. The course descriptions specify the content of the individual courses/exams of the study programme and contain the provisions governing exam and assessment forms. These provisions contain guidelines for: The organisation of the overall exam sequence for the individual course(s)/semester assignment(s)/course of study The exam form(s) used in an exam sequence and the order in which they are used The form in which the student(s) is/are to deliver their performance The weighting of grades for the individual components, if any, of an exam 2

6 The course descriptions are available on the study programme website. 3

7 3 Admission 3.1 Basic admission requirements Students holding a bachelor s degree or having acquired similar competencies under another study programme may be admitted to the MSc in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) study programme. 3.2 Additional admission requirements Apart from a bachelor s degree or similar background, the applicant must possess basic knowledge within the following six subject areas: Business administration Organisation System architecture Web Marketing Communication If an applicant meets the requirement for basic knowledge within at least two of the subject areas mentioned above, the applicant may be admitted on the condition that he or she passes supplementary entrance exams in the remaining subject areas before the end of the first semester of the study programme. The supplementary entrance exams and the related instruction (supplementary courses) as well as re-exams are arranged by the educational institutions. Supplementary courses may be assessed a maximum of three times. 3.3 Other higher education Applicants who do not meet the formal requirements but who are deemed to have the necessary prerequisites for completing the study programme may be admitted subject to special permission being granted. Such permission may be made conditional upon the applicant passing one or more of the supplementary entrance exams. 3.4 Restricted admission If it is not possible to admit all qualified applicants, the applicants will be selected according to aptitude. In the assessment, particular emphasis is placed on the following elements: The applicant s well-argued and well-founded application The applicant s educational background The applicant s experience with development tasks Recommendations from present and former employers The applicant s account of business experience, including relevant project experience 4

8 Credit transfers Credits may be transferred for study programme elements or parts thereof which are passed as part of other master s programmes and which are equivalent to comparable study programme elements in the MSc in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) study programme. 5

9 4 Prescribed curriculum The distribution of courses on semesters is indicated below along with the relevant number of ECTS indicated in brackets for each semester. Supplementary courses are the six courses which are offered as an introduction to the study programme for students doing supplementary entrance exams, cf Semester plan for the MSc study programme Supplementary courses 1st semester Basic courses Instruction and projects 2nd semester It Systems in Organisation and Communication Instruction and joint project 3rd semester IT and Strategy Methodology Instruction Electives 4th semester Thesis System Architecture Teambuilding and Teamwork, incl. project (10) Programming, incl. project (10) Project Management and Requirements Specifications, incl. project (10) ee System Development and Databases, incl. project (10) ee Qualitative and Quantitative Methodology (5) Business Administration Organisation Organisation and Management Types (5) Business Intelligence (5) Elective (10) Thesis and Theoretical and Methodological Choices * (30) ee Web Marketing IT-based Communication, incl. project (10) Integrated Market Communication, incl. project (10) ee IT Strategy and E-business (5) Communication 30 ECTS 30 ECTS 30 ECTS 30 ECTS The figures in brackets indicate the number of ECTS for the courses. Furthermore, the study elements which are assessed at external exams are indicated with ee in the table. External exams mean exams assessed by one or more lecturers and one or more appointed external examiners. 6

10 * The Theoretical and Methodological Choices course module is related to the thesis work. Participation in the course module is compulsory and is a prerequisite for the approval of the submission of the thesis. 7

11 5 Electives The third semester comprises a 10 ECTS elective aiming particularly at providing students with an individualised, academic competency profile which matches the special interests and academic competencies acquired by the students in their BSc studies. The electives are described further in the course descriptions. 6 Exams 6.1 Grading and assessment form The following study programme courses must be documented through oral or written exams with external grading according to the grading scale: In the second semester: Project Management and Requirements Specifications, System Development/Databases and Integrated Market Communication (incl. project). In the fourth semester: Thesis. The remaining courses in the study programme are assessed at written or oral exams which do not involve internal or external examiners: In the first semester, the supplementary exams (supplementary courses) and the Teambuilding and Teamwork, Programming and IT-based Communication courses, including the related projects, are assessed as Pass/Fail. In the third semester, the Organisation and Management Types, Business Intelligence, IT Strategy and E-business courses as well as electives are assessed according to the grading scale. The exam forms and any prerequisites for being allowed to take the exam are included and described further in the course descriptions. 6.2 Computers at exams At the written exams, the student must use the computer made available by the institution according to the guidelines set out for the exam. 6.3 Ordinary exams All exams are held once a year. The individual course description may stipulate that the submission of compulsory papers is a prerequisite for registering for an exam. If such compulsory assignments are not passed, the student will be given the option of doing a new assignment before the exam for the course. Any third attempt to pass the exam can take place, at the earliest, during the next ordinary course offering for the same semester. The study committee may permit a fourth and fifth attempt in special circumstances. 8

12 6.4 Passing exams Each individual exam must be passed in order for the student to complete the MSc in Information Technology (IT, Communication and Organisation) study programme. An exam has been passed when Approved, Pass or a grade of 02 or above has been awarded. When calculating the grade average, the individual exam is included with a weighting corresponding to the ECTS of the exam. Exams in which Pass or a grade of 02 or higher is awarded cannot be re-taken. 6.5 Re-exams and make-up exams Re-exams and make-up exams must take place at the end of the same semester or at the beginning of the next. Further exam attempts follow the ordinary exam periods. As concerns exams scheduled for the third semester, re-exams and make-up exams must take place either before work on the thesis commences or after submission of the thesis. Illness must be documented in the form of a medical certificate. 6.6 Exam registration Registration for all written and oral exams takes place automatically in connection with the registration for courses. This does not apply to electives for which the student must register by 1 October. It is the responsibility of the student to check that he or she has been registered for the relevant exams. The deadline for deregistration is the weekday before the first exam date, i.e. eight days before the exam date. If the exam lasts more than one day, the first exam day counts. If deregistration from the exam is not made on time, this constitutes an exam attempt. 6.7 Time limit for the study programme Students must complete this study programme within five years of starting it. The institution may grant an exemption from this in special circumstances. 9

13 7 Projects 7.1 Topic Project papers must be prepared as part of the study programme. The topic is provided or must be approved by the course coordinator. The procedure for choosing a topic and the project work are described further in the course description. 7.2 Group work Project papers are normally prepared in groups of a maximum of four students. Details on the formation of groups appear from the course description. If an oral exam is held in connection with a project paper, such exam must always be taken individually. The paper is included in the assessment of the individual oral defence, and one grade is awarded. 10

14 8 Thesis 8.1 Topic As part of the study programme, a thesis is prepared on a topic which falls within the focus area of the programme. The topic of the thesis must be approved by the course coordinator. Students who fail to submit their thesis at the time stipulated must submit a changed thesis synopsis which must relate to the same topic. If the thesis is not passed, the student must choose a new topic for the thesis. 8.2 Purpose The aim of the thesis is to give students an opportunity within a timeframe of one semester and within a limited subject area to demonstrate their ability to work independently with e.g. problem formulations, analyses, the application of methods, critical judgement and the presentation of conclusions. 8.3 Design and group work The thesis is prepared individually or by a group of max. two students. The thesis must be provided with an abstract in English or in another main language according to agreement with the supervisor(s). The content of the abstract is included in the assessment of the thesis. The abstract may have a length of max. two pages. The procedure for writing the thesis is described further in the course description. 8.4 Defence The thesis must be defended orally. If the thesis has been written by two students together, the defence must take place individually. The thesis is included in the assessment of the individual oral defence, and one grade is awarded. 11