MSc Digital Innovation
Dublin, Ireland
MSc
DURATION
24 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
We are living in a golden age of digital innovation. During our lifetime, an entirely new digital infrastructure has been created. At the same time, new technologies such as social media, cloud computing, analytics, big data, wearable devices, and AI are transforming every aspect of our personal and professional lives.
With digital innovation at the heart of transformation across the global business spectrum, the MSc in Digital Innovation champions the vital qualities to lead the strategic development and deployment of new technology and systems. Designed to equip future business and technology leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the digital age, this programme addresses technology-centric transformation in business and society. From research to software design, students will gain the perspectives and skills to initiate and manage change.
This Master's is suitable for graduates of any discipline, but particularly those with a business and/or IT background seeking a career managing digital innovation in all sectors.
What Will I Learn?
The MSc in Digital Innovation offers a careful balance of theory and practice to prepare graduates to enter the world of digital innovation and for current professionals to progress further in their careers. The programme offers:
- Leadership skills regarding IT application for digital innovation and business skills such as process redesign, change management, cybersecurity, global sourcing, and process modelling.
- The capacity to create and critically assess the business case for IT deployment and use.
- In-depth knowledge and managerial insight into systems development methodologies and processes.
- Experience in designing and undertaking industry-relevant research projects.
How Will I Benefit?
- Students gain specialist knowledge and skills, boosting career opportunities.
- Our students are taught by internationally recognised researchers and engage directly with the technology companies that have made Dublin the “Digital Hub of Europe”.
- Our graduates emerge as insightful, reflective, and critically-minded individuals with a unique understanding of the discovery, development, diffusion, and impact of digital product, process, and business model innovations.
- A head-start in the marketplace due to the unique combination of strategic, practical, and analytical course elements.
- Essential interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills via group and case study-based learning, presentations, and simulation exercises.
UCD Smurfit Scholarships offer a life-changing opportunity to prospective students. By offering merit-based scholarships, we recruit the highest quality students from across the world; while our financial needs-based scholarships put an MBA or Masters within reach for several ambitious students each year. Smurfit Scholarships are in high demand and there is significant competition each year.
The 1-year full-time and 2-year part-time programmes comprise core modules and option modules.
Students complete 3 core modules in each of the 3 trimesters.
| Autumn Trimester | Spring Trimester | Summer Trimester |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Please be advised that the above reflects the 2025/2026 curriculum structure and is subject to change each year. Note that module descriptors are updated in advance of each academic term.
| Programme Competency Goals | Programme Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to: | |
|---|---|---|
|
| Programme Competency 1: Core Business Knowledge: our graduates will have developed core competencies in business knowledge, communication skills, critical and analytical judgement, and a global perspective. They will be informed thinkers, knowledgeable about digital business and innovation in a global context, and able to critically analyze, synthesize, and evaluate theory and practice concerning digital business, organizational change, and innovation. | Programme Learning Outcome 1a: Perform an in-depth and critical analysis of the theories and practical applications related to digital business, organizational transformation, and innovation. This should be done with a global lens, considering the interconnected nature of today’s world. Synthesize the insights gained from this analysis to form a comprehensive understanding. Lastly, assess the effectiveness and applicability of these theories and practices in real-world scenarios, taking into account their global impact and implications. |
| Programme Learning Outcome 1b: Show understanding and knowledge of the essential principles related to the discovery, development, diffusion, and influence of digital products and services, as well as process and business model innovations. Graduates should also be able to apply these concepts effectively. | ||
|
| Programme Competency 2: Communication and Collaboration Skills: our graduates will demonstrate an ability to engage in active, problem-based, research-led, and collaborative learning, and select and utilize appropriate strategies to communicate about, collaborate on, and advance objectives to meet various organizational challenges associated with digital innovation in a socially and ethically responsible fashion. | Programme Learning Outcome 2a: Demonstrate an ability to engage in active, problem-based, research-led and collaborative learning by completing business projects and assignments individually and in teams and by presenting the outcomes of analysis and recommended actions/decisions to key stakeholders. |
| Programme Learning Outcome 2b: Choose and use suitable strategies (verbal, written, visual, and interactive) to communicate, work together, and further goals in order to address different organizational challenges related to digital innovation in a socially and ethically responsible manner. | ||
|
| Programme Competency 3: Critical and Analytical Judgement: our graduates will have developed their analytical competence, reflective capacity, and critical thinking, enabling them to inform business decision-making processes in a socially and ethically responsible fashion by synthesizing and evaluating diverse perspectives on digital innovation from existing research. | Programme Learning Outcome 3a: Inform business decision-making processes in a socially and ethically responsible fashion by synthesizing and evaluating diverse perspectives on digital innovation from existing research. |
| Programme Learning Outcome 3b: Inform business decision-making processes in a socially and ethically responsible fashion by undertaking detailed analyses of digital innovation across a range of industries, markets, and competitors using qualitative or quantitative tools and techniques. | ||
|
| Programme Competency 4: Global Perspective, Ambition for Action, Lifelong Learning: our graduates will understand how economic, political, social, and cultural factors impact on digital business and innovation in a global context, and will be ambitious and courageous in contributing to business and society, acting with integrity in fostering the creation of a better world with ICT, and continuously developing their capabilities and skills throughout their careers. | Programme Learning Outcome 4a: Foster digital innovation and transformation in business and society in an ethically responsible fashion by devising, developing, and delivering digital strategies and projects in globally distributed organisations operating within and across diverse cultures and societies in a socially and ethically responsible fashion. |
| Programme Learning Outcome 4b: Show the capability to consistently and thoughtfully enhance skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking to foster efficient and ethical business conduct in the digital economy. |
The MSc in Digital Innovation has been designed to equip future business and technology leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the digital age. Our students are taught by internationally recognised researchers and can engage directly with the technology companies that have made Dublin the “Digital Hub of Europe”. Our graduates emerge as insightful, reflective, and critically-minded individuals with a unique understanding of the discovery, development, diffusion, and impact of digital product, process, and business model innovations.
Potential careers for our graduates are exciting and varied. Think consultant brains, product-manager hearts, and data-scientist hands—our graduates translate emerging tech into real-world change for names like Google, AWS, Deloitte, and Microsoft in positions including:
- Analyst (Data/ICT/Business)
- Software Engineer
- Project Manager
- Product Manager
- Software Development
- IT Support
- Webmaster
- IT Internal Auditor
- Corporate Security Analyst
- Consultant