Information Technology, MSc

Information Technology, MSc

Introduction

The MSc Information Technology is designed for students with little or no computing background who are looking to gain the skills needed to break into the IT sector. Start in September or January to fast-track your IT career across a range of industries.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more.

Study Information

Study Options

Learning Mode
On Campus Learning
Degree Qualification
MSc
Duration
12 months or 15 months
Study Mode
Full Time
Start Month
September or January
Location of Study
Aberdeen

A Conversion Programme Ideal for Career Changers

This conversion programme is designed for students from an Arts & Humanities, Social Science, Business, or Science background, who wish to enter a new career in the IT and software development sector.

The curriculum includes a broad range of topics, from database development and enterprise computing to cloud computing, security, and project management. On the software development front, we cover human-centred design, programming, testing, and a range of agile development theories and practices.

Not only will you gain expertise in security-related aspects, you will also get to explore critical areas of IT administration and software development – skills that are in high demand across almost every industry sector, from energy, finance, technology and marketing to manufacturing, engineering, health, and retail.

We place particular emphasis on you gaining extensive experience of working in software development teams, developing both your interpersonal skills and your technical abilities across a range of subjects such as human-centred design, service design, database development, software project management, and others.

We also provide multiple opportunities for you to develop your skills and expertise beyond the classroom through a range of activities taking place on campus and in the city, including monthly meetups, quarterly co-design hack events, and other activities where you can collaborate with professional developers and designers.

Students who have already studied computing at undergraduate level who want to develop their IT expertise further are also welcome to apply to this programme, or may wish to consider either our MSc Artificial Intelligence or MSc Cybersecurity programmes.

    Available Programmes of Study

    MSc

    Information Technology

    Qualification Duration Learning Mode Study Mode Start Month Location  
    MSc 15 months On Campus Learning Full Time January Aberdeen More
    MSc 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time September Aberdeen More

    Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programme(s) above.

    We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

    Fee Information

    Additional Fee Information

    • Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programmes section above.
    • In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
    • For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.

    Scholarships

    Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.

    How You'll Study

    Learning Methods

    • Group Projects
    • Individual Projects
    • Lectures
    • Peer Learning
    • Professional Placements
    • Seminars
    • Tutorials
    • Workshops

    Assessment Methods

    Assessment is by course work, by written examination or by a combination of these as prescribed for each course. The project will be assessed by project implementation and by a dissertation. The degree of MSc shall not be awarded to a candidate who fails to complete the summer project at an appropriate standard, irrespective of their performance in other courses.

    Why Study Information Technology?

    • Take your career in a new direction with this conversion programme designed for students with no IT background.
    • Learn the fundamental programming and web development skills needed to build complex and dynamic software systems, both on your own as well as in teams.
    • Programming is introduced using the object-oriented scripting language Python and web frameworks; you learn how to create effective user interfaces by building large-scale database-driven web applications using open data.
    • You will be prepared in the use and development of current and emerging digital technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, Internet of Things, and open data to improve organisations' competitive advantage with the entrepreneurial application of these ideas.
    • The programme develops web application design, authoring and administration skills, including human-centred design and evaluation, as well as entrepreneurial skills so that you can start your own business using what you learn on the degree.
    • You will be taught how to continually identify and revise clients' software requirements by applying agile development practices such as scrum, pair programming, test and behaviour-driven development, mob programming, and sprints and task boards.
    • Our teaching is informed by the latest research in Computing Science and we have particular expertise in agile development, information security and artificial intelligence.
    • We provide a thriving environment with many opportunities to develop your skills and expertise beyond the classroom with a range of regular activities taking place on campus, and in the city including monthly meetups, quarterly co-design hack events, and other activities where you can collaborate with professional developers and designers.
    • Some of the organisations which employ our recent computing graduates include: Amazon, Arnold Clark, Insiso, IBM, BP, Conoco, Hewlett Packard, EDS, CGI, CMG, Wipro, British Telecom, QinetiQ, Microsoft, Prudential, the National Health Service, and local charities.

    Entry Requirements

    Qualifications

    The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

    Our minimum entry requirement is a UK Ordinary or Honours degree (or a degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth) at 2:2 (lower second) class or above.

    While no prior computer programming experience is necessary, a basic level of computer literacy is expected. Those with a Computer Science degree from a non-UK university, or other computing background, will be considered on the understanding that you may be repeating some material.

    Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.

