25 November 2016
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
It was a case of five out of five as UCC’s MSc Information Systems for Business Performance (ISBP) once again came out on top at the 2017 gradireland Higher Education Awards on Thursday, November 24th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, being named “Postgraduate Course of the Year – IT” for the fifth time in a row.
This was the fifth successive ceremony that saw UCC’s Cork University Business School (CUBS) course win this category at the awards which celebrate excellence in postgraduate course provision, collaboration between industry and academia, and recognise employment initiatives provided by postgraduate course providers across Ireland.
The ISBP programme was shortlisted in the PwC sponsored IT category along with six other programmes including CUBS MSc in Management Information & Managerial Accounting Systems. The course was also a finalist in the “Postgraduate Course of the Year – Business” category.
The MSc ISBP, which was earlier this year named “Postgraduate Course of the Year 2016 – IT”, as well as Best Business Course in Ireland in 2015 and Best IT Course in 2014 and 2013, provides a unique blend of management and IT skills and enables students to understand how organisations operate and how the factors affecting their performance can be finely tuned using information systems.
Throughout this 12-month full-time conversion course, the applied aspects of building, leveraging and managing information systems and technologies relies on both class room and practical computer laboratory interaction, where students are taught from beginner level. A balance is struck between the technology management activities and the analysis/ development activities that affect modern organisations. Dedicated course directors and staff are committed to the welfare and education of the students; while industry and academic mentoring ensures the integration of theory and practice and encourages close interaction with world-class experts.
The MSc ISBP boasts virtually 100% employability and Dr. Karen Neville, Co-Director of the MSc ISBP, attributes this to the fact that “The course addresses industry demand by providing students with a detailed understanding of leading edge technologies and how these may be exploited in a global business environment.”
Speaking following the gradireland Award win, Dr. Audrey Grace, Co-Director of the MSc ISBP “We’re delighted to have once again been named Postgraduate Course of the Year in the IT category. One of the key success factors of the MSc ISBP is its recognition that IT is the primary enabler of business success. Our graduates understand how to employ IT to deliver the business value that underpins this success and this win is a testament to the continued successes and calibre of our students and graduates.”
For more information on the MSc ISBP visit the Cork University Business School website at www.cubsucc.com.
