Postgraduate (MSc, MA, MBA, PhD) Programs in E-business

A field that hardly existed in the mid-1990s, e-business has become a pervasive part of the business (and non-profit/not-for-profit and government) landscape. It involves identifying, assessing, developing and then managing e-commerce (electronic-commerce) capabilities for business, industry, non-profit/not-for-profit, or governmental organisations. The skills and knowledge required to design, develop and implement such capabilities are clearly interdisciplinary in nature, ranging from business and technical to managerial and strategic.

In this article we offer essential advice on studying a postgraduate business program in e-business and e-commerce, as well as the ability to access our comprehensive database of European institutions that offer e-commerce/e-business-related MA, MSc, MBA and PhD programs taught in the English language.

How has e-commerce changed?

The early days of e-commerce focused largely on selling products to consumers but over time, the emphasis has shifted. Now the focus is just as likely to be on managing the critical flows of information within supply chains, or providing services to consumers, or linking governments with citizens. E-commerce’s pervasiveness has also meant that many organisations have had to be reorganised and re-orientated. To take a simple example, many organisations that once just sold to stores in large amounts now also sell direct to individual customers in small amounts. This has meant that supply chain management, customer service, billing and collection, and the company’s whole information technology infrastructure have had to be re-geared.

E-commerce trends

Numerous substantial trends continue to drive this field, including:

• Increased computing power and related technological developments.
• Greater consumer access to high-speed internet connections.
• The shift to online sales and marketing
• Increased use of the internet for entertainment as well as purchasing.
• Development of new online industries such as gaming and gambling.
• Adoption of online marketing and interactive opinion gathering by non-traditional players (government and non-profits/not-for-profits).
• Increased co-ordination of firms and consumers (as well as governments and citizens) via the internet.

Find postgraduate programs in E-BUSINESS

Masters degrees in e-commerce and e-business

Some masters programs are labelled ‘e-commerce’, others, ‘e-business’. Whatever the title, these courses will cover similar topics and programs are usually one year long if studied full time, with a handful being two years in length. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the nature of the subject, many programs have a substantial distance-learning component. The potential range of the subject – covering both technology and business matters – results in substantially different program emphases. For example, some courses will emphasise technology, some marketing, and some the organisational consequences of re-orientating an organisation to online marketing. Most masters degrees in this field are aimed at those who will work for businesses, but a few may focus more on those who will work for governmental units.

Modules on an e-business masters

An MSc in e-Business are likely to include the following modules:

E-business/e-commerce – covering the fundamentals of strategies and business processes and the development and application of information systems in supporting new organisations and new business practices.

E-marketing – teaching students a thorough understanding of marketing theories and how to apply them to real-world business challenges in the electronic business context.

E-government – covering the complexities of designing and implementing information systems for government.

Information systems – exploring the internet and related technologies and how they can be used to build information systems.

Newcastle University has an MSc in Digital Business (E-commerce) which covers a number of themed areas including: business strategies, online selling strategies, digital marketing, business processes, and more. This course can be studied for 12 months full time.

Eligibility requirements for studying an e-commerce masters

E-commerce masters programs usually require candidates to have a bachelors degree in a subject with a substantial computing or information systems component. However, some courses won’t require students to have an undergraduate computing degree as long as they have strong general computer skills. An undergraduate business degree could also enable the student to fulfill the eligibility requirements to study a masters in this field.

Skills necessary for e-business masters success

To be successful in this field, students should have the following skills:

Team orientation
An ability to communicate with non-technical people
An ability to juggle multiple projects.

MBA in e-business

e commerce An MBA in e-commerce or e-business will be designed to give students an in-depth knowledge of electronic business strategies employed by small and large organisations. These MBA programs will study various elements of the internet, including constructing a website, managing an e-business, and the importance and growth of internet business law.

An MBA in e-commerce or e-business will enable its students to thrive in the world of e-business and prepare them for their careers whether they are planning to work in an established organisation or launch their own e-business.

MBA modules of study

Typical modules of study on an MBA program in this field include:

E-marketing strategies
Management skills
Marketing
Business methods
Global economics
Management information systems
The e-consumer

One example of an MBA in this field is offered by the European University Business School – this university has campuses in Barcelona, Geneva and Munich, and has a one-year full-time MBA in Digital Business with two start dates in January and March.

PhD in e-business

Studying a PhD program in e-commerce or e-business will enable the student even greater career advancement potential – or, of course, a doorway into the world of academia. While it’s true to say that PhD programs solely focused on e-commerce are rather rare, there are several PhD programs that include e-commerce/e-business as one of the areas of study.

Career opportunities in e-business

Business managers in both private and public sectors need to be able to respond to information technology innovation, which means that those with an e-commerce background are well placed to move beyond the typical internet marketing roles in which e-commerce specialists begin. Their technological capabilities and interests align well with the skill set required for many marketing, supply chain management, and MIS managers.