    English Language Requirements

    To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

    IELTS Academic:

    OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

    TOEFL iBT:

    OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

    PTE Academic:

    OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

    Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:

    OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

    Read more about specific English Language requirements here.

    Document Requirements

    You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.

    CV
    an up-to-date CV/Resumé
    Degree Certificate
    a degree certificate showing your qualifications
    Degree Transcript
    a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
    Personal Statement
    a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme

    Careers

    There are a number of careers to progress in to following graduation from this degree. Previous students have found jobs using the skills taught here with IT companies and IT departments within local, regional and global businesses, as well as software development companies, charities, local councils and other public organisations. Some graduating students have also progressed onto academic careers following a PhD. Many of our graduates have moved in to new careers, whereas others have stayed in the same area, but have benefited hugely from having this increased knowledge of IT.

    This programme provides you with the technical and analytical skills needed to successfully adapt to wide-range of situations in the ever-changing world of computing. Some become software developers, business analysts, consultants, data scientists, or follow other roles.

    A number of students take what they learn on the degree to start their own business.

    Industry Links

    • Regular co-design hackathon events are provided by Code The City
    • The monthly Aberdeen data meetup on the first Tuesday of each month discusses data analytics, big data, and other topics
    • Visit ONE Codebase for regular events in the local tech entrepreneur community

    What our Alumni Say

    Adedayo Bada

    Adedayo Bada

    Adedayo Bada

    Job Details
    Software Developer
    Graduated 2015

    I would recommend the University because I had a wonderful time studying there and the standards are very high which makes me very proud of my degree. Also for someone just coming to the UK, Aberdeen is also a great city.

    Vicky Anderson

    Vicky Anderson

    Vicky Anderson

    Job Details
    Senior Account Manager
    Graduated 2015

    My degree gave me a broad knowledge and exposure of Information Technology - everything from databases and web design to programming and looking at the electronic world that we live in. This has stood me in good stead for my career.

    Udon Okoh

    Udon Okoh

    Udon Okoh

    Job Details
    Web Developer and Founder at Techinnover
    Graduated 2015

    I have so many good experiences from the programme that I can look back on. The dissertation project was definitely a highlight.

    Find out more

    Matei Ioan Marina

    Matei Ioan Marina

    Matei Ioan Marina

    Job Details
    Software Developer
    Graduated 2017

    I am currently involved in developing a number of web applications using mainly C#, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and SQL as database server. I am also heavily involved in using cloud technologies such as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. I chose the MSc IT because it offered a unique blend of technical and project management knowledge whilst not being heavy on previous experience in the IT industry. The staff were very friendly and helpful throughout the course.

    Find out more

    Kanat Kussembayev

    Kanat Kussembayev

    Kanat Kussembayev

    Job Details
    Senior Business Intelligence Analyst
    Graduated 2018

    This degree was a great solution to cover all in demand topics of IT industry. Including information security, Data management and architecture, project management and etc. The program scope was really sufficient to get a clear picture of everything important in IT. The Summer Project was a really interesting thing to do. It was the project that involved all aspects of what we studied: database modelling, scrum methodology, coding.

    Gareth Donaldson

    Gareth Donaldson

    Gareth Donaldson

    Job Details
    Senior Systems Engineer
    Graduated 2017

    Having some experience with software engineering and finding that I really enjoyed it, I was keen to explore the possibility of moving into this in my career development. I chose the MSc IT program as it offered a way for someone with limited knowledge of computer science to move into this field. It was also a way of bolstering my academic qualifications to further develop my career while learning skills that would be of use to me in future.

    Find out more

    Our Experts

    Director
    Dr Bruce Scharlau

    Information About Staff Changes

    You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

    Features

    Image for Aberdeen Software Factory
    Aberdeen Software Factory

    Aberdeen Software Factory

    The Aberdeen Software Factory is a student-run software house. Students can gain experience working on larger software projects and benefit from work experience, while clients will benefit from a flexible, cost effective solution to suit their needs.

    Find out more
    Image for Co-curricular activities to put you degree into practice
    Co-curricular activities to put you degree into practice

    Co-curricular activities to put you degree into practice

    Take part in regular co-design events and hackathons to practice your skills with other software development professionals. Monthly meetups provide opportunities to hear about case studies, development practices, start ups, and other topics.

    Get in Touch

    Contact Details

    Address
    Student Recruitment & Admissions
    University of Aberdeen
    University Office
    Regent Walk
    Aberdeen
    AB24 3FX