Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study awarded by
The University of Sheffield
This programme specification covers the subject curriculum in Information Management for the following dual
honours degree programmes and should be read in conjunction with the relevant specification for the second subject:
1
Programme Title
2. Programme Code
3. JACS Code (if applicable)
Business Management and Informatics
MGTU17
N200
Accounting & Financial Management
and Informatics
MGTU18
N400
4
Level of Study
Undergraduate
5
Final Qualification
BA with Honours
6
Intermediate Qualification(s)
None
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
8
Faculty
Social Sciences
9
Home Department
Management School
10
Other Department(s) involved in
teaching the programme
Information School
11
Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time
12
Duration of the Programme
3 years
13
Accrediting Professional or
Statutory Body
Not applicable
14
Date of production/revision
May 2012
Dual Degrees
The University of Sheffield defines a dual degree as the independent study of two parallel subjects. Dual
degrees offer students the flexibility to choose a programme of study that reflects their interests and gives the
opportunity to develop detailed knowledge and key skills in two major subjects. Whilst the two subjects may be
taught independently, they will complement, inform and illuminate one another. Where there are two programme
specifications for dual degrees, one for each half of the programme, and students should refer to both
documents for a full description of the whole programme. Where there are clear links between the two subjects,
details will be included in Sections 15 and 20 of the programme specifications. However, there are some single
programme specifications for dual degree combinations where there is a substantial degree of integration
between the two subjects.
15. Background to the programme and subject area
Informatics is a new discipline that responds to the opportunities and challenges of the digital age. Its focus is on
understanding and enhancing the ways in which people can use technologies to access and use digital information
in business and other organisational and social contexts.
Digital information today is ubiquitous, instant, mobile, multimedia and global. This creates new opportunities but
also challenges and risks. For example, while digital information is readily available from a variety of sources, people
and organisations need to ensure that effective decision-making is not compromised by information overload or by
the complexity of information. It is important to understand how new digital media are changing social relationships
and these media and products are enabling society and organisations to create and share knowledge in new ways.
Understanding how digital information products, services and systems are designed and used within business,
organisations and society is important for employees in a wide variety of organisations.
Some students will go on to take up specialist roles and positions utilising their informatics knowledge and skills in a
variety of organisations. Others will use the blend of interpersonal skills, organisational knowledge and expertise
gained through the programme to take up management positions in a variety of organisations. Graduates from our
existing degree programmes have gone on to take up Information Management or Knowledge Management jobs, to
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pursue careers in related areas such as Human Resources, or to apply their knowledge and skills in other
specialisms, such as accountancy.
The Information School has been awarded the highest possible research rating in all Research Assessment
Exercises carried out by the Higher Education Funding Council. In the most recent RAE, in 2008, two thirds of our
research was judged to be either 'internationally excellent' or 'world-leading'. Students can therefore be sure that they
will be exposed to the latest concepts and ideas in Informatics.
Graduates with this knowledge and these skills are potentially very attractive to employers, since private and public
sector organisations put increasing reliance on digital information. Students on the Business Management and
Informatics and Accounting & Financial Management and Informatics programmes will find that their two
subjects of study complement each other very well. Students on these programmes are given the opportunity to
acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge which they will be able to apply in different types of organisations.
For the Business Management or Accounting and Financial Management portion of their degree, students are
given an introduction to key topics in their subject area at level one, to provide a sound base for further study. For
Business Management this includes introductions to management and marketing, and for Accounting students this
will include Financial Accounting as well as elements of management. At levels two and three, there are a variety of
options which students can follow (e.g. modules on Human Resource Management, Principles of Consumer
Behaviour, Corporate Social Responsibility, Management Accounting). For more information please see the relevant
Programme Specification covering the Business Management/ Accounting and Financial Management part of the
degree.
The blend of business knowledge, interpersonal skills, and ability to manage information content and systems will
enable graduates on these programmes to take up management positions in a wide range of organizations in the
commercial, industrial, professional, financial, government and public sectors. Employers of previous graduates
from the BA programmes include HSBC Bank Plc, South Manchester University Hospitals Trust, National
Westminster Bank Plc, NTL (Telecommunications), Peugeot Plc, Safeway Plc, IBM UK Ltd., Proctor & Gamble, BMP
DDB Ltd. and Carlton TV. Graduates from the Accounting & Financial Management and Information Management
programme have found finance and accounting posts with firms such as Chase de Vere Investments, JLT Risk
Solutions, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
16. Programme aims
For all its programmes the School aims to:
1) deliver a curriculum for each degree programme that develops in students a broad understanding of the
subject area together with a detailed and critical understanding of selected areas
2) provide students with the knowledge and skills required to work as effective information professionals,
managers of information or research workers in their chosen field
3) enable those already working in the information field to update and expand their professional understanding
and competencies
4) prepare students for professional practice by providing programmes which meet the accreditation
requirements of professional bodies and that meet the needs of employers
5) deliver teaching informed and inspired by professional expertise and by the research and scholarship of staff
6) encourage students to become informed citizens and to understand the place of information in society
Specifically, the BA in Business Management and Informatics and the BA Accounting & Financial
Management and Informatics programmes aim to:
1) provide students with a thorough understanding both of the role of digital information as a societal and
organisational resource and of the theory and practice of how people use digital technologies to access and use
information within different organisational contexts.
2) provide students with practical skills of relevance to informatics and to other responsibilities and roles in the
workplace.
The dual nature of the programmes provides students with an equally solid foundation of knowledge and skills in,
respectively, the management and business and the accounting and financial management subject areas.
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17. Subject learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding. Students completing the programme will:
K1
Outline core concepts and theories of Informatics;
K2
Describe how to develop and use digital technologies to meet the needs of defined user populations and
organisations;
K3
Describe how digital information and informatics applications are used by people, groups and organisations in
different contexts and within society;
K4
Explain how digital information and knowledge are structured to facilitate access and use;
K5
Discuss social and ethical issues concerning the use of digital technologies within society and organisations;
K6
Describe the practical application of digital technologies for enabling people to access and use information in
different organisational and societal contexts;
K7
Discuss the organisational and societal contexts in which digital information is created, communicated and
used.
Skills and other attributes. Students completing the programme will:
S1
Select appropriate communication channels (oral, written and electronic) and use them effectively;
S2
Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills including negotiating, and working as part of a team;
S3
Utilise organisational and management skills including time management, project management and leadership
in teams;
S4
Be information literate: able to find, evaluate, synthesise and use information effectively;
S5
Be able to apply analytical and problem solving skills, and have developed their creativity;
S6
Have acquired learning skills that will help them in their studies and in their future life;
S7
Be effective users of digital technologies.
18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching, learning and
assessment methods:
Students’ knowledge, understanding and skills at all levels are developed through a range of methods which vary
according to the aims and objectives of individual modules, and the level at which the student is studying. Table 1,
below, illustrates how different methods of teaching, learning and assessment are matched with different areas of
knowledge and skill in core (compulsory) modules. The numbers 1, 2 and 3 refer to the level (year) at which a
teaching, learning or assessment method is applied to a particular knowledge or skill.
For example, looking at teaching and learning methods in knowledge area K1 (Concepts and theories of Information
Management) there are:
 lectures and seminars at levels (years) 1 and 2;

