Article: Learn more about the modules on our MSc in Leadership Innovation and Technology (part 1)

Are you looking to further your career, deepen your leadership skills and influence innovation in your organisation? If so, this  Master’s in Leadership, Innovation and Technology will definitely interest you.

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Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, in partnership with TU Dublin, has just launched this new and exciting Masters. There’s been a lot of interest shown in this practical, innovative course and places are filling up fast. So if you’d like to apply we’d love to hear from you.

The MSc in Leadership, Innovation and Technology is a postgraduate programme at level 9 on the QQI National Framework of Qualifications. The masters take’s a very hands-on approach and learners are encouraged to apply the learnings directly to their current roles, as a core part of the course curriculum.

In Year 1 there is a blended learning approach – this means less time is spent in college than on other similar MSc programmes. The approach is for a mix of excellent campus workshops mixed with online lectures. In Year 2 when carrying out the research project the time commitments are very flexible and can be structured around both work and personal life with very little time actually required on campus.

In this three-part series of articles, we’re going to fill you in on some highlights of what will be covered in the MSc and the learning outcomes – to help you decide if it’s the right course for you at this stage of your career.

In Part One we’ll be looking at the following modules:

  • Personality and Leadership Module
  • Innovation Management and Creativity Module
  • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Module

In Part Two we’ll discuss the remaining three modules and in Part Three we’ll take a look at the applied research project, which is the final phase of this Masters.

Feel free to download and browse through the brochure at your leisure. 

An Overview – 3 Pillars of Leadership, Management and Innovation

The master’s programme is built on three pillars:

  1. Leadership
  2. Innovation
  3. Strategic Management of Innovation and Technology.

The focus on leadership is particularly interesting and a major theme of the MSc. The masters is not a management conversion programme, instead it takes a deep look into the development of the individual and the leader within their own organisation. It examines the responsibility and leadership issues around innovation activities and strategic activities where technology is concerned. Developing the learner’s leadership attributes and skills in these areas are central to the programme.

Developing management skills is one of the most critical activities facing any company. In the ICT sector it can also be one of the most challenging, given the diversity and scope of the work which the average manager in an ICT company performs. This programme is unique because the structure and content has been designed by industry with the help of TU Dublin to allow current and potential managers develop the broad range of skills they need to be effective on a daily basis.”

Paul Sweetman, Director, Technology Ireland

Personality and Leadership Module

The Personality and Leadership module is a main driver into the focus on the candidate themselves. The learner carries out a lot of self-reflection and gets a real understanding of their management style, their confidence and their attributes as a leader.

The main outcome of this module is to complete the NEO-PI-3 personality profiling tool. This profile provides the candidate with a structured way of self-analysis into their key attributes.

Looking beyond the completion of the master’s learners will prepare a ‘Professional and Personal Action Plan.’ This plan addresses both technical and soft skills required within their role in their organisation and is a very useful tool for the candidate. Each learner will get one to one feedback on their action plan.

This emphasis of self-reflection runs deep across all modules within the masters. On this programme there are no examinations. The focus is on applied continuous assessment and personal reflection on programme learning.

Innovation Management and Creativity Module

Innovation and creativity play a pivotal role in how organisations create, manage and also capture value on a sustained basis. The management of innovation spans the development of products (both goods and services), business models, processes and marketing in line with an organisation’s strategy and resources.

This module examines the strategy and managerial decisions involved in innovation and creativity; from integrating it successfully and strategically to aligning it with a company’s goals in a profitable way…. How to successfully put ideas to work within an organisation.

The Innovation and Creativity module has a particular focus on creativity and idea generation and includes several creativity techniques including design thinking. Learners will address creativity in both individual and team contexts.

An emphasis is placed on applying the models and tools covered through project-based learning. As part of this module, learners will design and pilot an innovation audit within their own organisation. Typically, this will be pointing towards actions that the organisation should consider applying to enhance its innovation capabilities and performance.

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Module

The Problem Solving and Critical Thinking module addresses the participants critical thinking skills, something that’s extremely important in a modern-day manager. Managers need to take action based on their decisions and be confident they’ve made the right choice as their decisions can have a big impact on customers, employees, suppliers, society or any other element of the business.

How does a manager make a decision? What processes are involved in decision making? How does a manager make evidence-based management decisions?

Learners will enhance their decision-making skills and learn effective processes that can be put into practice right away. Critical thinking skills allow a manager to understand the impact of their decisions on the business and help them to align them with the organisational goals.

“This programme concentrates on the personal and professional development of the participants by honing their analytical, conceptual and critical thinking skills; developing personal, consultancy and research competencies; and building a detailed understanding of the tools, methodologies and frameworks to support advanced management capability.”

Paul O’Reilly, Head of School of Management at Dublin Institute of Technology

MSc in Leadership Innovation and Technology – Modules Part 2

That’s it for Part 1 – we hope you got some useful information on the master’s.

In Part 2 we’ll discuss the remaining modules:

  • Strategy Tools for Competitive Positioning
  • Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
  • Team Leadership and Change Management

If you need to clarify anything we’d be delighted to hear from you and if you’re interested in applying for the MSc you can make an application directly on the programme page.

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