Course details

Summary

Build on your existing academic excellence with a postgraduate qualification that prepares you for specialist positions in the public and private sectors and can be a pathway to doctoral study.

Programme overview

An MCom allows you to develop an advanced level of knowledge and competencies with an intellectually rewarding postgraduate programme in your specialist field.

Information Systems

Reasons to study Information Systems including career opportunities, requirements for the major and specific undergraduate courses you will study at The University of Auckland Business School. With a global shortage of skilled people in information and communications technology, the salaries for our graduates are amongst the highest of any of the professions.

Studying Information Systems will equip you to develop creative and innovative solutions to problems in government, businesses and non-profit organisations. You can study Information Systems at both undergraduate and postgraduate level at the Business School. You will learn how to work in creative teams to develop cutting-edge products and solutions that might save lives, improve the environment or our standard of living and keep us connected. You may choose to concentrate on the analysis of systems, the design of systems, or the use of information systems and data communications networks in organisations.

Areas of study

Information Systems involves the analysis and design of systems, including areas such as computer networking, information security, database management, and decision support systems.

Information Management deals with the practical and theoretical problems of collecting and analysing information in a business function area. Topics include business productivity tools, applications programming and implementation, electronic commerce, digital media production, data mining, and decision support.

Data Communications and Networking deals with information and telecommunication technologies that organisations depend on and exploit to their competitive advantage.

Studying Information Systems at postgraduate level involves looking at how information and communications technology can be used to achieve strategic goals. The focus is on the design, development, and implementation of cutting-edge solutions to solve important organisational problems.

Career opportunities

Depending on what study area you decide to focus on, an exciting range of careers is open to you:

Information systems: application developer/consultant, business analyst/consultant, business process engineer, systems analyst/consultant/developer, programmer analyst, software engineer, and database administrator.

Data communications and networking: network administrator, network engineer, network analyst/consultant, and data communications specialist.

Programme structure

The MCom is a 120 or 180-point specialist masters degree that builds on a first degree in the same discipline.

The MCom (180 point) is a 12 or 15-month taught specialist masters comprising coursework and a short dissertation. If you have a first degree you can pursue an advanced specialized qualification in the same discipline.

If you have completed a BCom (Hons) or equivalent, you may be eligible to undertake a 120-point MCom degree by research comprising a supervised thesis.

Further study options

Doctor of Philosophy

Master of Commerce other subjects: Accounting; Commercial Law; Economics; Finance; Global Management and Innovation; Marketing; Operations and Supply Chain Management.

Entry criteria

Taught 180 points: You must have completed an undergraduate degree in the same field as your intended specialisation at a recognised university (or similar institution). You will need a GPE of 5.0. Specialisations in accounting and finance require a higher GPE.

Research 120 points: You must have completed one year of postgraduate study, following an undergraduate degree, at a recognised university (or similar institution). Your study must have been in the same field as your intended specialisation and you will need a GPE of 5.0. Specializations in accounting and finance require a higher GPE.

English language requirements: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL (iBT) 90; TOEFL (paper-based) 575; CAE or CPE 176; PTE 58; MELAB 85.