LUMS is ranked 1st for Research Power in REF 2021 (Business and Management Studies)
In a world reshaped by relentless technological change, MSc Information Systems and Digital Business Innovation equips you to thrive in a digital-first economy. The programme’s forward-looking curriculum fuses emerging trends in information systems, digital innovation, and strategy. You will develop the skills and insight to guide both established and digital-native organisations through change.
You can deepen expertise through two specialised tracks: Digital Marketing or Cyber Security.
When it’s time to showcase what you’ve learned in your final assessment, you can choose to craft a digital start-up plan, deliver a live consulting project, or pursue a classic research dissertation. Workshops, case studies, and simulations enable you to translate theory into action, so you will be ready to create value from the day you graduate.
Unmatched industry integration
You will turn insight into impact every week:
hands-on labs crafted with IBM anchor your experiential learning
research round-tables unpack the freshest AI and security breakthroughs
a rotating roster of speakers from Google, AWS, and scale-ups translates those discoveries into real-world action.
Collaborative hackathons and case competitions, run in collaborative spaces such as the University’s new Data Immersion Suite, give you a safe space to test emerging ideas with practitioners before taking them to market.
You will experience learning sessions delivered through SAP’s ERPsim, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) simulation. With ERPsim, you compete in teams to run virtual companies for profit.
Almost every core module carries a live brief supplied by regional or global partners.
Beyond the classroom, our partnership network, including the IN4 Group’s CyberFirst initiative, offers placements, hackathons, and mentoring that plug you directly into the North-West’s fast-growing digital economy.
A springboard for entrepreneurs
Lancaster’s Research and Enterprise Services offers seed-funding competitions, legal drop-ins and hot desk space through Work in Progress. Many students progress straight from the programme into accelerator cohorts hosted on campus, groups of startups participating in a business accelerator programme. Ventures launched by this programme’s alumni include AI-driven agri-tech, social-commerce platforms and data-ethics consultancies.
Discover how the MSc Information Systems and Digital Business Innovation prepares you to fulfil your career aspirations.
Learning tailored to you
By offering two optional streams, we give you flexibility to tailor the programme to your learning needs.
Practical relevance
The programme focuses on skills that align with industry demands by working with industry experts.
Innovative techniques
We use emerging technologies and methodologies to enhance your learning.
Flexible assessment
You will have three options for your final dissertation: consulting project, research dissertation, and digital start-up design.
Careers
MSc Information Systems and Digital Business Innovation graduates have the technical acumen and strategic insight to excel in roles across industries, including corporate environments, consulting firms, and digital service organisations. In previous years, students who graduated from our Digital Business, Innovation and Management MSc have secured jobs at leading international firms such as BP, KPMG, Amazon, and the NHS. Others became digital entrepreneurs, and some completed their PhD degrees and became academics in leading research institutes.
Typical career destinations include:
Digital Transformation Consultant: Driving organisational change through digital innovation and technology adoption.
Information Systems Manager: Overseeing IS implementation, maintenance, and enhancement within organisations.
IT-Business Analyst: Bridging the gap between business needs and IT solutions through strategic analysis and planning.
Cyber Security Specialist/Manager: Designing and managing secure systems to protect organisations from cyber threats.
Digital Solutions Analyst: Developing and optimising digital tools and platforms to enhance business operations.
Enterprise Systems Consultant: Advising organisations on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and analytics for efficiency.
Data Analyst/Business Intelligence Analyst: Analysing complex data to inform business decisions and strategies.
Digital Marketing Manager: Crafting and executing digital strategies to enhance brand presence and audience engagement.
Social Media Strategist/Consultant: Managing and optimising social media campaigns to drive business goals.
Start-up Entrepreneur: Launching innovative digital ventures leveraging technology and business insights.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
2:2 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any discipline.
English language requirements
We require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test.
If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master's pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master's degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Course structure
We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future. The University will make every reasonable effort to offer programmes and modules as advertised. In some cases, changes may be necessary and may result in new modules or some modules and combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
On the MSc Information Systems and Digital Business Innovation programme, alongside the core modules, you will select one of the three Dissertation modules (Industry, Research or Digital Start-up).
In the second semester, you will also choose between two different pathways for your optional modules:
Digital Marketing pathway: Digital Marketing and Social Media in Practice (40 credits)
Cyber Security pathway: Architecting Secure Information Systems and AI (20 credits) and Cyber Security for Business (20 credits).
