Master of Science in Operations Management

at Heriot-Watt University - Edinburgh Campus United Kingdom

Edinburgh has a long and well-established reputation in banking and finance. Heriot- Watt University has particularly close links with the financial community, this programme having been established when the Deputy Managing Director of the Royal Bank of Scotland left his post to become Professor of International Banking at Heriot-Watt.

The programme covers the core theories and concepts in international banking and finance, such as the operations of the forex market, the international money market and the international credit market. An awareness is also developed of ethical and professional issues relevant to the banking and financial industries.

The programme is designed for those seeking careers in the banking or finance divisions of national and international corporations. Previous graduates from the programme have gone on to become bankers, stockbrokers, tax consultants and financial advisors with corporations across the globe.

The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship degree develops specific skills and knowledge of information technology, to enable the participants to play a key role in the management of ICT infrastructure, strategy, operations and projects of their organisation.

Key areas of the programme:
The primary focus of the IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship Programme is on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills outcomes sought by employers.

• Business
• Technology
• Personal and interpersonal
• Software project and delivery management

Each of the four key content areas is combined to deliver a holistic learning experience.

Graduates’ skillset:
The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship programme aims to produce MA (Hons) graduates equipped with knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:

• A broad background of business operations, procedures and culture applicable to a career in IT in a business environment
• Sufficient technical knowledge to play a key role in an IT related environment
• Personal and interpersonal skills enabling them to work closely and communicate with employees in non-IT related areas of an organisation
• A set of problem-solving and modelling skills appropriate to IT related business operations
• Sufficient management and business knowledge to play a management role in an IT project
• Project delivery experience in a business oriented environment

Challenging global market conditions continue to dominate the building and construction industry. Key to success are skilled employees, who can manage complex construction project issues, a rare resource nowadays.

This GA programme develops high-quality employees capable of playing key- and leadership roles in leading organisations across the construction industry, general contracting and consultancy.

The Construction and the Built Environment GA is aimed at employment in the areas of Architectural Technology, Building Surveying, Construction Buying and Procurement, Construction Management, Estimating and Tendering, Facilities Management, Planning and Development, Programming, Project Management, Property Surveying, Rural Surveying, Valuation and Quantity Surveying.

This GA programme is also fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) meaning that apprentices are on a pathway to becoming Chartered construction professionals.  Depending on the individual’s career development, this is most likely to be through the Quantity Surveying and Construction pathway or the Project Management pathway.

The subjects available for BSc Combined Studies at the Edinburgh Campus are:

• Actuarial Science
• Biological Sciences
• Building Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Information Systems
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics
• Statistics.

You can also combine the above subjects with one of the following:

• Accountancy and Finance
• Economics
• Languages
• Management.

A Combined Studies degree allows students to design their own degree course from the subjects offered at Heriot-Watt University. Students take a range of subjects not covered by other degree courses and can pick the right set of subjects from the wide range available to meet individual learning goals. Students can adapt their study on a part-time basis or at a distance. With the help of a Director of Studies, students can devise a study course that will support their ambitions.

The MSc in Business Analytics and Consultancy is designed to equip you with the decision skills you need to develop and excel as an effective leader and manager of transformational change in an era of Big Data and rapid innovation.

The MSc Business Analytics and Consultancy program created by Heriot-Watt University will give you the skills most highly valued by today’s employers who increasingly seek graduates with the decision skills to inform and manage transformational change, including the use of data-driven, evidence-based approaches to management decision-making in complex business environments.

There are several core elements of this MSc program that will set you apart in the corporate world, these include the core skills you will gain on our Business Analytics course followed by our research-led Big Data Analytics course, the Network Analysis course and a new course in Management Consultancy.

This course provides graduates with advanced mathematical skills and fluency in their chosen language, offering a valuable combination of technical expertise and linguistic excellence. Mathematical and language skills will be enhanced by studying mathematics for a year at one of the foreign partner universities. Languages on offer are French (G1R1), German (G1R2) and Spanish (G1R4). Graduates in mathematics and languages are consistently near the top of graduate employment tables, and the coupling of disciplines in this degree course ensures a highly marketable qualification.

This programme prepares candidates for entry into the malting, brewing or distilling industries, or to conduct research. It covers a broad range of subjects, from brewing science and chemical engineering, to business studies and production management.

The quickly developing craft industry, both in brewing and distilling, requires graduates with knowledge of modern instrumentation and this programme will ensure you build the skills and know-how required to perform successfully in the industry.

Our series of ‘Fit for work’ events held on campus include seminars, talks, networking and recruitment exercises and involve a range of industry professionals from graduates with their own companies, to representatives from the major breweries and distilling companies.

Cell and Molecular Biology (Biochemistry) is the basic science underpinning our understanding of all life processes. In this course, we cover cell and molecular biological aspects of animals and plants, and provide the broad understanding necessary for a career in the biomedical/pharmaceutical, food and biotechnological industries as well as providing a sound foundation for further research.

The MSc International Management and Business Communication with Marketing programme concentrates on developing professional communication skills in business and marketing contexts, as well as an understanding of intercultural and international business and marketing issues.

The structure of the programme is designed to provide graduates with access to a range of professions and managerial careers within businesses engaged internationally, but in particular in the area of marketing.

Alongside the practical skills and knowledge acquired, students will also engage in independent research, providing a potential route to research training in cognate disciplines at a higher level.

If you want to start your career with a year's work experience in hand, then you should consider this course. It combines the rigorous studies of the BSc (Hons) Computer Science with a year of work placement in level 4. Good performance means 12 months experience of working in an organisation in the computing sector. The Diploma in Industrial Training is gained through successful completion of the work placement. The work placement helps you to develop specific work-related skills, giving you the opportunity to apply and build upon the theory you’ve learned. This course aims to give a well-integrated balance of theoretical underpinnings and practical experience, strongly informed by the research expertise of our academic staff.