project and/or case studies at Levels 1 and 2;
 no practicals in that knowledge area at any level;
The assessment for this knowledge area, K1 is by:

Group web-based project at level 1;

Essay or review at levels 1 and 2;

Examination at levels 1 and 2.
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Table 1: Teaching Learning and assessment demonstrated in core modules at levels 1, 2 and 3
Teaching and Learning
Assessment
Area of knowledge or
Lectu Semin Practi
Proje Web Written
Group
Essay
skill
re
ar,
cal
ct,
project, case
project:
or
tutoria
case
study:
web,
review
l
study
Individ
grou data,
multime
ual
p
dia
K1: Concepts & theories
1,2
1,2
2
1,2
1,2
of Informatics
K2: Develop and use
digital technologies and
informatics services
K3: Use of information
and informatics by people
groups and organisations
K4: Information and
knowledge structure
K5: Social & ethical issues
Exa
m
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
2
1,2
1,2
2
2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
1,2,3
K6: Application of digital
technologies
K7: Organisational and
societal context
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2
1,2
1,2
2
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2
1,2,3
1,2
S1: Communication
skills
S2: Interpersonal skills
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
1,2
1,2
2,3
1,2
1,2
1,2,3
1,2
1,3
1,2,3
1
1,2
1,2
3
1,2
1,2
1
1
S3: Organisation/
management skills
S4: Information literacy
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
1,2
1
3
1,2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1,2
1
S5: Analytical &
problem solving skills
S6: Learning skills
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
1,2,3
1,2
2
2,3
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
S7: Use of digital
technologies
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2
2
1
1
1,2
2
2
1,2,3
1
1, 3
1,2
1,2
1,2
1
1,2
1,2
2
1
1
1
1,2
Note that academic staff are constantly evaluating their teaching with a view to improvement, and that methods may
vary a little from year to year; for example, an increasing amount of support is being offered via the web, i.e., the
University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
In Approved Information School modules (not covered in Table 1), teaching, learning and assessment methods will
be tailored to the nature and aims of the module. (Approved, i.e. elective, module choices allow students to select
specialisms within the Informatics subject field.) For example:

