"This degree represents an excellent choice for those who want to get a first class education in ICT based on best management practice from a blend of both the practical and the theoretical. The combination of corporate and academic input in the development and delivery of the degree has created a unique, highly relevant and exciting experience."
- Andy Puttock, General Manager Ventures, BT Wholesale Markets
The purpose of this interdisciplinary course is to ensure that students gain both the technical knowledge and necessary business and interpersonal skills skills they need to jump-start a career in IT management: to meet tomorrow's business needs and prepare students effectively for successful careers. IT is an exciting and dynamic industry but more and more, employers are looking for graduates with broader skills such as business understanding, leadership, project management and communication skills. A nationwide survey of over 74,000 employers shows that gaps in the technical and professional skills of information technology graduates are adversely affecting the productivity and competitiveness of British companies. UK graduates on average require a further two years of in-house training to reach the level of ability expected by their employers.
Keele's Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB; UCAS code GN52) single honours degree course aims to significantly reduce this burden by incorporating the training into the degree. It is endorsed by e-Skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT & Telecoms, and was conceived, designed in partnership with, and is supported by the e-Skills Employer Strategy Forum: a group of leading employers of IT managers such as British Airways, BT, Computer Associates, Ford UK, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley. From the outset students are exposed to these employers in the form of fortnightly Guru Lectures, where professionals from leading employers take time-out from their day jobs to broadcast live lectures to students via the Internet.
The backing of this degree by leading graduate recruiters affords it status and impact in both the academic and business worlds. ITMB graduates will be much more employable as a result of studying on this course and successful students will be eligible for an interview with one of the above employers. ITMB graduates will be better equipped to lead the implementation of new technology that can improve the business competitiveness of their employers.
In keeping with the other computing degree courses offered by the School, candidates applying for the ITMB do not have to have any qualifications or previous experience in computing, IT or management. We do require that candidates have at least GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in both Mathematics and English. Offers for entry onto ITMB will normally require in the range of 240-260 UCAS Tariff points.
For A-level students this encompasses all your Year 12 and 13 studies for which Tariff points are assigned, including any stand-alone AS-levels and Key Skills at Level 3. Advanced Extension Awards are included in the UCAS Tariff, even if they are in the same subject as an A-level you are taking. The tariff equates to BTEC National Certificate grades DD or National Diploma grades MMM. A 24 point pass in the International Baccalaureate Diploma would also be sufficient, and we welcome students with equivalent international qualifications.
Applications for all undergraduate courses at Keele should be made through UCAS. For details see the University's guidance on How to Apply and Entry Requirements.
For more information about the course see the ITMB course leaflet, prospectus entry, module details linked below, and e-skills UK (Sector Skills Council for IT & Telecoms) page.
