Advance your business acumen and leadership capability in a tech-powered world with this MBA-style Masters programme.
Location
100% online
Intakes
January, March, May, July,
September & November (2023)
Fees
£833.25 per 15-credit module
“The aim of our Business in Technology Masters is to advance your business acumen and leadership capability in a tech-powered world. The course is about learning and developing strategic transformation and leadership skills, it is about managing people and, crucially, it is about driving sustainable change.”
Technology is the main driver of growth in the modern world and the need for skilled leaders to implement technological innovation has never been more important.
The Business in Technology MSc is a unique MBA-style Masters developed by industry expert faculty at Ulster University Business School (UUBS).
Our flexible online Masters programme aims to develop the specialist management skills needed to become an effective leader of sustainable change and gain the confidence to take on senior leadership roles across a range of tech-led industries.
As a student on this career-focused Masters programme, you’ll develop your skillset through applied theory and practice, learning how to manage complex business projects and drive strategic transformation, harnessing business understanding, technical capability and human insight throughout.
The programme can be split into three pathways, allowing you to graduate sooner with a PG Cert (8 months minimum), PG Dip (16 months) or continue to gain the full Masters in Business in Technology qualification in two years part-time.
Ulster University is ranked as a Top 30 UK university (Guardian University Guide 2024) and stands among the top 10% of UK universities for research impact (REF 2021).
The Business in Technology Masters programme is delivered by leading academics and industry experts from Ulster University Business School (UUBS), a leading centre for entrepreneurial education, research and impact.
The Business School is ranked as a Top 20 UK university for accounting and finance (GUG 2024), with 100% of Business & Management case studies judged as having outstanding or very considerable impact in terms of reach and significance (REF 2021).
Cost per 15-credit module: £833.25
Fees are payable on a module-by-module basis as you progress through the course.* In the 2022/23 academic year, modules are priced at £55.55 per credit point, so a 15-credit module will cost £833.25.
The number of credits you take will be determined by your chosen award, as outlined below:
Postgraduate Certificate: 60 credits
Postgraduate Diploma: 120 credits
Master of Science: 180 credits
*Tuition fees may be subject to an annual inflationary increase each academic year in line with Ulster University’s terms and conditions. The increase will come into effect for the September teaching period each year.
Flexible options make payment as easy as possible for students, sponsors or employers. A 10% Alumni Discount is also available for eligible candidates.
Start when it suits you with five intakes each year in January, March, May, July, September and November.
Applicants are expected to have:
EITHER
OR
AND
Entry requirements are set at this level as the team’s experience shows that students without this tend to be unable to cope with the demands of the course.
If English is not your first language, the minimum requirement is Academic IELTS 6.0 (with no band score less than 5.5), or a Trinity ISE Pass at level III. Ulster University also recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
The PG Cert in Business Analysis and Consulting is a business analysis course consisting of four modules, covering stakeholder management and practical business consulting skills.
This module prepares you to undertake effective business analysis to manage and implement change. Business analytics and consulting skills you’ll gain include problem solving, strategic planning, business improvement, transformation and innovation. You’ll learn how to identify business needs, measure impacts and realise benefits, all through business analysis tools and processes.
Effective stakeholder and client management underpins successful business analysis, consulting, and transformation projects. This module aims to develop the skills and capabilities required to influence and manage key stakeholders and manage clients in delivering sustainable outcomes. You will understand and evaluate concepts, methods and theories within stakeholder management and understand and apply the principles and practices of influencing, negotiating, and effective client management.
Core to this data science module is managing Big Data and deriving meaning, producing insight, informing outcomes and producing summative models from it. This module aims to provide an understanding of the associated challenges and introduce the facts, capabilities and benefits of Big Data and Big Data Analytics.
This practical module aims to strengthen your management career path progression for the business consulting sector. You’ll learn how to apply your business analysis and consulting skills and knowledge to a real–life project. Through this, you’ll develop valuable skills including business analytics and investigation, reporting, benefits realisation, and stakeholder and client management.
