New MSc in Information Security and IT Management Launched

Edge Hill's ever-increasing portfolio of work-relevant courses has recently been expanded to include a new MSc in an area of IT that is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing in the world.

The MSc in Information Security and IT Management has been developed in response to market demand to provide a coherent, relevant and useful programme that allows some module sharing with other courses.

Edge Hill's Business School's Associate Director Chris Beaumont explains: "We conducted market analysis to identify potential demand in the UK and India after several visits to India for promotional purposes attracted a large level of interest in an MSc that incorporates information security.

"Our findings were confirmed by a survey of Indian employment websites that revealed ‘an acute shortage of information security personnel' and worldwide market growth of 24 per cent in information security systems in 2006. Other research has also indicated that the market for information security consulting in China and India will grow 23 per cent annually through to 2012."

This evidence of a rapidly growing sector was backed up by UK statistics that showed the average salary rate of growth for information security jobs to be +12.5 per cent, with job prospects improving in relation to other IT positions.

Armed with this evidence, staff at the business school developed the new postgraduate course, which includes all the main aspects needed to succeed in this exciting area. "The course provides a coherent and integrated approach to information security and IT management in a global context, encompassing network security, information security management, project management, computer forensics, cloud computing and contemporary/professional issues," said Mr Beaumont.

"It's designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge needed to take on security management and IT responsibilities, with a key aspect being the systemic perspective that is taken. Security is not simply a technical issue, but a component of the wider context of IT management," he added.

It is anticipated that demand will be high for the course because of the shortage of trained people in this area and the subject matter's increasing importance to society. "Since information is now stored and transmitted almost wholly by networked IT infrastructure, the management of IT and information security is absolutely critical," explained Mr Beaumont. "IT and information are now strategic resources and so their management is a critical competency for IT staff. If security is compromised a company can be out of business very quickly. We've all heard about recent government security breaches of data protection, while another example is TJX in America where the theft of 40 million credit card details cost the company around $320 million, excluding lost sales and confidence among customers. This goes some way to proving how much this area is going to grow in importance."

The course is aimed primarily at IT managers who wish to undertake professional development (part-time options are available to allow the course to be combined with work) and aspiring security and IT management professionals, both at home and abroad, who wish to give their career the best possible start.

It will offer students the chance to gain in-depth skills and knowledge in information security and IT management based on professional standards and certifications such as CISM, CISP and ISO27000; it will give them an integrated view of information security within the wider context of IT management; and an optional work placement can be undertaken as part of the course.

"We have designed the course around small groups so that students can be sure of plenty of individual discussion and support by their tutors," said Mr Beaumont. "Also, every student is allocated a personal tutor to make sure they receive a high level of individual guidance. On top of this, we have four dedicated computing labs where the PCs are replaced every three years, an £8 million state of the art teaching block in the Business School and open access to the library and IT suites, so Edge Hill really is the ideal place to study, in terms of course content, support and facilities.

"For anyone interested in security management or a career in IT management, then this course will provide a thorough underpinning knowledge suitable for succeeding in a field that is growing in importance," he added.

"Also, because it is aimed at both a UK and international market, students will gain from the diversity of experiences of the participants. Since modules are shared, there'll be opportunities to meet other students on business and computing courses, helping to enrich the whole experience."

Find out more about the new MSc in Information Security and IT Management.