Programme specifications: MSc Management, Information Systems and Innovation *
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Awarding Body
LSE
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Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body,
e.g. ESRC; BPS etc
Name of final award
Programme Title
N/A
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Duration of the course
Based in the Department/Institute:
Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements (See Subject Benchmark
Statements)
UCAS Code
First written/last amended
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MSc
MSc Management, Information Systems and
Innovation
Full-time 12 months, Part-time 24 months
Information Systems and Innovation Group
N/A
G5U4
October 2011 / November 2012
10. The programme aims to:
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provide a high quality education in Information Systems Innovation in a research-active
environment for intellectually able students from a wide range of backgrounds;
help students understand the social science basis and inter-disciplinary nature of
Information Systems;
enable students to concentrate on specialist areas within the subjects;
encourage students to develop intellectual flexibility and their critical reasoning ability;
provide a basis for further study and for employment, including careers in relevant fields.
Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Students who have successfully completed MISI should be able to demonstrate the
following:
Knowledge/understanding:
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An appreciation of the key issues in the analysis, design and management of information
systems and relate these to theoretical positions and assumptions;
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The ability to address contemporary information systems issues according to the student’s
interests and courses taken;
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Develop understanding of a specialist subject of the student’s choosing through a
knowledge of the relevant research literature.
Skills/other attributes:
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the ability to analyse information systems and innovation issues from a number of
perspectives;
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the ability to formulate and develop arguments on information systems;
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the ability to critically evaluate claims made on a range of information systems issues;
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a series of transferable skills including: team work, oral presentations, library and Internet
research, report writing, research methodology and research methods.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
Our learning approach places emphasis on the critical discussion of academic literature from
across a range of scientific fields. We include theories and frameworks for understanding the
processes of information systems and innovation and case studies for illustrating issues in
particular instances of management and innovation practice. In addition to domain specific
knowledge we teach transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, oral
presentation skills and working in groups. All transferable skills are formally assessed through the
coursework elements of the programme. Transferable skills are also taught as part of the
compulsory non–examined IS490 Study Skills and Research Methods course.
All courses provide formative feedback, e.g. on oral presentations, coursework proposals and/or
class preparation and participation.
Assessment strategies:
Each course has a series of lectures and an associated series of seminars.
IS470 is assessed through coursework (50%), and a two hour exam (50%)
IS471 is assessed through a group project (50%) and a two hour exam (50%)
IS472 is assessed through a three hour examination.
Half unit courses are assessed by either written examinations, group projects or 5000 word
essays.
Each student also writes a dissertation of no more than 10,000 words on a project selected with
the approval of their supervisor.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See MSc Management, Information Systems and Innovation programme regulations.
Additional information
14.
Criteria for admission to the programme
Applicants should have a good (i.e. the equivalent of an upper second class honours degree or
above) undergraduate degree (in a relevant area). A basic familiarity with IT is essential; work
experience is viewed positively. In the selection process, particular attention is paid to academic
interests and purpose of study.
15.
Indicators of quality
The Information Systems and Innovation Group of the Department of Management is one of the
largest and most well established groups of information systems (IS) researchers and teachers in
Europe. It is ranked first in the UK and fourth in the world on the basis of publications in the top
eight highest graded information systems journals.
Information Systems graduates go on to work in a range of organizations and sectors. As well as
working in a number of different sectors, graduates from Information Systems go on to work in to
a range of roles. Many choose to work in IT or finance-related roles in banking, consultancy and
government. Previous graduates have found work as management and IT consultants, business
analysts, in IT support and in project management positions. Below is a sample of typical
employers and job roles:
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Company
Deloitte
IBM
Accenture
JP Morgan
Deutsche Bank
Ernst and Young
KPMG
Position
Strategy Consultant
Project Manager
Management Consultant/IT Consultant
IT Business Analyst
Commodities Business Analyst
Senior Auditor
IT Advisor
The LSE Careers Centre website also provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
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Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
Group mechanisms:
The Group has a variety of mechanisms in place for monitoring and ensuring the quality of its
teaching provision. These can be broadly classified as proactive, ongoing and retrospective.
It has a formal Teaching team which normally meets twice per term to address issues arising from
the teaching provisions in the Group. The team reports back to the Group meeting (for operational
issues) and the Head of Group (for policy issues).
In addition the delivery of teaching and monitoring of teaching quality in the Group follow teaching
policy and procedures of the Department of Management, The Department has a Teaching
committee, which meets at least once per term and reports to the Head of Department and The
Departmental meeting.
Group meetings are open to all staff associated with the Group. This includes all academic staff,
tutorial fellows, visiting fellows, representatives from the library and language centre and research
staff from funded research projects associated with the Group. Group meetings are held
approximately once a term. Departmental meetings are open to all staff of the Department.
The Staff Student Liaison Committee consists of representatives from MSc MISI and PhD
students. In addition to staff from the Group, the Group library and language centre
representatives are also members. The SSLC meets once a term and the minutes of the meeting
are considered by the ISI Group’s Teaching team.
Proactive measures to ensure and enhance quality
The Teaching teame monitors courses/programmes and when necessary organises a Teaching
Task Force to review programme structure and content which reports back to the HoG and ISI
Group meeting. The SSLC reviews all courses at the student level, and key points are taken to
the Teaching Committee and/or ISI Group Meetings. Proposals are also discussed at SSLC
meetings.
The Group has worked closely with its external examiners, for example, introducing and revising a
consistent marking scheme and feedback process for all essays submitted during the year.
The Exam Sub Board Chair, programme directors, Teaching team chair, teaching
administrator and other members of faculty as appropriate meet following the receipt of the
reports to discuss the reports. Once actions/responses have been agreed the Exam Sub Board
Chair will formally respond to the External Examiners (cc to Registry), addressing issues they
have raised and outlining appropriate action that will be taken. In line with School
guidance, Section C. of the report and faculty feedback are made available to students by the
Teaching administrator.
Ongoing measures
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The Group strives to keep good relations with its students and, as a result, feels that most
problems are picked up quickly through informal means. Other issues are picked up and
addressed at the termly SSLC meetings.
Following the suggestion of our external examiners, some years ago, each course coordinator is
asked to produce a short (one page) report about the course which is sent to the external
examiners, along with the sample scripts for that course before the examiners meetings.
It is Group policy for core courses to be team taught by at least two members of staff. This has a
number of benefits including, flexibility in scheduling to allow for research activities of staff,
sharing of best practice for teaching activities as well as easy mentoring and teaching observation
for new members of staff. It also provides for on the job learning and skill sharing, thus enabling
best practice to be passed on as responsibility for a course is transferred between staff members.
Retrospective measures
The Group regularly reviews the experiences of the student cohort and uses the data it has
available to try and identify any observable trends in the data. For example, checks have sought
to see if there are any patterns to the best and worst performing students, to try and identify any
patterns for arrival rates for MSc students from different backgrounds and to see if there are any
marked differences in performance on particular courses over the years.
School mechanisms:
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regular staff appraisal and review;
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improvements in teaching technique by the Teaching and Learning Centre through
observations, advice and further training;
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induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
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centrally administered course teaching surveys by the Teaching Quality Assurance and
Review Office;
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a system for ensuring that External Examiners’ comments/recommendations are fed
through to Departments Groups and Departments and acted upon;
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LSE’s Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all postgraduate programmes and
ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of
formal stages so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other
developments;
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the School’s Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
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TLAC Departmental Review once every five years.
* Formerly MSc Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems) (ADMIS)
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