The PG Dip in Transformation Management and Leadership consists of eight modules in total – everything included in the PG Cert, plus four additional modules centred on strategic transformation, tech operations and transformation leadership.
Transformation of an organisation’s business model leads to changes in products, processes and organisational structures. In this module, you’ll learn to appreciate the importance of the fundamentals of business strategy to make sense of the changes unleashed by different types of transformations. This involves understanding how strategic transformation typically unfolds, and the tools and techniques the strategist can deploy to navigate through these transformations.
Leading transformation is concerned with taking an organisation into the future, finding opportunities in a turbulent business environment, and responding to and successfully exploiting those opportunities. In this module, you’ll look at how to build and lead teams for effective transformation execution, explore leadership concepts and theories and examine current research in transformation leadership and change management in the organisational environment.
This technical module looks at the development and deployment of software solutions in contemporary operational practices. You will gain insight into novel technologies, concepts and solutions to enable change and development across a scalable infrastructure. Learnings will be supported by related theory and concepts that show the impact of these solutions on administrative, operational and accounting practices.
This practical module aims to provide you with the applied skills of transformation leadership and management through a work-based consulting project. You will apply the theories, concepts and tools you have gained so far in strategic business management, incorporating the application of tech and data to execute work-based transformations effectively.
The Business in Technology MSc* is made up of all modules in the PG Cert and PG Dip, plus an advanced study of business research skills and management of complex projects and a final project worth 30 credits.
This module will equip you with the research skills needed to collect, interpret and analyse business data for informed decision-making and project management, particularly in the context of change and transformation. You will develop a critical understanding of how to source, interpret and analyse business information and data, learning how to create reports, presentations, and reporting dashboards to be utilised for the purposes of business or organisational development.
In this module, you will gain an understanding of the principles and practices of complex project management across several disciplines and geographies, focusing on how and why particular projects are successful. This critical understanding of complex project methodology will allow you to engage in effective project planning and better evaluate each step of the project management journey.
This project-based learning module builds your practical capabilities within business management consulting and project management in times of transformation. Conducting a work-based project in a relevant area, you will hone the skills and knowledge gained throughout your studies to execute a well-defined strategic transformation project, considering areas such as strategic planning, people management, change leadership and sustainable development. Along the way, you’ll learn to make sense of complex systems; question assumptions; influence others; communicate effectively; and facilitate change with flexibility and resilience.
Please note, modules are reviewed annually and may change in subsequent academic years. The order of modules will vary depending when you start the course.
Through our course, students will:
Our Business in Technology MSc is designed for tech professionals to develop the right skills for management careers within tech-led organisations.
This vocational programme will enhance your business acumen and prepare you for progression into senior management and leadership positions. This is particularly crucial for business innovation and strategic transformation in tech-led organisations.
Students will graduate with the tools and the confidence needed to successfully lead transformation, manage stakeholders and achieve ambitious business objectives in the evolving tech sector.
Career support
As an online student at Ulster, you will become part of a global network of students and alumni, and can benefit from extensive online resources including:
Further support is available on demand, via our Employability & Careers centre.
With Ulster Online, you can study anywhere and anytime, balancing your studies around existing commitments. We offer part-time study hours, multiple start dates throughout the year, module-by-module payment plans and the opportunity to pause your studies if needed.
With over 20 years as a distance learning provider, Ulster University is an expert in delivering interactive online learning experiences. You’ll interact in live sessions, collaborate on weekly tasks and network with like-minded professionals from around the world, building practical transferrable skills such as complex problem-solving and adaptability.
Study online, part-time for flexible career progression with Ulster Online.
Student success is at the heart of everything we do, and throughout the programme, you will receive comprehensive support from our Student Success Team, with a dedicated advisor to offer you advice, guidance and help with assessments, whenever you need it.
Ulster’s course tutors also have flexible contact hours to support you wherever you are in the world. Here’s what our students are saying about our support services:
“The best support out of the other three unis I’ve been to.”
