Hi! My name is Marianna, and I’m currently studying LSE’s MSc Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation (MISDI) programme, having completed a Biomedical Sciences degree and developed an interest in healthcare information systems.
If you’re interested in technology, management and social impact, this 12-month, full-time programme might be perfect for you too.
Keep reading to find out more about the programme’s modules, exams, dissertation, cohort diversity, Sprint Week (one of the highlights of the programme!), and how we celebrated the end of Autumn Term.
If you’re interested in technology, management and social impact, this 12-month, full-time programme might be perfect for you too.
Cohort diversity 🌎
Our cohort is made up of 95 students from more than 80 nationalities and 40 countries, so it’s safe to say it’s one of the most diverse cohorts at LSE!
Combining technology, management and social impact, the programme is made up of students from diverse educational backgrounds too; students have studied business, finance, social and liberal sciences, computer science and programming, or biomedical sciences like myself.
Programme structure 📝
The MSc MISDI programme runs across three terms and consists of nine courses, equipping you with critical skills in digital transformation, AI, data governance and IT management for leadership roles in an increasingly digital world.
In the Autumn Term, you’ll take four compulsory, core modules that introduce topics of innovation and information systems: Management and Socioeconomics of Digital Innovation, Innovating Organisational Information Technology, Innovation and Information Systems: Concepts and Perspectives, and an unassessed skills module, Study Skills and Contemporary Topics in Information Systems and Digital Innovations.
The former three focus on how digital innovation shapes business models, governance models of technologies and their impact on society, strategies and practices for innovation, and how information technologies impact economic structures, while the Study Skills course is an opportunity for industry guest speakers to join us and introduce real-world issues in the technology field.
The wide range of electives offered allows you to customise the programme based on your interests.
In the Winter Term, you’ll take the compulsory Research Design for Studies in Digital Innovation course, which prepares you for designing your dissertation topics, and three elective courses.
I have a STEM background and keen interest in healthcare information systems, AI and big data in healthcare. Therefore, among the many electives offered, I chose Managing Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance: Privacy, Openness and Transparency, and eHealth: Policy, Strategy and Systems. The wide range of electives offered allows you to customise the programme based on your interests.
This term, I’m learning how to develop and implement AI technologies in a managerial and strategic context, ensure transparency and protect human rights in digital ecosystems, and plan, implement, and adopt digital technologies in the healthcare industry.
I’m also learning about different research methodologies in my Research Design course, so I can implement them for my own dissertation research – as soon as I finally land on a topic!
Exams and dissertation 📚
An interesting aspect of the programme is that all exams are in May and June. This gives us plenty of time to revise our course load during Christmas and Spring break but also combine the theories and frameworks we learnt in the first term with the practical application we examine in the second term.
After the exams, our sole focus is conducting research and composing our dissertation. This dissertation is compulsory, however it can be tailored to the academic and professional interests of each student, such as designing an experiment, building a framework, developing a platform, or conducting literature analysis.
Another thing I’ve loved is the LSE teaching style. In each course, we have one lecture and one seminar per week, where we first introduce this week’s topic and then analyse case studies and research on that topic.
Sprint Week 💼
One of the highlights of the MSc MISDI programme is Sprint Week, a 5-day consultancy project that takes place in November, as part of the Innovating Organisational Information Technology course.
Representatives from Visa and Roland Berger joined us on campus to give us the instructions our project should follow. We were assigned into random teams and worked 40+ hours throughout the week to brainstorm and develop an innovative solution to our given problem.
It was an intense experience, but I got to experience teamwork in a diverse group that mimics real-world corporate conditions. Plus, we got to present our solutions Dragon’s Den style!
End of term celebration 🎉
To celebrate the end of Autumn Term, our cohort took a day trip to Bath. After leaving early by coach, we explored the historic city, toured the Roman Baths with a guide, and had lunch in one of the many pubs. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of the term, and I’m looking forward to many more exciting moments with my cohort.
Reach out to alumni and current students 💬
If you’re interested in applying to LSE’s MSc MISDI programme, I’d highly recommend reaching out to alumni or student ambassadors and listening to their experiences, especially if they have a similar background to yours!
Learn more about our MSc Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation programme.
