Adedayo Bada
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.
Start in January or September
This programme is available to start in either January or September.
Study Information
Study Options
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 15 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- January or September
- 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 LocationMSc 15 months On Campus Learning Full Time January Aberdeen MoreMSc 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time September Aberdeen MoreProgramme Fees
Fee information Fee category Cost EU / International students £26,250 Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year UK £12,200 Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year Stage 1
Compulsory Courses
- Information Security (CS5099)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to techniques for engineering secure information systems. Identity theft and fraudulent scams are some examples where computer systems have been utilised and compromised, and information exploited in ways not intended or authorized. In addition to developing critical knowledge of the theories, principles and concepts associated with information security and systems, this course will enhance your understanding of core topics such as access control, usability and psychology, security policy, ethical hacking, and cryptography. Students study how users and organisations must become better prepared to best exploit emerging technologies and issues arising.
- Database Systems and Big Data (CS5097)
-
15 Credit Points
This course will be of interest to anyone who wishes to learn to design and query databases. The course aims to teach the material using case studies from real-world applications. You will develop a critical understanding of the principal theories, principles and concepts, such as modelling techniques used in the design, administration and security of database systems. You will also learn core theoretical concepts such as relational algebra, file organisation and indexing. At the end of this course you will be able to design and build Web and cloud-based databases and have a critical understanding of how database-driven applications operate.
- Introduction to Programming (CS5076)
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15 Credit Points
Students will be exposed to the basic principles of computer programming, e.g. fundamental programming techniques, concepts, algorithms, data structures, and object orientated programming. The course contains lectures where the principles are systematically developed. As the course does not presuppose knowledge of these principles, we start from basic intuitions so that students know the basics of programming as the foundation for their future study.
- Human Computer Interaction (CS5075)
-
15 Credit Points
This course looks at why a computer system that interacts with human beings needs to be usable. It covers a set of techniques that allow usability to be taken into account when a system is designed and implemented, and also a set of techniques to assess whether usability has been achieved. Weekly practical sessions allow students to practice these techniques. The assessed coursework (which is normally carried out by groups of students) gives an opportunity to go through the design process for a concrete computer system, with a particular focus on ensuring usability.
Stage 2
Compulsory Courses
- Fundamentals of Software Project Management (CS551A)
-
15 Credit Points
Software Project Management skills are fundamental in current software-centric industrial development projects, whether these focus on purchasing and customising an off-the-shelf application or on developing a complete system from scratch. However, computer science courses and programmes typically teach specific technical skills that tend to leave out SWPM principles and the practice. This course thus addresses such shortcomings, providing students with much project management skills for the software sector that are highly sought in the job market for CS graduates and post-grads.
- Web Development (CS551S)
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15 Credit Points
Students will learn to develop modern web applications using a variety of languages and frameworks as part of their degree, and prepare them for whatever they do after graduation. A key focus will be on the integration of HTML with CSS and Javascript with other backing frameworks to develop dynamic applications.
- Advanced Programming (CS551P)
-
15 Credit Points
Students will learn the context of software development and engineering so that they know they are building the application needed by the client, and that it is being built well. This course is about the design of the software, and the software development life-cycle. We focus on moving from the idea of the software to its deployment and use by someone through the delivery of small working solutions that grow in features based on regular feedback, which helps improve the working solution.
- Enterprise Software Development (CS551Q)
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15 Credit Points
This is a look at data science with respect to business intelligence, dashboards whereby students learn to create applications for handling larger datasets, as well as as a knowledge of visualisations for different situations. This also covers networking and fault tolerance issues as part of learning to development for continuous integration and continuous deployment of the applications.
Stage 3
Compulsory Courses
- Project in Information Technology (CS5942)
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60 Credit Points
The Project in Information Technology is a group project where you will work with a number of fellow students to build an application for an external client. In order to do this successfully you will follow practices that produce successful projects, which will be introduced to you during the first week of the project, and continued during the rest of the summer.
Past teams have worked with Survival International, Grampian Fire and Rescue, the Small Isles, local volunteer groups, and an Edinburgh film company.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
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 Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships
Self-funded international students enrolling on postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes will receive one of our Aberdeen Global Scholarships, ranging from £3,000 to £8,000, depending on your domicile country. Learn more about the Aberdeen Global Scholarships here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
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
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
Eligible self-funded postgraduate taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore our Global Scholarships, including eligibility details, on our dedicated page.
Aberdeen Global ScholarshipsCareers
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
Vicky Anderson
Udon Okoh
Matei Ioan Marina
Kanat Kussembayev
Gareth Donaldson
Our Experts
- Director
- Mingjun Zhong
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Features
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
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