– John Hughes – Ulster Online MSc student
“All the support was fantastic, and the monthly calls are very helpful and reassuring.”
– Emma Spittles, Ulster Online MSc student
Ulster University Business School (UUBS) is the 6th largest business school in the United Kingdom and the largest in Northern Ireland.
The Business School ranks as a Top 20 UK university for accounting and finance (GUG 2024) with 100% of case studies judged as having outstanding or very considerable impact in terms of reach and significance (REF 2021).
Based in one of Europe’s fastest-growing technology leadership hubs, UUBS is invested in spreading business excellence in the region, across the UK, and internationally.
The faculty of the Business in Technology Masters is made up of academics with a broad range of industry experience. Course Director of the Business in Technology MSc Helen McKenna, has over 20 years of experience designing and teaching business and management courses, and maintains strong links to industry figures and organisations.
Dr John King
Lecturer in Transformation Leadership
John teaches leadership from the perspective of the complexity sciences. He uses reflective and critical research methods combined with techniques from theatre and group analytic psychotherapy.
He completed his doctorate at the University of London and previously led the MSc in Clinical Leadership as well as numerous bespoke leadership programmes at Ulster University Business School.
John’s research interests include organisational behaviour, group analysis, organisational research methods and sociology. He is currently researching the application of Complex Responsive Process theory to leadership development.
Professor Gillian Armstrong
Professor of Business Education and Director of Business Engagement
Gillian joined Ulster University in 1997, becoming chair in Business Education in 2013 and department head of Accounting, Finance and Economics between 2010-18. She has been actively involved in the development of excellence at the business school, aligning teaching with priority sectors to support Future of Work requirements and skills supply.
Committed to developing the regional economy, Gillian implements work-based learning and innovative educational models to enable employment, upskilling and graduate retention in a range of sectors. She has worked in partnership with Deloitte to develop the Degree Apprenticeship programme and is currently leading a Business School initiative to support Future of Work requirements.
Gillian is an active member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) and a Council member of the NI Chamber of Commerce (NICC). Her research interests lie in marketing; in particular, the use of big data consumer analytics, with ongoing support from DAERA and Invest NI.
Helen McKenna
Senior Lecturer and Course Director of the Business in Technology MSc
Helen is an experienced consultant, working on transformation, innovation, business growth and capital build projects. She has advised government, industry and academic institutions on issues relating to entrepreneurship, advancing business skills and knowledge, and curriculum design.
She works collaboratively with industry leaders to design and develop postgraduate business and management curricula and courses, most recently the Business in Technology MSc.
Helen’s research interests include omnichannel education, microlearning, integrated curriculum design and developing business acumen and leadership capability in the tech sector.
This Masters in Business in Technology will equip you with a balanced skillset of in-demand technical capabilities and business acumen. This vocational business Masters covers practical development of specialist management skills and interpersonal skills, developing your confidence to succeed in tech leadership positions.
You’ll learn to be a more effective manager, team leader, business strategist and consultant within the technology realm.
All learning outcomes are relevant and timely, based on insights from industry figures and leading organisations. You’ll study recent, real-world case studies and have the chance to apply your learnings directly to current issues in your organisation through practical projects.
As well as preparing you to step up into managerial and leadership roles and take on more responsibility within a tech-led world, you’ll also develop a network of tech peers across the UK and internationally and boost your personal and interpersonal skills to become a more versatile and rounded employee in your organisation, remain competitive within your workforce and improve your earning potential.
As this Business Masters is taught entirely online, we do not offer internships. That said, we encourage our students to pursue internships to complement the theoretical knowledge gained from the course and apply learnings to real-world scenarios.
Our Business in Technology programme is suited to a wide range of professionals seeking management training. The early stages of the programme (modules 1-4, PG Cert) have a broad focus on business strategy and consulting, while the later stages (modules 5-10, PG Dip and MSc) focus more specifically on the application of technology in business, helping aspiring managers implement digital systems and processes within tech-led organisations.
