Program Goal

The goal of the M.Sc. in Information Systems degree is to train students at Masters level in the area of Information Systems in order for them to continue graduate studies or to meet professional goals.

Program Objectives 

The objectives of M.Sc. in Information Systems degree program are:

1. To build an advanced human resource capacity in the information systems discipline in both public and private sectors;
2. To foster inter-disciplinary studies which allow the study and application of computing and ICT knowledge in non-computing and non-ICT
3. To address the increasing demand for Information Systems training at Master’s degree level

To develop professionals with theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the Information and Communication Technology sector

1. Increased advanced human resource capacity in the information systems discipline in both public and private
2. Increased multi-disciplinary collaborations and
3. Increased MSc in Information Systems
4. Increased expertise in the Information and Communications Technologies sector.

We have taken into consideration the general basis that a thorough understanding of the processes and principles of changing paradigms that occur in a discipline is required to achieve an effective revised curriculum. Although the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) in Uganda requires that curricula for academic programs must be revised after every three years, it is also important to note that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field is under continuous changes because of new paradigms and improvements in ICT solutions. The Information Systems discipline thus requires dynamic skills which in turn necessitate revision of the curriculum to provide what is the best and currently relevant for a Master of Science in Information Systems graduate. The revision of the M.Sc. IS curriculum is therefore based on the following aspects:

• Market analysis: We undertook a preliminary market analysis to evaluate the demands and the dynamics of the Information Systems Market within East Special attention was given to the kind of jobs/roles that are frequently advertised within this market and the different skill sets that are being sought in the most recent years to date.
• Internship feedback: We obtained internship feedback from our industrial partners where our Bachelor of Information Systems students get posted. Using information obtained from the market analysis and internship feedback, we were able to identify the opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and threats of our
• Industrial and Alumni feedback: We also held a workshop with our industrial and alumni partners to generate input into the revision of the curriculum. In particular, key stakeholders and experts from regulatory authorities, industry and academia were invited to evaluate our current program. The feedback generated was very important in reconsidering certain content of the courses we have been
• Benchmarking similar programmes in professional bodies (e.g. Association of Computing Machinery, Association of Information Systems) and Universities mainly in the United States of America and Europe that are responsible for guiding the development and revision of curricula for programs under the Information Systems discipline
• Review of the implementation of the previous curriculum: Several concerns in the implementation of the previous curriculum (2009/2010 – 2016/2017) have been considered and addressed during the revision to this Some of the major concerns include:
  • The need to focus the curriculum towards generation of quality ICT-related research capacity to increase effective innovation and development in Uganda;
  • The duplication of course units running in the Information Systems Technology track of the previous curriculum as compared to those in the curriculum of the Masters of Information Technology degree program;
  • The observation that there is another avenue of Postgraduate Diploma of Information Systems that prospective students can take as an alternative for Plan B (a Master degree program by coursework and project report). Therefore, whereas the previous curriculum for the M.Sc. IS program had two tracks (Information Systems Management and Information Systems Technology) and two plans (Plan A (a Master degree program by coursework and research) and Plan B), this revised curriculum has only one track that maintains most of the knowledge areas of the Information Systems management track in the previous curriculum.

To qualify for admission to the M.Sc. in IS, a candidate must fulfill the general Makerere University entry requirements for Masters Degrees, and in addition, the candidate must be a holder of either:

1. A Postgraduate Diploma of Information Systems (PGD IS) or Information Technology (PGD IT) or Computer Science (PGD CS) or Software Engineering (PGD SE) from a recognized university / institution; or
2. A Bachelor’s Degree of Information Systems or Information Technology or Computer Science or Software Engineering or Computer Engineering or Business Computing from a recognized university / institution; or any other related relevant Degree from a recognized university / institution with evidence of having taken a considerable number of acceptable courses related to the Information Systems discipline.

  Upgrading from Postgraduate Diploma of Information Systems of Makerere University to M.Sc. IS Degree of Makerere University

When a student graduates with a Postgraduate Diploma of Information Systems of Makerere University (with a classification of Lower Second or Upper Second or First Class), s/he can apply and join the second year of the M.Sc. in IS program in the Department of Information Systems at Makerere University. In such a case, the applicant is expected to undertake research in the second year and the remaining course units to meet the minimum requirement for the award of the M.Sc. in Information Systems Degree.

The upgrade of the PGD IS to the M.Sc. IS described above must be supported by relevant academic documents attained for the PGD IS of Makerere University. This must be done for purposes of analyzing the relevant academic courses that must have been attempted as per the current M.Sc. IS curriculum. Any courses that were not attempted by the applicant as per the first year’s course load of the current M.Sc. IS curriculum must be taken.

When a student graduates with a Postgraduate Diploma of Information Systems of Makerere University with a classification of Pass, s/he can apply for the Master of Science in Information Systems but for the full two academic years of the program, that is, s/he has to start from first year of the M.Sc. in IS program.

For the foreseeable future, it is anticipated that Information Systems programs will continue to attract students with a wide range of backgrounds. In traditional graduate programmes, it is always assumed that students who enroll have a related background obtained through an undergraduate degree in that field. The M.Sc. IS program may also attract experienced students including Information Systems professionals, but it can also attract people seeking career change to ICT-related fields. This curriculum is designed to accommodate students from various backgrounds and learning environments. Specifically, the M.Sc. IS program is appropriate for:

1. Graduates with Bachelor degrees in Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Business with an Information Systems concentration, and any other Bachelor degree with evidence of having taken relevant acceptable courses related to the Information Systems
2. Experienced Information Systems professionals seeking to upgrade their knowledge and skills and to understand management associated with information
3. Experienced management professionals seeking skills in managing
4. Professionals with various backgrounds e.g Engineering, Health, Education, Agriculture, etc whose career involves the use of ICTs and who seek a career in the Information Systems discipline
5. Postgraduate Diploma holders in Information Systems who wish to upgrade to Masters level.