MSc Strategic Management (with specialist streams)
Part time - DT346
Programme co-ordinator
Dr Phil Hanlon
College of Business
DIT Aungier Street
Dublin 2
T: 01 402 3128
E: phil.hanlon@dit.ie
Ada Gully (School Administrator)
T: 01 402 7016
E: ada.gully@dit.ie
Duration
Part-time over two years with lectures September to December and February to May
Closing date
31st May 2013
Start date
Programme will commence Tuesday 17th September 2013
MSc Strategic Management (P Time) Yr 1 2013/14 Draft Lecture & Exam Schedule
Who should study this programme?
Download leaflet (PDF) MSc in Strategic Management DT346 P/T
This programme is suited to high-potential applicants who wish to develop their capabilities in the field of strategic management.
Expertise in strategic management and planning has never been more important given the turbulent and challenging environments within which businesses now operate. At EU level change is now an ever present feature in relation to the money markets, banking and economics in general. At a global level businesses are faced with new competitors and different configurations of technologies generating new products. All this change has to be anticipated and managed by business at a strategic level to survive and indeed thrive. Graduates of this programme will be well placed to undertake strategic planning for businesses whether they are in the public, private or voluntary sectors.
Aim of this Programme
The overall aim of the Programme is to prepare business graduates for a career in management with the specific aim of accelerating their progression to senior management in the private or public sectors, consultancy and various advisory and research roles. The overarching aim is to develop participants’ understanding and expertise of strategy formulation and implementation and the role of the leader in this.
Participants study a range of business modules and undertake group and individual assessments to develop the functional competencies, specialist knowledge, research skills, analytical skills, leadership and soft skills necessary for strategic management and leadership.
Key features
- Deepen expertise in Strategic Management
- Focus on Leadership
- Opportunity to select your own specialism
- Company Project or Dissertation on a topic of your choice in the field of Strategic Management.
- Develop relevant analytical, communication and group work skills for today’s business environment.
- Be part of a large postgraduate community (College of Business, DIT has 750 postgrad students) where you can network with people who already have a depth of knowledge across a range of domains including accounting, marketing, management, advertising, retail management and technology. Opportunities for networking at various events during the course of your study.
Profile of a recent graduate: Colm Forde, graduated January 2011
Colm undertook the MSc in Strategic Management (part-time) on the recommendation of his employer who is a former graduate of the programme. Colm graduated from the programme in January 2011 with a 1st class honours degree. He undertook his undergraduate studies in NUI Galway and graduated in 2005 with an honours degree (2.1) in Financial Mathematics and Economics.
Colm is currently employed in the Central Budget Office of the Department of Finance where he is involved in public finance and fiscal policy analysis.
Profile of Tom Malone,
graduated November 2012
Tom a qualified accountant (ACCA) is currently employed as an auditor with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor Gen
eral since 2007. He previously worked with An Post for ten years in the areas of finance, operations and customer services. His current role in the C&AG’s Reporting Directorate involves producing
reports on examinations of state funded programmes and the operation of individual state bodies and organisations.
Tom undertook the MSc in Strategic Management (part-time) with DIT because of the specific modules which could add value to his current role such as Analytical Tools and Project Management and also the option to specialise in a chosen area. He commenced the course in September 2010 and graduated in November 2012.
Profile of Penny Storey,
graduated November 2012 
Penny completed an undergraduate degree in Business and IT at TCD in 2002. She had maintained her career through in-house training but to compete for a major promotion she undertook the MSc in Strategic Management as a part-time student over two years, graduating with first class honours in 2012. She secured the promotion and is currently Executive Director of a major national research centre.
“I have a broad set of responsibilities and report to, and communicate with, very diverse stakeholders. This course equipped me with a pragmatic set of tools to use and gave me the confidence to work comfortably in dynamic situations characterised by a high degree of uncertainty. I chose to do a dissertation very closely related to the area in which I work. This gave me an understanding that would just not have been available through experiential learning alone. The discipline of the study means I have reliable information to use in planning and implementing strategies designed to strengthen the organisation’s future competitiveness.”
Penny is pictured at her graduation with her daughter Nora who was just a few weeks old when she commenced the course.
Programme content
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Semester 1 September - January |
Semester 2 February - May |
Semester 3 June – September |
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Analytical tools for Business Management Project & Consultancy Management
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Understanding & Leading Organisations Plus one of the following streams In addition participants may select an area of specialism or choose modules from a range of specialisms. Current offerings include Specialisms offered subject to demand and minimum numbers. |
Individual Company Project or Dissertation. This will enable you to carry out in-depth research in an area of strategic management of interest to yourself or your company.
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Company Project or Dissertation
You will undertake either an individual Company Project or Dissertation. This will enable you to carry out in-depth research in an area of strategic management of interest to yourself or your company. Some of last year’s topics include:
- Change Management: Investigating Readiness to Change and the factors that influence it
- A study of the adoption and evaluation of Social Media among Irish SME’s
- The impact of eDiscovery legislation on data storage for IT managers
- An evaluation of the Balanced Scorecard as a Performance Management Tool: A Company Case Study.
