Master of Science in Digital Business (Online)

Course Summary

This postgraduate course is the first of its kind in Ireland, offering students the opportunity to upskill their digital business skillset through flexible online delivery. Providing the learner with live virtual classes which can be revisited at their convenience should help those juggling the demands of part-time education and full-time employment. ATU Sligo has a rich history in online learning and are viewed as market leaders within this area in Ireland.

On these programmes you can expect to gain technical, planning, management and leadership skills which are delivered through a mix of practical and theory-based modules. This will equip you with the knowledge, skills and tools to lead, manage, develop, and implement innovative digital business solutions. You will gain the knowledge and skills required to manage digital technologies in the development and delivery of business innovations.

Features and benefits of the course:

• A hands-on programme which equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to identify new digital opportunities and lead innovative digital solutions.
• Participants will learn how to plan, develop and manage digital technologies that deliver business innovation
• Explore how digital technology innovations (e.g. Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Immersive Technology, Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence) and leadership can be harnessed to strategically organise and lead people and technology in a digital environment
• Develop a strategic approach and apply the latest and most appropriate theories and models to create a new business value.
• Flexible part-time study – delivered online (evenings), this programme allows you to fit your studies around work life and other commitments, accessing materials 24/7, from wherever you are in the world.
• Tailored learning – study towards the qualification that meets your goals, be it the PG Cert in Applied Digital Business (8 months part-time), PG Dip in Digital Business (16 months) or the full MSc in Digital Business (24 months)
• Learners can progress from PG Cert to PG Diploma and onto the Masters or exit early with one of the PG awards.
• Real life projects – where possible modules incorporate real situations which require the learner to research and apply their knowledge to provide solutions.
• Capstone/Dissertation – learners can choose to research and implement/apply a digital project for their organisation as part of their final capstone project or take the more traditional research-based dissertation.

As an online student on the Masters you will have a maximum of 7 hours contact per week plus additional time to dedicate to your own reading and projects when needed

MSc in Digital Business Modules and Layout

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for CAO courses at ATU Sligo are available for download below:

• Download Entry requirements for just Level 9 programmes
• Download Entry requirements for all programmes

To apply for this course, you will have:

Second Class Honours (NFQ, Level 8) in any business discipline or

Second Class Honours (NFQ, Level 8) in any discipline plus 3 years experience in a management/supervisor role which will be subject to consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Where English is not their first language, students are required to have an appropriate score in an approved examination in English language, such as IELTS.

More information can be found here. International Entry Requirements 

Applicants with other qualifications and with relevant work experience may also be considered through ATU Sligo’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. RPL is a process that may allow you to gain admission to a programme or to receive exemptions / credit from some parts of a programme based on demonstrated learning that you may have achieved through another programme of study or through your work and career. Further information is available through www.atu.ie/recognition-of-prior-learning which our dedicated RPL portal or by contacting our admissions team at admissions.sligo@atu.ie.

Career Opportunities

While the programme will be of interest to a wide and varied audience in business/digital fields, the specific career and career advancement opportunities that the award supports include:

• Chief Information Officer
• Chief Technology Officer
• Digital Business Analyst
• Digital Project Manager
• Digital Solutions Manager
• ICT Project Manager
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
• Digital Transformation Consultant
• Information Resource Manager
• Technology Consultant
• Analyst (Data/ICT/Business/Systems),
• Project Manager

Further Study

The flexibility of the programme allows people to complete the PG Cert in Applied Digital Business and then apply for the PG Diploma and afterwards progress to the Masters. Alternatively, you can apply for the Masters and decide to exit early with the PG cert or Diploma.

Did you know?

Digital Business contributes 4.4% to Ireland's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The digital part of the economy in Ireland is growing at 16% per year – that is more than ten times the economy's growth rate. The digital economy already supports almost 95,000 jobs directly and indirectly, and this figure continues to grow. A lack of available skills to capitalise on this opportunity is not just an issue of concern for employers but also for governments (Digital Business Ireland - Towards a Digital Future, 2020).

The Minister for Education and Skills and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation articulated this governmental and societal need when he announced targets to deliver more than 47,000 graduates with high level ICT skills by 2022, acknowledging that the supply of high-level ICT skills is no longer just a sectoral issue, but a national economic priority (Ireland’s Third ICT Skills Action Plan, Technology Skills, 2022)

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in their Critical Skills Occupations List updated in June 2022, there is a noted skills gap in ICT professionals, professional engineers, and technologists. This has resulted in international recruitment drives to seeking workers and graduates from outside of Ireland to fill the many vacancies that exist. Graduates of this programmes would align to many of these roles:

Table 1: The Critical Skills Occupations List June 2022

Programme Fees

Academic Programmes Fees 2024/25

Total Programme Fees: €7,200

To help make the payment of fees more manageable for students who are self-funding their studies, tuition fees can be paid through payment instalment plans at ATU Sligo. For further information on instalment plans, please visit our Fees and Funding webpage. 

If you apply and are approved for an online course at ATU Sligo, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €250 to secure your place. Your deposit will then be credited against the course fees once you are registered as a student. Students at ATU Sligo are also eligible to claim tax relief at the standard rate for tuition fees.

For further information and guidance about Fees and Funding for online and part-time courses at ATU Sligo, click here.

If you are seeking to take your exams online, and you meet the eligibility criteria (overseas students and those with extenuating circumstances), an additional examinations fee will apply. For further information, please visit our Examinations webpage. 

Course Format

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4