Core
core modules accordion
Explore cutting-edge technologies driving digital transformation and the core foundations that support them. This module begins by addressing essential backbone technologies, including:
cloud infrastructure
Big Data (relational and NoSQL databases)
application programming interfaces
enterprise integration patterns
cybersecurity frameworks.
The module shows how these technologies provide reliability, scalability, and secure data flow across modern organisations.
Building on this base of knowledge, we pivot to cover the next wave of innovation, examining:
artificial intelligence services
edge and quantum computing
blockchain
extended reality (XR)
the Internet of Things.
Through case studies and hands-on labs, you will evaluate each technology’s maturity curve, design patterns, and business value, learning to align a technology’s technical possibilities with strategic aims. The module integrates considerations of ethics, sustainability, and regulation throughout. By the end of the module, you will be able to assess, prioritise, and architect technology portfolios that deliver resilient, responsible, and future-ready digital transformation.
This module explores the dynamic landscape of digital business management and entrepreneurship amid rapid technological change. You will learn to spot market opportunities and craft scalable digital business models that combine platform thinking, network effects and agile revenue streams. We examine how value is co-created across ecosystems where start-ups, incumbents, investors, and regulators interact. You will analyse the roles of crowdfunding, accelerators, and venture studios in turning ideas into viable ventures.
The module gives special attention to:
digital leadership
digital entrepreneurship mindset
digital workspace
digital resilience
responsible digital innovation.
The lectures are interactive and multimodal and engage with real-world situations. They involve hands-on activities, case studies and industry engagement.
By the end of the module, you will be able to:
formulate a digital-first business plan
outline an execution roadmap.
Your business plan and roadmap will leverage partnerships, data analytics, and continuous experimentation to create resilient, market-responsive enterprises.
This module builds your capacity to harness enterprise systems and analytics for sustainable, data-driven management. You will work hands-on with a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) software such as SAP. With this software, you will configure core applications and design real-time dashboards that track performance and surface trends and inform strategic choices.
The course highlights sustainability’s growing role in business, demonstrating how data can reveal environmental and social impacts and financial outcomes. You will learn techniques to:
evaluate process efficiency
diagnose bottlenecks
recommend improvements that align operations with organisational goals and sustainability targets.
Finally, the module explores how integrated enterprise solutions drive innovation, secure competitive advantage, and underpin an organisation's broader strategy. By the end of this module, you will understand how enterprise systems and analytics connect with sustainability initiatives, equipping you to manage resources responsibly while maintaining profitability.
This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to strategically position organisations for success in an AI-driven world. You will gain practical insights and actionable frameworks to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
The module examines how AI reshapes value propositions, revenue logic, and competitive landscapes. Through contemporary case studies, you will dissect data-driven platform models, algorithmic products, and hyper-personalised services that unlock new market spaces.
Your learning will be guided by tools such as the AI Value Chain and Lean Experimentation canvas. You will learn to:
spot high-impact use cases
estimate economic upside
plan rapid pilots.
You will learn about the importance of governance and responsible innovation in ensuring commercial gains align with ethical and societal expectations. By the end of this module, you will be able to craft business strategies that embed AI at the core of sustainable value creation.
Optional
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This module provides you with an understanding of Artificial intelligence (AI), its application in business, and a comprehensive overview of cyber security in a digitised business landscape. It explores current trends and advances in AI technology. You will consider several applications of AI, including augmentation of work and operational improvements. You will consider applications of AI in different business contexts, linking your learning to real-world experiences. The module also discusses the ethical considerations of using AI technologies in business, including:
privacy concerns
copyright issues
potential biases.
The module gives you a strong foundation in understanding the basics of cyber security, including types of cyber threats and the importance of cyber hygiene. It discusses strategies for safeguarding businesses and their digital assets by applying different types of security controls that can protect against emergent cybersecurity threats. The module introduces best practices for developing resilient cybersecurity systems and familiarises you with:
security risk management frameworks
data protection and data privacy compliance standards.
Co-taught with practitioners from IBM, this module equips you to architect secure, resilient information systems in today’s threat-laden digital landscape. Taking a systems-of-systems perspective, the module frames cybersecurity and digital infrastructure as closely linked rather than isolated components.
You will learn to apply architectural thinking, which involves concepts such as:
layered decomposition
patterns
trade-off analysis
zero-trust principles.
