Digital Business MSc

Overview

Our contemporary Digital Business MSc prepares you for the complex and ever-changing digital landscape.

Digital technologies have changed the way organisations conduct business. They afford new ways of working and new opportunities. However, they also present new challenges for businesses.

Demand for digital business professionals is high. Throughout this programme, employability activities and coaching are purposely interwoven into learning. This will help to set you up for a career in multiple areas of the digital business industry.

It covers the core components of digital business, including:

• leading-edge technologies
• long-term business strategies
• innovation management
• business processes involving customers and suppliers
• data analytics to inform decision‑making
• digital marketing
• project management
• the alignment of people behaviour for digital benefits realisation
• identifying and planning for digital ventures

E-commerce pathway

The Digital Business MSc programme is also available as a specialist E-commerce pathway. This programme focuses specifically on digital commerce.

To find out more about this pathway, view the course page.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

What you'll learn

You'll cover the core components of digital business, which include:

• how systems are built on disruptive technologies and create strategic advantages
• how to foster innovation and analyse the potential of new ventures
• business processes, data analytics, and their functional and technical connections
• project management methods
• change management following the introduction of digital systems
• employability, career paths, and career development in the digital business world

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

 

Digital Business MSc modules

All candidates shall take the following compulsory modules (140 credits):

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Dissertation	60
Research Methods	20
Data Analytics for Managers	10
Strategy, Management and Information Systems	20
E-Business	10
Digital Start-up	10
Digital Marketing	10
Technology Change and Innovation Management	10
Project Management	10
Realising value from digital business	10

All candidates shall take one elective module of 10 credits from the list below, which all are from Semester 2.

Elective Modules	Credits
Digital Transformation for Social Good	10
Artificial Intelligence in Business	10

 

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

This Digital Business Master’s degree offers you a stimulating curriculum and a supportive teaching and learning environment.

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Design or creative project
• Essay
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral presentation
• Poster
• Portfolio
• Problem-solving exercises
• Report
• Reflective log
• Research proposal
• Research paper
• Written exercise

Student Support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Our staff

This course has strong links with industry. Our staff are world-class researchers. Several have been successful entrepreneurs, consultants or top level managers. They have worked in government agencies or corporations such as:

They have worked in government agencies or corporations such as:

• IBM
• Oracle
• Philips

You'll be taught by:

• Dr Arturo Vega (Degree Programme Director)
• Dr Ajinkya Tanksale
• Dr Josephine Go Jefferies
• Dr Paul Richter
• Dr Dan Millard
• Dr Rebecca Casey
• Nick Howey
• Dr Yin Liang
• Liucen Pan
• Professor Savvas Papagiannidis
• Dinara Davlembayeva
• Dr Jungho Kim
• Sohel Ahmed
• Davit Marikyan

Your development

Professional skills

Through the course you'll:

• gain the skills to lead digital business initiatives in organisations from beginning to end
• address business problems and opportunities through digital systems
• experience real-life practice as you develop a digital start-up
• develop your employability and professional skills in this industry

You'll also:

• develop valuable soft skills such as analytical power, critical analysis, teamwork, time management, and professional writing
• understand people management in organisations as a key factor for the success of digital systems
• use industry-standard software to analyse data

Newcastle Helix

Benefit from connections with Newcastle’s £350 million flagship project the Newcastle Helix. This brings together:

• academic
• the public sector
• communities
• business
• industry

This ambitious project is stimulating far-reaching networks in technology and systems innovation. Find out more about Newcastle Helix.

Study abroad

Experience another culture, improve your language skills and enhance your global graduate outcomes. This course enables you to take a non-credit bearing exchange opportunity at an international partner university. This can last for up to five months and takes place at the end of your course.

Your future

Graduate destinations

Graduates from this course have undertaken various roles, including:

• Software Engineer
• Founder/ Co-Founder
• Business Analyst
• Senior Digital Media Specialist
• Professional Systems Engineer
• Senior Account Manager
• Senior Software Engineer
• IT Business Analyst
• Lead Analyst
• Product Manager
• Data Analyst
• Project manager
• Client Development Director
• Sales Consultant
• Digital Adoption Specialist
• Digital Transformation Manager
• Head Of Data

Careers

This course prepares you for a wide range of careers with employers, such as:

• Deloitte
• Greggs
• Pulsant
• BNY Mellon
• Mediacom
• PepsiCo
• PwC
• Salesforce
• Dentsu
• Accenture
• Meta
• Nissan Motor Corporation
• Google
• Hewlett-Packard
• Puma
• IBM
• KPMG

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

Newcastle University Business School is one of the largest Schools in the University. We have over 3,500 students representing over 80 nationalities. This valuable network extends beyond our current students to include:

• regional, national and international leaders
• over 34,000 alumni in our network, spanning over 150 countries
• leading professionals and practitioners from industry

The Business School is the gateway to Newcastle Helix - an innovation hub and community that brings together industry leaders, businesses and top researchers.

Our facilities include:

• flexible conference room with panoramic views across the city
• Wi-Fi enabled connectivity throughout the building, including three computer clusters housing over 120 PCs
• four large lecture theatres and over 25 seminar and teaching spaces, providing comfortable teaching and group study space
• dedicated Student Hub and Quiet Space, providing a balanced mix of study space for group work or quiet, individual study
• contemporary café
• employability hub to support your career aspirations
• Bloomberg Room to give you a real feel for the trading room floor
• Experimental and Behavioural Economics Lab, a state-of-the-art research facility for conducting studies in experimental economics and economic psychology

The Frederick Douglass Centre at Newcastle Helix also offers further study and learning spaces. This includes a 750 seat auditorium – the largest in the University.

Find out more about Newcastle University Business School

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You will be eligible for a scholarship worth 15% off the international fee. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

INTO International Pre-Master's - Pathway course

Our Business and Humanities Pre-Master's will prepare you for Master's study at Newcastle. If you're successful then you're guaranteed a place on this Master's course.

• Business and Humanities Pre-Master's

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

 

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events