Information Management and Knowledge Sharing MSc

This course aims to give you the professional skills to help public sector organisations distil useful information from the mass of data available and, once they have that information, to get full value from it.

"Information is our most valuable resource" is often heard in management circles. And it's true – technology makes it possible to generate endless data from every area of operations. But most organisations suffer from an overload rather than a shortage, with widespread duplication whilst retaining silo thinking. Unlocking the true value of this resource in today's environment is the major challenge facing information specialists.

Our new Information Management and Knowledge Sharing MSc is designed to give you the skills for this emerging challenge. This joint programme from Kingston's business and information systems specialists focuses on managerial, social and behavioural issues in relation to information and knowledge. An appreciation of technical issues may be helpful, but is by no means a prerequisite. 

This course is one of a series offering professional development in specific market areas. It is ideal for existing public sector employees working in related fields and others looking to specialise in this area of employment. By using practical examples and the input of current practitioners, this professional masters degree will help you bring the very latest thinking to bear in the workplace.

What will you study

We aim to equip you to work with decision makers across the organisation, influencing and guiding them towards a better way of looking at information and knowledge. The course covers everything from comparing the nature of information and knowledge assets with traditional resources, such as money, people and plant, through to designing and building an effective information governance regime and ultimately developing an information strategy.  

If you are interested in managing information and knowledge as resources, to help organisations thrive in difficult and changing times, completing this programme could make you indispensable.

This is a modular programme, comprising eight core modules and a dissertation.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Modules

• The Strategic Context for Information Management

• The Strategic Context for Information Management

  This module sets the scene for the programme, providing a foundation in basic concepts such as:

  • the nature and behaviour of information compared to traditional resources (money, people, property and plant);
  • information governance;
  • information strategy; and
  • the framework for exploiting information assets legally and sensitively.

   

  
   
• Knowledge Sharing

• Knowledge Sharing

  Whilst knowledge is a key resource within organisations, in most it remains a neglected asset. Managers wrestle with practical issues such as the loss of capability and capacity upon the retirement of a key knowledge worker, who takes all their essential operational and contextual knowledge with them, but often do little about it.

  This module examines the nature of knowledge, and how it can be shared, emphasising the role of people rather than technology, and the importance of culture and behaviours in making a difference. At a time when the economic outlook for developed countries is a cause for concern, and there is severe retrenchment (particularly in the public sector), substitution of knowledge for physical services and the exploitation of knowledge assets play a critical role. This module explores these issues in depth.

  
   
• Managing Information

• Managing Information

  This module examines information systems and their role in business as well as statistical techniques for business data analysis and information management. The teaching programme overall targets the application of evaluation and analysis techniques to relevant business contexts.

  This module aims to:

  • provide appropriate structures and insight into emerging information, communication and related technologies which may affect business;
  • develop the ability to critically evaluate and integrate information and knowledge systems and technology in relation to business and other organisations; and
  • develop ability to extract and present meaningful information from quantitative data and to critically evaluate results in relation to business and other organisations.
  
   
• Strategic Information Systems for E-business

• Strategic Information Systems for E-business

  This module introduces Information Systems (IS) strategies, emphasising the ever-changing economic, business, social and political environment. We discuss how technological developments can affect the structure of markets and organisations and provide opportunities for competitive advantage.

  The module aims to:

  • Examine frameworks and models for developing and integrating IS with business strategies.
  • Explain how use of information as a strategic resource together with the application of internet based systems achieves competitive advantage.
  
   
• IT Governance and Information Security

• IT Governance and Information Security

  By focusing on IT governance and security of information assets this module will help you to gain an understanding of information management principles across borders, regulations and cultures. The module aims to provide a comprehensive view of the effective management of the IT function and successful practices of aligning IT with corporate objectives.

   

  
   
• Corporate Data and Information Resource Management

• Corporate Data and Information Resource Management

  This module identifies issues in the broader perspective of data and information management. It explores the theory and practice of database systems and topical related issues such as distributed, text, spatial, object-oriented and other emerging database approaches. Having established a basis for the necessary evidence, the module examines decision-making methods.

  
   
• Change Management

• Change Management

  Why and how does pervasive access to information through the application of technology drive change in organisations? And can we manage change? Change is a defining feature in contemporary organisations and poses key challenges and questions for everyone involved. Learning about how organisations change, whether change is manageable at all, what people understand by change, and the complexities involved is an essential component in the study of the impact of the information revolution on society and business. This understanding is a core skill for CIOs and information managers.

  This module aims to:

  • give a thorough understanding of the causes and issues that stimulate information-enabled organisational change; and
  • develop strategies to identify and plan for and execute successful change management as exemplified through the use of information systems.
  
   
• Research Methods

• Research Methods

  This module provides the research skills and techniques necessary to complete other modules and the dissertation project. This vital module will help you to select and justify a research topic, use various resources to carry out a literature search, select and analyse relevant data, and look at the structure and format of the project.

  
   
• Dissertation

• Dissertation

  This module constitutes the major individual piece of work of the masters programme where the student carries out a project involving independent critical research, design and implementation (where applicable).

  The module aims to:

  • apply established research methods for independent research;
  • develop an ability to organise and carry out an extended and independent study of work at postgraduate level;
  • pursue in-depth studies of professional or academic relevance to the student and an organisation or a company; and
  • extend the knowledge and skills developed in the taught component of the course.