You will use architectural thinking to weave protection, detection and recovery mechanisms throughout the technology stack, including cloud services, APIs, edge devices and data pipelines.
In hands-on labs, you will use IBM best practices for architecting IT systems, reference architectures and threat-model tooling. In the labs, you will:
design secure platforms
evaluate attack surfaces
meet compliance requirements.
You will engage with case studies that reveal how design choices affect risk, performance, and cost over a system’s life cycle. At the end of the module, you will be able to translate business objectives into security-by-design architectures that withstand emerging threats while enabling innovation.
As demand for digital and social media marketing professionals continues to rise, this module provides you with a comprehensive and practical understanding of these rapidly evolving fields. It serves as a cornerstone of the MSc in Digital and Social Media Marketing, helping you master both the strategic and technical aspects of digital marketing. This prepares you for impactful roles in a dynamic and competitive environment.
You will engage in hands-on work with industry-standard data analytics tools and social media simulations, applying your knowledge to real-world scenarios. You will explore key elements of digital marketing strategy, including:
digital transformation
omnichannel approaches
content marketing
search engine optimisation (SEO).
Additionally, you’ll learn how to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as AI, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things, gaining insight into how these innovations reshape customer journeys and engagement strategies. This module’s unique portfolio-based assessment is aligned with current job-market trends, ensuring you develop the skills and insights employers are looking for.
You will transform research insights into an investor-ready digital venture blueprint. Using a design science approach for digital entrepreneurship, you begin by grounding your idea in the programme’s academic frameworks, which include:
market analysis
digital-platform strategies
entrepreneurial finance
innovation management.
You will then identify a compelling problem-solution fit.
Guided by academic mentors and industry advisers, you validate customer pain points, size the addressable market, and map competitive landscapes using data-driven techniques. The deliverables you will produce include:
a comprehensive business plan detailing the value proposition
a revenue model
technology architecture
a go-to-market strategy
five-year financial projections
risk and scalability assessments.
In an individual reflective report, you will link each plan component to scholarly literature, demonstrating how academic evidence shaped your strategic choices. By merging rigorous research with entrepreneurial execution, you will equip yourself with the analytical depth and practical toolkit needed to launch or pitch a digitally driven start-up.
You will conduct an in-depth research project on a topic linked to your MSc programme, applying your knowledge to a real business problem. This project is your opportunity to:
explore an area that interests you
develop a structured research approach
contribute original insights to a business.
You will employ your knowledge of research methods, problem-scoping techniques, and academic literature to define and investigate your chosen topic. Whether you focus on solving a practical issue or advancing understanding in a specific field, you will apply what you have learned to deliver a professional research project.
Throughout the process, you will work closely with a supervisor, developing your ability to:
engage professionally in academic discourse
manage feedback
communicate findings.
You will consolidate your learning by developing academic research, writing and communication skills and demonstrate your ability to work independently to deliver value in a real organisation.
You will independently investigate a scholarly question that you design linked to real business problems. Typically, the process begins with a thorough literature review to identify a clear research gap. You then craft a relevant research question and select an appropriate methodology—qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods—to generate new evidence.
Many students conduct primary fieldwork, gathering data through interviews, surveys, experiments or archival analysis. Other students integrate secondary datasets with advanced analytical techniques. We expect you to demonstrate critical engagement with theory, methodological soundness and ethical research practice.
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of professional academic engagement in your interactions with your supervisor and your reporting of your outputs and research discussion. The resulting dissertation defends your findings, situates them in existing scholarship and articulates their practical and theoretical implications. By producing this research, you showcase your capacity for original, discipline-relevant inquiry.
Fees and funding
We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27
entry fees have not yet been set.
Additional fees and funding information accordion
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
Application fees for 2025
For most taught postgraduate programmes starting in 2025 you must pay a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
Application fees for 2026
There is no application fee if you are applying for postgraduate study starting in 2026.
Paying a deposit
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Details of our scholarships and bursaries for 2026-entry study are not yet available, but you can use our opportunities for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.
MSc Information Systems and Digital Business Innovation evolved from our previous programme, MSc Digital Business, Innovation and Management. Our alumni go on to successes in a wide range of organisations.
Lancaster is ranked 13th in the UK and joint 99th globally for Business and Management according to the QS World Rankings by Subject 2025, one of nine subjects at Lancaster to be featured in the top 100 in these prestigious listings.
The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our Charter and student policies.
