Alumni insights: MSc MISDI

09 March 2017

Recent alumni Alex Weir tells us why he feels MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation is great for students from a non-tech background…

I started student life at the University of Birmingham, studying Ancient and Medieval History, which is quite different to my course at the Business School. To be honest, when I applied, I didn’t think that I would get in! I was looking for a course that would help a non-technical individual like myself become more technologically savvy, especially with a view to becoming involved in technology management in the future.

Like many people studying on my course, my key motivation throughout the course was the potential employment opportunities a technologically empowered individual could attain. However, I was really inspired by some of the topics that we studied, most particularly those that encompassed management mechanisms to enable innovation.

I undertook an external project with RSM to study the ‘cyber security patterns in mid-size organisations in regulated industries’. Cyber Security has been a topic that I’ve been interested in for quite a while, and it was an interest that was quite exacerbated by the course. This topic allowed me to gain an insight into producing a report for a large audit company, and at the same time, I could research a topic that has created a lot of buzz in the technology industry.

Through the use of LinkedIn and my own personal network, I was able to conduct interviews with a number of experienced Information Security Managers at some very prestigious organisations. This project ultimately expanded my network in the cyber security industry strongly, and ultimately resulted in a job offer from RSM, where I currently work.

Fiza Hussain explains why she decided to study at WBS, and how one of her modules helped her to win a SWIFT Fintech competition…

I chose to study for a Masters because I knew there was more I needed to learn. I tried the whole computer science thing and it didn’t really work for me – the coding and technical aspect wasn’t right for me, but I knew I could do more on the management side here at Warwick Business School.

I studied economics prior to coming here, and knew I wanted to do a finance consulting focus within my degree, so I pursued my elective module in Global Finance and IT. Markos, the module leader, encouraged us to apply for the SWIFT Fintech competition and made the question of the challenge our group project for the class, so we were already doing the work. We sent it in, we got to the finals and never thought we would win, but we did and it was one of the highlights of the year! We won £15000 and then a trip to Brussels to SWIFT HQ, and a trip to Geneva in September to present at Sibos.

Alumni Johannes Fuhrmann explains how several years in industry prior to his Masters helped him to choose to learn more about technology in the workplace…

I'm 27, from Hamburg, Germany and did my A-Levels in 2009. I started an apprenticeship as a merchant in foreign trade and did my Bachelor’s degree in Technology and Business afterwards. During my time in the office, but also during my studies, I was always interested in technology at the workplace and new ways to utilise technology. I wanted to deepen my knowledge on innovation and searched for Masters courses.

The best thing about the programme in my opinion is the orchestration of modules. They are carefully designed to deliver a comprehensive skillset of information systems but especially innovation. The lecturers are very motivated and real experts in their area of knowledge. The whole programme makes sense in itself and prepares the students excellently for a later work life.

When I got my IT-consulting job at a Big-4 company, the course and its content were explicitly named as one of the unique selling points of my application.