Please note, this isn’t an IT or computer course, and the curriculum doesn’t cover computer programming or any other advanced technical topics. All modules are aimed at improving business skills specifically for those with a solid foundational understanding in technology. Learning outcomes are tailored to professionals in tech-led industries, with a view to practical application in tech roles.
If you are a freelancer or wish to make a career transition by enhancing your understanding of tech-led industries, this course might also be for you.
No. This online programme is designed to teach you everything you need to know, from strategy and management to business transformation and leadership.
The PG Cert in Business Analysis and Consulting will ensure your business knowledge and know-how are at a good base level before progressing onto more advanced modules on the PG Dip and MSc. Although the PG Cert is for everyone, be aware that the latter stages of the course are geared towards tech professionals and those working in tech-led organisations.
Come with an open mind, entrepreneurial mindset, and willingness to apply the course practically to your organisation, and you’ll be supported throughout – no previous business qualification or knowledge is required.
Business in Technology is not a technical programme. While the modules do include some technical aspects, such as looking at the role big data plays in operations, this is a business-focused course – with tailored case studies and learning outcomes for the tech sector.
The course is taught by the Ulster University Business School, not by an IT, technical or science faculty, so expect business expertise rather than computer knowledge to be the main theme of the programme modules.
Of course, our tutors are plugged into the tech industry, and the course is designed to be up to date and relevant for technical professionals. However, it’s a business course for tech people, not a tech course for business people.
Yes. The theoretical knowledge and practical skills taught on the Business in Technology programme are applicable for any size of organisation and relevant to all projects you might work on.
We don’t just teach best practice to apply to the majority of companies. Whatever your business, your role, and your projects or placements, you’ll learn appropriate tools that are transferrable to any situation. From the smallest start-ups to the biggest tech giants, the takeaways from our course will work for your organisation.
Not at all. All readings and resources are accessible online. You’ll get thorough training and support on using the e-learning platform, and everything you need is there, including recorded lectures and readings from our extensive e-library.
However, if you wish to visit Ulster University in person – whether for graduation or just to use our facilities, you are very welcome. You’re a UU student after all!
We recommend 20 hours per week of study time during term time. We recognise that our programme is part-time and our students are often balancing work and busy lives alongside their studies.
You’ll be notified how much time you have to submit assessments, and there is support to manage your time more effectively if you find yourself falling behind at any point.
You can start your application by filling in the form at the top of this page.
There are several steps of the application process and before you start you will need the following:
Non-standard applicants will also need to provide:
Our Enrolment Advisors will guide you through the application process and will let you know more details of all the relevant documents and certifications required.
You can apply for courses starting in January, March, May, July September or November.
You’ll earn a maximum of 90 credits per year, equivalent to six 15-credit modules, or four regular modules plus the final Consultancy Project (worth 30 credits).
If no breaks are taken, the full MSc programme can be completed in around two years. However, there is some flexibility to take time off and study the same credits over a longer period.
For more information on the programme and how to apply, get in touch with one of our Enrolment Advisors who can answer any queries you may still have.
Call +44(0)20 3467 3225 or email admissions@online.ulster.ac.uk and one of our advisors will do their best to help you to make your important application decision.
Digital disruption is nothing new, but it certainly remains a key challenge for organisations around the world. Digitisation, automation and AI is predicted to displace as many as 375 million workers – 14% of the global workforce – by 2030. For businesses to remain viable in this new digital world, transformation is required.
Choosing the qualification that’s right for you is one of the hardest parts of upskilling as a business professional. Do you need part-time study options? Will you study online or in person? How long can you commit to studying? What do you want to achieve with your qualification? These are the types of questions you
Stakeholder management is about staying on top of all your stakeholders’ wants and needs while also pushing forth your own agenda. With so many competing voices and end goals in your organisation, your ability to manage stakeholders effectively could make or break your transformation project. Stakeholder management in digital transformation is a delicate operation requiring
