Part-time Executive Master of Enterprise IT Architecture

Setting

Organizations increasingly recognize the importance of a sound and flexible enterprise IT architecture. For organizations to be agile, the integration of the business and IT architecture is crucial in realizing more flexible business processes and business performance. Organizations are looking for highly trained enterprise IT architects, who have the skills and capabilities in the domain of business and IT architecture, and related domains such as business strategy, IT governance, leadership and change management.

Content

The program is organized around a set of specialized modules, focusing on deepening knowledge on enterprise IT architecture (about 60% of classroom sessions), stretching knowledge toward business strategy, leadership, change and risk management (about 40% of classroom sessions), and integrating knowledge across the whole master program (through assignments, project work and master thesis)

Integrating your knowledge

Opening Executive Master of Enterprise IT Architecture
The executive master opens with a two-day offsite residential session. Objective of the opening sessions is to introduce the conceptual structure and objectives of the whole program, including expectations, milestones etc. During the opening, key faculty will be introduced and separate attention will go to group dynamics.

Assignment, Project Work and Master ThesisThis executive master program bridges the gap between research based knowledge and applicability in the field. Each module contains assignments and project work, aiming to translate the concepts and theories in the own organizational environment. Also, guided by one of the faculty, each participant has to deliver a master thesis, in which he/she demonstrates an integrated understanding of and ability to apply the concepts of enterprise IT architecture. Wherever possible, a team approach is used enabling multi-disciplinary experiences. And last, but not least, whatever topic is under consideration in the classroom at the moment, the practical business experience of the participants should contribute to the discussion.

Stretching your knowledgeBusiness & IT Strategy, Alignment and Value CreationIn many organizations, information technology (IT) has become crucial in the support, sustainability, and growth of the business, which calls for a specific focus on enterprise governance of IT (EGIT). This module addresses how an organization can implement enterprise governance of IT (leveraging processes, structures and relational mechanisms) in support of business/IT alignment and the creation of business value out of IT enabled investments. This module also references best practice frameworks such as COBIT, Val IT and Risk IT and includes a business game on enterprise governance of IT. 

Business & IT Strategy Leadership and Change ManagementWhile in the past, business executives could delegate, ignore or avoid IT decisions, this is now impossible in most sectors and industries. Business leadership is needed to avoid that IT becomes a liability instead of a strategic asset. But also CIOs need to demonstrate leadership as an  ability to articulate a vision for IT’s role to the firm and ensure that this vision is clearly understood by managers throughout the organization. This module explains and illustrates the concepts of business and IT leadership and addresses the importance of business change management, as in the end, each IT enabled investment implies a change within the organization that needs to be managed. IT risk and security managementThe use of IT can imply a huge business risk.

This module describes how effective risk management begins with a clear understanding of the enterprise’s appetite for risk and the high-level risk exposures of the enterprise. This focuses all risk management effort and, in an IT context, impacts future investments in technology, the extent towhich IT assets are protected and the level of assurance required. Having defined risk appetite and identified risk exposure, strategies for managing risk can be set and responsibilities clarified.

Deepening your knowledgeDesigning and Engineering the Enterprise ArchitectureThis module focuses on modeling the organization and its business processes. Well known frameworks such as Zachman and TOGAF are discussed. Specific attention goes to enterprise ontologies and architectures, guided by the “Design & Engineering Methodology for Organizations (DEMO)”.

Main themes are enterprise ontology, enterprise engineering, business process management & modeling and the “Design & Engineering Methodology for Organizations (DEMO)”Building and sustaining an agile IT architectureThis module addresses how flexible IT (software) architecture can be built. Starting point is the agile organization which needs to be realized through IT.

Future proof principles for building architectures are presented and discussed, as a basis to build business processes with proven evolvability at the level of the process and its underlying software (services).

Special attention goes to service oriented architecture (SOA) and the concept of Normalized Systems. Special topics in Enterprise IT Architecture

As this master degree in operating in a very fast moving domain of expertise, this module addresses specialized or emerging topics in the areas of technology and enterprise IT architecture.

Why choose this programme ?

Target group

This part-time master program is oriented towards professionals who are active in the field and have a successfully earned first Master Degree or equaled by sufficient professional experience. The program specifically targets candidates who are involved in enterprise IT architecture, such as business analysts, IT analysts, business architects, IT architects, IT developers, etc.

Learning outcomesThis two-year part-time executive master degree addresses the concepts and practices required for the design and management of the business and IT architecture and for the optimization of business processes by the use of IT. After successful completion of the program, alumni have obtained to competencies to:

• Leverage information technology to help innovate the organization
• Design and implement the organization- and business process models required to  realize this strategy
• Create and implement solid and sustainable IT (software) architectures for this
• Integrate enterprise IT architecture aspects with areas of IT governance and value management
• Build a professional career as enterprise IT architect