- The Strategic Management of Buyer / Supplier Relationships in the FMCG sector
Assessment
Assessment is a combination of continuous assessment and written examinations in most modules. The continuous assessment accounts for about half the marks in most modules.
Location
Graduate Business School, College of Business, DIT, Aungier Street, Dublin 2.
Car parking is available locally in Q parking at reduced rates between 4.00 pm and 10.00 pm for students.
Timetable / Hours
Lectures normally:
Tuesday 6.00 – 8.00pm
Thursday 6.00 – 10.00pm
Lectures take place from September to December and then from February to May. You will then undertake an individual Dissertation or Company Project over the Summer of year 2.
MSc Strategic Management (P Time) Yr 1 2013/14 Draft Lecture & Exam Schedule
Entry Requirements
Graduates of degree courses in business, economics (or an undergraduate programme where business subjects account for at least 50% of the subjects) who have achieved an honours degree (2.2 grade or higher) are eligible to apply. Applications from candidates who have an equivalent qualification at honours level (for example ACCA, CIMA or other professional bodies) are also eligible to apply. Applicants who do not have an honours degree in business (or equivalent) but who have substantial business experience can be considered by our Exceptional Entry Committee.
A minimum of 7.0 on IELTS for those whom English is not their first language.
Non EU applicants must have documentary proof of Irish residency or an Irish work permit to be eligible to apply. It is the responsibility of the candidate to maintain such eligibility across the life cycle of the programme.
Note: Due to the considerable competition for our postgraduate programmes satisfying the minimum entry requirements is not a guarantee of a place. Depending on the programme of study applications will be assessed on their academic grades and work / life experience may also be considered. Applicants may also be required to attend for interview for specific programmes.
Profile of Typical Students on Programme
Applicants typically have between 3 and 10 years experience with some having up to 20 years experience. Age ranges are from 25 to 50 usually with most aged between 25 and 40 years. Individuals come from all sectors including Financial Services, Technology / phone companies, Arts / Services, Pharmaceutical, Consultancy, Public Sector and Not-for Profit sectors. Both small and large organisations are represented on the programme.
What our Graduates say
Michael Parker, Business Owner, Graduate from part-time course January 2011
“For me, the completion of the course marked the end of a long-held ambition to improve my academic qualifications. I found the whole experience to be entirely positive and worth the major commitment that it involved for both myself and my family. Six months prior to course completion, I gave-up a secure job in Dublin and set-up as an independent consultant working on international economic development projects. I have been busy ever since. DIT worked for me”.
Martin Duffy, ASA Consulting, Graduate from part-time course January 2011
“Class interaction on the course provided a stimulating and varied learning environment, where course material was tested and teased out by fellow students and lecturers.
The course provided an opportunity to research strategy issues in companies and organisations in a particular industry sector. The programme’s innovative learning approach enabled small study groups to interact with start-up companies and to apply our course learning and personal experience to ‘live’ strategic problems they had to deal with. This grounded the theory in real-world problem solving that was valuable to both the start-ups and the programme students”.
Tara Tracey, LinkedIn, Graduate from part-time course January 2011
“The MSc in Strategic Management at DIT is a broad programme which equips professionals with a birds-eye view of how an organisation functions as a whole. I found it extremely beneficial in terms of skills gained in the areas of research, analysis and problem solving. It also gave me an insight into many different business functions which has given me the skills required to manage large projects spanning diverse business units and locations in my current role. The class itself was filled with people from various backgrounds and depths of experience which added to the learning experience and fuelled many an interesting discussion. Overall I feel the course has allowed me to look at problems differently and come up with better more effective solutions in a fast paced business environment. “
Apply on-line
Please attach your degree transcripts (if available) when applying on-line.
Award
Graduates will be eligible for the award of MSc in Strategic Management (with named stream) of the Dublin Institute of Technology
Graduates are also eligible for Graduate membership of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors.
For further information see MSc in Strategic Management & The Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors.
Career Opportunities
Some students choose to remain with their existing employers and many are promoted either during the course or soon after completion. Graduates have also commenced their own companies. Students have gained employment in companies nationally and internationally in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Some have set-up their own business or consultancy company. Past employers include Facebook, Google, Oracle, Vodafone, AIB, Central Bank, HSE, Department of Finance, Hibernian Life, 3E Mobile Ltd, Depfa Bank, Deloitte, Allianz Plc, Standard Life, New Ireland Insurance, FMB Chartered Accountants, CHR Plc, Citi Hedge Fund Services, Telefonica O2 and Paypal. A small number of graduates have undertaken doctoral study.
Please note due to the great demand for our programmes early applications are assessed when received and dealt with promptly. Therefore it is advisable to make early applications for an early response. If you do not yet have your final degree results this will not hinder your application as we are happy to issue conditional offer letters in such circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What are the fees?
For information on part time postgraduate fees for 2012/13 please click here.
Fees may be paid in two instalments (one in September and the second in January)
For information on funding please click on the following link: Fees and Funding
How do I secure my place if I am offered one?
You will pay a deposit of €300 to secure your place. The €300 is then deducted from your fees.
When do I choose my specialist modules?
You generally select your specialist modules towards the end of your first semester.