Assignments for the modules Web Authoring and Digital Multimedia involve designing and implementing a
deliverable (e.g. a website and Flash application respectively), plus an Examination. Teaching is through
computer laboratory sessions and lectures.

Global Information Access is taught through lectures and seminars, and is assessed by essay and examination
The essay will test students’ ability to re-design a specific website for a specific locale (i.e. to meet the language,
cultural and other requirements of a specific target market or region). The examination will test students’
understanding of the main concepts associated with internationalisation and localisation.
Section 21 gives further detail about knowledge areas covered by Approved Information School modules.
Learning and teaching methods explained (the lower case number (a, b etc.) can be matched onto the headings
in table 1)
a. Lectures establish the direction of studies and present information, ideas and critical analysis. Student
participation is developed through individual and group exercises and student presentations. Students are provided
with handouts of slide presentations and other lecture notes and materials. Visiting speakers are an important
feature of the lecture programme on some modules. These are normally information management practitioners or
researchers and provide real-life examples of information management practice and problems, and expose students
to examples of good practice.
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b. Seminars and tutorials provide opportunities for students to put forward their ideas, engage in debate, and
develop presentation skills in smaller groups. The level three information management project, on a subject of the
student’s choice, is supported by one-to-one tutorials with a supervisor.
c. Practical computer laboratory sessions develop informatics, digital literacy and interpersonal skills.
d. Task-oriented projects and case studies help students to understand theory through practice and to gain a
professional perspective.
e. The Web provides 24/7 access to Departmental learning resources such as lecture slide presentations and
handouts, and to administrative information. A Web-based ‘virtual learning environment’ is used on some modules
to provide integrated access to both learning resources and computer-mediated communication.
Assessment methods explained
General points: Modules are assessed either by coursework, examination and/or presentations. Feedback on
strengths and weaknesses in assignments is provided on all coursework through standardised feedback sheets,
augmented by individual comments from the lecturers.
f. Written projects and case studies enable students to demonstrate that they can apply theory to a real-world
problem. Collaborative group-work is an important feature of some projects. Group projects are designed to enable
students to work on complex, multi-faceted information management problems in a way that reflects professional
practice and provides opportunities for students to develop professional and interpersonal skills.
g. In some cases projects will involve creation of web pages or other multimedia, or manipulation and presentation
of data to solve a specific problem.
h. Essays and reviews enable students to provide evidence of their ability to synthesise information (from articles,
opinions etc.) in their own words and combine it with their own ideas. Students will develop the ability to organise
information and apply critical judgement to evidence. Reflective reports may also require students to reflect critically
on their own development of particular skills or knowledge.
i. Examinations test knowledge of underlying concepts, and enable students to demonstrate their understanding
through discussion, comparison and analysis.
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Internal
University Strategic Plan
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/strategy/lts11_16
Learning and Teaching Strategies of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Information School.
Current and recent research and scholarship of School staff. (See http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/staff)
The Departmental Employer Advisory Panel and formal/informal relationships with practitioners. (See
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/staff)
Regular analysis of the employment market.
Annual Departmental student programme and module evaluations.
External
Subject Benchmark Statements
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject-guidance/Pages/Subject-benchmark-statements.aspx
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (2008)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-educationqualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx
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20. Programme structure(s) and regulations
The BA programmes are three years in length, and students take the equivalent of six full modules in each year
worth a total of 120 credits. Over 3 years a student will therefore complete modules totalling 360 credits. Modules at
level 1 correspond to first year work, level 2 to second year work and so on. Students must take all core modules
specified, but can choose options from lists of approved and unrestricted modules.
Core (i.e. compulsory) modules provide students with the fundamental concepts and theories in the subject of
information management and lay the foundations for future study. At level 1 there are 60 credits, at level 2 there 40
credits and at level 3 there are 40 credits of Information School core modules.
Approved (i.e. elective) module choices allow students to select specialisms within the informatics subject field:
one Approved Information School module must be selected at Level 3, and one Approved Information School
module must be selected at Level 3 (or an Unrestricted module).
Unrestricted (i.e. free) module choices offer students the opportunity, at Level 2, if they wish, to take either further
Information School modules from the Approved list of modules or study different subject areas offered by other
academic Departments, within the University to complement their main subject of study.
The programme structure has been developed to reflect the Information School’s Learning and Teaching Strategy
(2011-14). In particular, the new programme will:

