Hello everyone,

I've received my Masters offers and I would greatly appreciate your opinions and advice regarding the following courses:

- Manchester - MSc Management and Information Systems: Change and Development http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/list/01388/management-and-information-systems-change-and-development-msc/course-details/

- Warwick - Msc Information Systems Management and Innovation http://www.wbs.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/information-systems-management/details/

- St. Andrews - Msc Management & Information Technology https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/management/programmes/pgtaught/mit/

I am a non-UK and non-EU who has graduated with a non-quantitative 2:1 degree. I have about 1.5 years of work experience. I want to work in the UK as soon as possible after I graduate. I'm interested in multinational technology companies, though I am willing to keep my options open. I mainly looking to change career field.

I am interested in the combination of studying Management and IS at Manchester, and I think Warwick's MIS course must be great. I also think studying specific skills of IT at St Andrews will be useful in the future. I know that IT is a subset of IS. However, I'm not sure whether I should gain deeper insights of the big picture of IS first, as I have no experience in the field, or should I go ahead and study how to utilise IT since IT is becoming increasing important skills to have?

The money and living environment are not big factors for me. Honestly, I'd be happy to study anywhere in the UK. I'm more concern about job opportunities after I graduate. So any review regarding career services, job prospects, teaching and course contents would be greatly helpful.

Thank you so much in advance.

[Edited by dth. on Jun 02, 2016]

For the best chance at employment, I would suggest an MSc in computing, systems development or systems analysis. Those would have hands-on technical skills to allow you to hit the ground running, even the conversion MSc degrees aimed at people from outside the sciences. The courses you have applied to have a rather managerial, critical and academic approach. Warwick is the nest of these, but even that is really preparation for consulting rather than IT roles where there are greater shortages.

Thank you for your prompt reply, Duncan. :)

I considered systems analysis, but I would like to gain managerial skills as well, so I decided to apply to these courses.

Why do you think Warwick is the best, in comparison to Manchester and St. Andrews? Would it be easier to find internships and gain more experience if I study at Manchester, or would it make no difference?

I think Warwick is the best because it contains some hands-on IT skills through the SAP alliance. They are all rather focussed on soft skills and academic theory.

Ah, I see. Thank you so much for your advice. :)

For context look at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2016/eng/msc-computer-science/ or http://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/study/postgrad/taught/5055/

Also see http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2840315

IT is very niche area and do you want to work in tech so programming and systems or do you want to work in administration of IT such as IT audit or pure project management so just update schedule capex etc.

If you only want to support IT so mainly paper person then these MSc are OK but be sure you never will do any technical work.

IT is very niche area and do you want to work in tech so programming and systems or do you want to work in administration of IT such as IT audit or pure project management so just update schedule capex etc.

If you only want to support IT so mainly paper person then these MSc are OK but be sure you never will do any technical work.

Thank you so much, Duncan, for the links! I'm not too sure I'll apply for it this year, but I shall keep it in mind that I may go for these options in the future.

donho199, I am currently interested in administration of IT and project management more, but I think that having some technical skills would be really important in the workplace too.