Waikato's Master of Digital Business is unique in New Zealand, as it focuses on using technology from a management perspective. If you're keen to pursue a career as a tech-savvy manager, this highly practical degree will show you how to exploit the latest digital technologies to revolutionise an organisation's business operations - to boost profits, optimise performance, and engage in new ways with customers or suppliers. Our students also complete an industry internship over summer. By the time you graduate, you'll be ready to lead digital transformation projects and strategies on behalf of organisations - as a manager or consultant. For example, even agriculture is now a hotbed of digital innovation, as geospatial data can link what we buy from the supermarket to specific paddocks, trees or vines. In a society that's obsessed with all things smart and mobile, organisations that fail to keep pace with the latest digital technologies will become increasingly irrelevant. In this degree, you'll explore exciting topics such as: cloud computing, big data, mobile computing, beacon technology, gamification, business intelligence, real-time analytics, global marketing and social media, IT consumerization, location-based services, supply chain integration, automated logistics, e-government business services, search technology, and virtual team communication. Students can attend classes at our campus in Hamilton, or may study completely online from anywhere in New Zealand - ideal for busy professionals who are working full-time and want to upgrade their skills. There are two streams offered: either the Professional stream (study online or in Hamilton), or the Research stream (study in Hamilton). Professional stream If you’d like to gain practical, industry-relevant knowledge of digital business, the Professional stream is for you. A key feature of this stream is an industry internship paper, where you'll be working on real projects at an organisation of your choice for 8-13 weeks over summer (November to February); either in New Zealand or overseas. This is designed to kick-start your career by giving you hands-on experience that is sought after by employers, and will help solidify your knowledge base. You'll also complete an applied research project investigating a problem or opportunity related to digital business at a real organisation. For the Master of Digital Business, you will complete 180 points - normally six papers at 500-level. This includes three required papers, plus three elective papers. Research stream Conduct in-depth research into a specialist area of digital business that you're truly passionate about, and write a dissertation. This stream may be the best option for you if you're interested in developing the skills for further academic study, such as a PhD, or a possible future research career. You'll get to grips with the latest research and gain expertise in how digital technologies can be applied in a business context. You will write a dissertation on a specialist research topic of your own choice, and gain the investigative skills and knowledge required to embark on a PhD thesis, or a future career as an academic. For the Master of Digital Business, you will complete 180 points - normally six papers at 500-level. This includes three required papers, plus three elective papers. Career opportunities Digital business manager Business analyst Project manager Systems developer Web systems manager User experience manager Digital marketing specialist Product architect