Hi,
I am a 22 years old B.Tech Graduate from India and I am interested in the M.Sc ITMOC program offered by Lancaster University but a bit confused whether the same IT management programs at Manchester and Warwick would be better or not.


I am also confused whether i should go for an MBA with only 2 years of work experience that too being non-managerial. Would it be better if I go for an M.Sc for now and then work for a few years before I go for an MBA??

I would also like to know about the work opportunities in the UK or in India I may get after an M.Sc ITMOC as I am funding my studies through a self loan.

Please anyone HELP!!!!!

Read through these: http://www.find-mba.com/boardsearch/63/q/Warwick+Manchester+Lancaster+MSc+IT and then come back if you have any more specific questions. Generally, Warwick seems better.

Don't expect to be able to work in the UK.

Waiting to do an MBA seems like a good idea, but I would love to know what others think.

Have you looked at the program, is there anything remotely useful to a Computer Science graduate? Is there anything academically challenging or you just spend time reviewing UML diagrams.

I still believe there is no IT Management but there is advanced computer science delivered at the Computing School up and down the country with a lot more pratical skills to earn knowledge and hardcash rather than another certificate to hang up.

Why not try a Game Development with some design elements? Quite tough stuff and fun as well.

That is great advice.

Hi Duncan, thanks for the prompt reply , i have gone through the discussions you sent me link for.. i still wonder why lancaster is less in weightage although its ITMOC seems too good to be true as compared to Warwick, also i came to know about Strath and i guess i am baffled now with all this info ...

I am still confused about my future prospects after i complete the course coz even if i get a good job back in India , it would take me 3-4 years to cover up the loan expenses and til then again i would be thinking about doing an MBA

kindly provide some suggestion on what should i do as i am not at all satisfied with my current job profile, its not challenging enough and i want to pursue a techno management masters with good future prospects

Have you looked at the program, is there anything remotely useful to a Computer Science graduate? Is there anything academically challenging or you just spend time reviewing UML diagrams.

I still believe there is no IT Management but there is advanced computer science delivered at the Computing School up and down the country with a lot more pratical skills to earn knowledge and hardcash rather than another certificate to hang up.

Why not try a Game Development with some design elements? Quite tough stuff and fun as well.

If you are bored, then do something less boring. Even moving to a similar job at another firm will be a step forward. But perhaps you can do something outside work to stimulate yourself and improve your chances of getting into a good MBA? Do some extra-curricular activity, or take an online course like the LSE diploma for graduates http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/courses/search/?solrsort=sort_title%20asc&filters=%20tid%3A558

May I check if you do IT Helpdesk or Infrastructure. We are all anonymous here.

I think infrastructure support is pretty interesting even though sometimes it is not as much brain work as coding. I think networking is certainly something fairly interesting. Also some certifications in more-advanced infrastructure such as Unix or DBA would be also beneficial. One of our lads who is doing a Global Durham MBA has infrastructure support background and he earns six figures. Yoy may check with him on how things work in his firm.

But he will tell you that, he gets that kind of money because of the technical knowledge as well as maturity and stoned over age rather than because of the three letters MBA.

Well I have been jumping through technologies , but to no resort , the exposure I got in my firm was immense , I certified in networking and then got trained in Microsoft Exchange+active directory , after working for a few months I got myself transferred to level 2 team for blackberry Infrasturucture support , before that I have already touched a few more technologies - VMware, lotus notes, Citrix .. Yes I know there are much chances of success in support too but working in operations isn't my cup of tea and as its my first year at work I am not being given much load of work or responsibility

Kindly suggest something for a masters !! I really appreciate your help

what exactly do you hate about support?

MCSA is not exactly high level support am i right? What networking certification do you have ?

Fancy some programming, maths, statistics? Or do you fancy soft stuff like sales and marketing?

what exactly do you hate about support?

MCSA is not exactly high level support am i right? What networking certification do you have ?

Fancy some programming, maths, statistics? Or do you fancy soft stuff like sales and marketing?

If you are bored, then do something less boring. Even moving to a similar job at another firm will be a step forward. But perhaps you can do something outside work to stimulate yourself and improve your chances of getting into a good MBA? Do some extra-curricular activity, or take an online course like the LSE diploma for graduates http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/courses/search/?solrsort=sort_title%20asc&filters=%20tid%3A558

I normally comment on this forum mainly because I find it useful for so many other similar cases.

Well you are wrong to assume that with a master degree suddenly you can do something dramatically very different.

Second, I dont believe in IT Management. Look at the cirriculum and tell me what management is it in those master degrees

Third, I have done a Master of IT Management myself and still go to top IT Management journals to read articles for fun and every time I do so i am so bored and depressed by
1. Why the hell people can write something out of nothing and can still publish research

2. There is nothing concrete about what constitute IT Management.

Also we are here to advise and guide candidates mainly because it is a fun and helpful thing to do to help people. I am not paid to do things so you have to be gracious young man.

I normally comment on this forum mainly because I find it useful for so many other similar cases.

Well you are wrong to assume that with a master degree suddenly you can do something dramatically very different.

Second, I dont believe in IT Management. Look at the cirriculum and tell me what management is it in those master degrees

Third, I have done a Master of IT Management myself and still go to top IT Management journals to read articles for fun and every time I do so i am so bored and depressed by
1. Why the hell people can write something out of nothing and can still publish research

2. There is nothing concrete about what constitute IT Management.

Also we are here to advise and guide candidates mainly because it is a fun and helpful thing to do to help people. I am not paid to do things so you have to be gracious young man.

Well what i am doing now is irrelevant. what i can tell you is that the master in IT Management does have very little to do with my success or failure. It simply adds three letters MSc or another line to my CV.

I do still go to training to update and enhance my technical skills.

My management skills develop because of what i do everyday and my communications skills a very important asset of a technical Manager when you have to talk up to your bosses mainly come from books such as How to talk like a CEO, how to convince your boss to spend more money in IT as well as greatest speeches of all time

All the best. Btw, if I have anything to say I would say go for advance technical courses or do a top MBA. Anything else simply does worth the efforts

Thanks a lot for your valuable insight and experience

My comment on this: I did the MSc in systems analysis at City University. That was a great course, and I think it's improved. Donho's right that there's very few courses that are at the level of the industry. Those skills are almost impossible for universities to get the money to keep up with so, as he says, it's generic skills like VBA, web programming, UML and project management, and overall business theory like OB and consulting skills, that these programmes provide. Employers understand that.

The only exception are, as far as I can see, courses in data mining, games and human-computer interaction.

Hello Duncan ,

Thanks for your reply !! Really appreciated

Your advice is surely an eye opener but I am just curious , if these courses are not as good as they sound then do they get any placements ?? Coz at the ITMOC course I have seen many alumnus being placed as IT consultants with big firms..

Placement from the business systems analysis course is very strong, and has been for decades. There only a few well-respected programmes in systems analysis. Generally, I think these programmes do have good placement. However, if you were someone with development experience [which you don't seem to be] then donho is making the point that such people won't improve their industry knowledge.

Exactly ,as I have seen many programmers who are very much centred to work on their platform itself ,as compared to enhance other skills or explore the whole industry

Would you suggest that an IT analysis course such as ITMOC is worth it?? Your advice till now has been much helpful Duncan!!