Master of Science in Management and Informatics

The Master in Management and Informatics is offered jointly by the Faculty of Informatics and by the Faculty of Economics of the Università della Svizzera italiana, USI, situated in Lugano - Switzerland. This full-time study program comprises 120 ECTS spread over 4 semesters (usual duration 2 years) and is entirely offered in English.

This unique cross-discipline program combines USI's world-leading expertise in Management and Informatics and offers exciting career prospects that range from project management to consulting. The program has been designed to provide graduates from a wide variety of backgrounds with the necessary tools and skills for understanding complex information technology (IT) problems while, at the same time, knowing about the needs and requirements of a modern organization.

Awarded degree

After the successful completion of the programme, jointly with the Faculty of Economics, students will be awarded a Master of Science in Informatics and Economics, Major in Management and Informatics.

Structure and contents

The Master of Science in Management & Informatics has been designed to provide graduates from a wide variety of backgrounds (informatics, economics, mathematics, business, engineering, etc.) with the necessary tools and skills for understanding complex information technology (IT) problems while, at the same time, knowing about the needs and requirements of a modern organization. The shortage of professionals who can interface these two sides is apparent in many companies and leads to extra costs, development of less efficient systems, and general misunderstandings between the technical and organizational parts of a company. The purpose of the degree is to offer a solution to this problem and to educate professionals who can take responsibility for the interface between these two sides of an organization.

This Master offers a balanced combination of courses that cover the necessary background in management as well as the fundamental aspects of current and evolving information technologies. Moreover, the program provides students with specialized knowledge in topics at the interface between management and informatics such as enterprise resource planning. Since English is a unique teaching language, graduates are well-prepared to work in international companies. Moreover, the interdisciplinary approach of this Master provides a general skill to work across traditional areas.

Teaching

Top-level faculty of international renown teach innovative courses, with a strong multi-disciplinary orientation and in collaboration with prestigious institutions at local and international level. Professors are pursuing research on a variety of topics and are active participants in Swiss and international research projects and networks. Visiting professors from renowned universities complement top-quality teaching.

Teaching methods at both the Faculty of Informatics and the Faculty of Economics stress an interactive approach or dialogue with the students. Further, as most tasks in organizations become increasingly interdisciplinary it is also important to be able to work across traditional areas, which is a skill that is actively encouraged within the program. This is reflected in the variety of different teaching methods used including lectures, case studies, group work, games, and fieldwork.

The Faculty and the students are an international group, with education and work experience from across the world. This increases learning and cultural exchanges, as students learn to work effectively with people from different cultures.

Career Prospects

On the one hand, graduates from this Master will have sufficient knowledge in informatics to be able to interact with the IT department of an organization. This includes a profound understanding of the technical issues involved, the evaluation of technical proposals, and the ability to articulate possible solutions to the organization or customer. On the other hand, they also understand the tactical and strategic use of IT to enhance the efficiency of an organization and know-how to explain the requirement of the users in terms that can be understood by the IT department or client.

The primary labor market for the graduates of the program is found in medium to large companies as well as the public sector, both in Switzerland and abroad. Most companies struggle with integrating IT in the organization and there is a great need for people who can be the interface between the technical and organizational parts of a company. Potential job profiles range from project management to consulting and include areas such as evaluating the benefit and managing the introduction of new technology into an organization, designing and implementing small and large scale IT systems, and consulting companies and customers regarding the requirements and the limitations of IT systems.

Admission

The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor's degree granted by a recognized university in Informatics, Economics, Mathematics, Business, or Engineering.

Candidates with a Bachelor's degree of a recognized University of Applied Sciences may be admitted with 30-60 additional ECTS to be earned during or before the beginning of the program, with Bachelor courses according to a study program defined by the scientific director. Admissions will be treated on a case by case basis.

Language

Admission to English-language graduate-level (Master) programs at USI requires a good command of the English idiom. Non-English native speakers applying for such programs, or whose previous degree was obtained in another language, are required to provide an internationally acknowledged language certificate equal to the B2 level, as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR), or equivalent (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).

The B2 level on the CEFR corresponds to the following scores in internationally acknowledged exams:

Students admitted under the above-mentioned condition (with the exception for the Master in Cognitive Psychology in Health Communication) must achieve a C1 competence in English within the maximum time required to obtain the Master's degree.

The level can be certified either by attending a language course offered at USI during the Fall and Spring semester, and by taking the final exam, or by providing an internationally acknowledged language certificate*.

* The C1 level on the CEFR corresponds to the following scores in internationally acknowledged exams:

Italian

As Lugano is located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, students might be interested in acquiring the basics in Italian.

The Università della Svizzera italiana offers a free of charge Italian language course.

Application Procedure

To submit your application, please refer to the indications for filling out the online form available here: http://application.lu.usi.ch.

Paper Application

Applications can also be submitted with the application form and required paper documents (email or fax submissions will be rejected) to the following address:

Università della Svizzera italiana
Faculty of Informatics
Admission Office
Via G. Buffi 13
CH-6900 Lugano
Switzerland

Required documentation:

The following pieces of documentation have to be sent in paper form:

• The completed application form (you may download it in pdf format);
• Photocopy of past diplomas (Bachelor, licentiate, four-year degree, maturity);
• Official transcript of results of university examinations;
• Certified translation of any diplomas written in a language other than Italian, German, French, English, or Spanish;
• Curriculum vitae (Resume)
• Personal letter of motivation drafted by the candidate;
• Official certification of proficiency in English;
• Photocopy of an identity card or other documents;
• Photocopy of residence permit for foreign nationals already domiciled in Switzerland.

Photocopy of past degree certificates

Where a candidate has not fulfilled all the requirements for the Bachelor's degree, licentiate or other, copy of the diploma may be sent at a later stage, but in any case no later than the beginning of the matriculation period. If so, please indicate the expected date of the award and enclose an official document issued by the awarding institution confirming these terms.

Letter of motivation

Candidates are required to draft a letter (not more than one page) introducing themselves and explaining their particular interest and reasons for seeking admission to a given Master's degree.

Registration fee

The Lisbon convention regulates the recognition of university degrees between signatory countries and considerably simplifies the administration of admission procedures. For this reason, candidates whose previous degree studies were completed in countries outside this Convention (see list below) are invited to pay an application fee of SFr. 100 accounting for the higher administrative costs of processing more complex files. If the candidate is admitted, the fee will be deducted from the amount of the tuition fee for the first semester. The administrative fee is not refundable in other cases: if admission is not granted, or if the candidate decides to withdraw or fails to matriculate.

Application deadline

Applications will be accepted starting from mid-November.

The application deadline is June 30.

The application deadline for candidates who need a visa is April 30.

Late applications will be considered only in case of available places.

Fees

Tuition fees for the Master's degrees amount to CHF 4,000 per semester. Applicants whose official residence was in Switzerland or Liechtenstein at the time of the final high school exam (Maturità) pay a reduced semester fee of CHF 2,000.

Tuition fees are payable at the beginning of each term, by the deadline indicated on the invoice; fee payment is an essential condition for matriculating or renewing one's enrolment.