enable students to engage actively with TUOS opportunities to learn beyond the disciplines;

encourage more UG students to take the year with work experience option and gain internships, through the
new Level 3 module, Internship;

establish more placement opportunities for UGs with local organisations (Objective 5.1);

through the unrestricted module strand, establish a modern language optional strand;

provide personal tutorial support to include review of student academic progress on an semester basis.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression and
descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
Table 1 in section 18 presents a picture of development through the degree. At each level there key modules which
progresses core concepts and theories of informatics (particularly K1, K2 and K8). These modules are Information
Behaviour in Context and Digital Technologies in Organisations (level 1); Information Architecture and Information
Management and Governance (level 2); Knowledge Management and Communities and Business Intelligence (level
3). These key modules are complemented by Core and Approved modules which develop understanding in one or
more specific areas (K1-K8), either from a technical perspective, e.g., Digital Multimedia, Web Authoring (Level 2)
and Programming for Informatics, Web Applications (Level 3), or from a management/business perspective, e.g.,
Global Information Access, Human Computer Interaction (Level 2), Digital Economy (Level 3). At the same time,
skills (S1-S7) are developed through the wide variety of approaches to learning, teaching and assessment.
Progression of knowledge and understanding
At level 1, students are given a basic introduction to the key areas of knowledge (K1-K8) and some areas are
explored in more depth (K1, K2, K3, K7).
At level 2, as well as looking at core areas of Informatics relevant to management and organisations in more depth
(K3), there is an emphasis on the management and governance of information (K3, K4, K5, K7).
At level 3, students deepen their understanding of Knowledge management and use of knowledge in business (K3,
K4, K7). If they choose to take Digital Economy at this level, they will also be progressing knowledge in the use of
informatics within commercial organisations and other key areas (K3, K7).
Progression of skills
At level 1, students are supported in the full range of skills (S1-7), through lectures, tutorials, practicals and via the
web. All of these skills are addressed explicitly in teaching, and most are assessed through one or other of the core
modules. Exercises in class help students to gain confidence progressively and receive feedback so that they can
develop further. There is a balance of individual and group work (S2, S3) at all levels.
At level 2, skills are developed in different modules: for example, Web Authoring develops specific skills in digital
technologies, and also builds on the practice that students have of oral presentation (S1, S5). As students gain in
understanding of the subject area, organisation and management skills are developed (S3). In Digital Multimedia,
students develop knowledge and skills in designing and implementing a multimedia application (S3, S5 S7).
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At level 3, students further develop skills involving communication, teamwork and problem solving. (S1-S3, S5).
Approved modules provide students with opportunities to develop their particular interests in more depth, building on
the foundation of level 1 modules.
There is also a range of Approved modules offered by the Management School.
22. Criteria for admission to the programme(s)
Detailed information regarding admission to the programme is available at http://www.shef.ac.uk/prospective/
23. Additional information
The Information School is housed in the modern, purpose-built Regent Court and has its own dedicated computer
facilities. The School is less than five minutes walk from the Information Commons and is adjacent to the St.
George’s Library, which together contain the University’s main collection of informatics, information management,
information systems, computer science and management materials.
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can be
accessed via our Student Services web site at www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
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