Programme Mission

The MSc(ECom&IComp) is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary programme designed for business executives, policy and decision makers, managers and information technologists, to equip them with the latest knowledge about technology development and business opportunities in electronic commerce on the Internet.  The curriculum is aimed to stimulate critical thinking in our students for them to understand, select and manage a fundamental spectrum of business technologies without losing sight of the goal of business and its traditional strengths.

The programme tries to provide an integration of technology with businesses, and consists of a mixture of courses from electronic commerce (ECOM) and/or Internet computing (ICOM) subject area(s) and some selected computer science (COMP) courses. Students are encouraged to take courses in any area, provided they have the necessary pre-requisite knowledge for the particular course.

The ECOM-prefixed courses are on the whole more business oriented.  They give students a foundation on the impact of the Internet and the web on e-commerce, and a broad overview of e-commerce technologies.  However, the ECOM courses never lose sight of students' need to understand technology.  Through some fundamental discipline courses, students will acquire a technological foundation to enable them to understand the transformation taking place in marketing, smart city, supply chain and e-logistics, banking and finance, and the legal and security aspects in e-commerce.  Courses on organizational changes and innovation will review the impact of technology on traditional business to inspire new thinking and strategies.

The ICOM-prefixed courses require more technical entry knowledge.  They help students expand their system development and design skills.  But they never ignore the business applications.  The areas covered include information architecture, forensics, legal sanctions, security, and mobile and IoT computing.  Students are expected to ensure that they have the basic technology pre-requisites before enrolling in these courses.

Programme Learning outcomes

The Programme Learning Outcomes (PLO) of the Master of Science in Engineering curriculum included both the General Learning Outcomes (GLO) and the Specific Learning Outcomes (SLO) with reference to the standards of the UK Engineering Council.

General Learning Outcomes (GLO):

GLO(1) The ability to develop, monitor and update a plan, to reflect a changing operating environment.
GLO(2) The ability to monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on-going basis, and to learn independently.
GLO(3) The ability to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader.
GLO(4) The ability to learn new theories, concepts, methods etc and apply these in unfamiliar situations.

Specific Learning Outcomes (SLO):

I. Underpinning science and mathematics, etc.

SLO(1) A comprehensive understanding of the relevant scientific principles of the specialisation.
SLO(2) A critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the specialization.
SLO(3) An understanding of concepts relevant to the discipline, some from outside engineering, and the ability to critically evaluate and apply them effectively.

II. Engineering analysis

SLO(4) The ability to use fundamental knowledge to investigate new and emerging technologies;.
SLO(5) The ability to apply appropriate models for solving problems in engineering, and the ability to assess the limitations of particular cases.
SLO(6) The ability to collect and analyse research data and use appropriate engineering tools to tackle unfamiliar problems, such as those with uncertain or incomplete data or specifications, by the appropriate innovation, use or adaptation of engineering analytical methods.
SLO(7) The ability to apply original thought to the development of practical solutions for products, systems, components or processes.

III. Economic, social and environmental context

SLO(8) Knowledge and understanding of management and business practices, and their limitations, and how these may be applied appropriately, in the context of the particular specialisations.
SLO(9) The ability to make general evaluations of risks through some understanding of the basis of such risks.

IV. Engineering practice

SLO(10) A thorough understanding of current practice and its limitations, and some appreciation of likely new developments.
SLO(11) Advanced level knowledge and understanding of a wide range of engineering materials and components.
SLO(12) The ability to apply engineering techniques taking account of a range of commercial and industrial constraints.