Master in Knowledge Management
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Overview
Knowledge Management is the interdisciplinary process of creating, using, sharing and maintaining an organization’s information and knowledge. The central mission of the Knowledge Management program is to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the information management era. This postgraduate specialization teaches students about the latest trends in Knowledge Management while simultaneously equipping them with essential skills and research capabilities.
Program Goals
- Fill the domestic and regional market necessity of competent specialists in the field.
- Support contemporary and contextual research topics in the field.
- Establish a specialized Knowledge Management clinic that advances the region’s knowledge and best practice.
- Enable graduates to perform effectively in the Knowledge and information professions.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Critically demonstrate coherent and specialized knowledge in the field of work or discipline.
- Interpret knowledge through oral and written communication using appropriate research methodology.
- Use cognitive knowledge and skills to transfer learning to new situations in the field of work or discipline.
- Analyze issues by developing convenient solutions through appropriate synthesis and communication.
- Manage knowledge Management activities with analytical competences.
- Contribute to professional knowledge and field of practice through cultural and ethical framework.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
For graduate degree completion, graduate students must satisfy the following requirements:
- Earn a minimum CGPA of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00.
- Successfully complete all courses as described in the study plan.
- The Degree Completion requirements must be met within the timeframe of the program.
- Successfully complete the “Thesis” course.
ACCREDITATION
The American University in the Emirates is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Commission for Academic Accreditation | caa.ae
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Course Category
Total Number of Courses
Total Number of Credit Hours
Core Courses
5
15
Elective Courses
3
9
Thesis 1
1
3
Thesis 2
1
3
Total
30 Credit Hours
PROGRAM Courses
CORE COURSES
5 COURSES | 15 CREDIT HOURS
Organizational focus and investments in knowledge management.
A company’s knowledge strategy and how it reflects the competitive strategy.
The role and impact of automation on knowledge workers.
This course uses readings, case studies, personal projects and discussion to expose students to the field of Knowledge Management. The course introduces you to the historical roots, theories, beliefs and frameworks in the field of Knowledge Management. You will also learn to determine the infrastructure requirements to manage intellectual capital. Additionally, you will learn about the role and skill set of today’s knowledge professionals.
You will build upon the foundation of Knowledge Management to apply knowledge principles and peer perspectives to current state as we begin developing knowledge strategy. You will then conduct a complete knowledge audit aimed at assessing the knowledge needs of your department /organization / institution. You will further understand the infrastructure requirements to manage the human, structural and relational capital at an organization/institution. Your assessment should follow a holistic approach and apply the principles of Knowledge Management as they relate to enterprise wide information and knowledge services.
How do effective leaders influence organizations and individuals to move in a direction? How do knowledge managers shape individual behavior and drive adoption and engagement? Successful KM Leaders must work with Leaders to drive change. They are often the catalysts in initiatives towards operational excellence.
In this course you will gain theoretical and project based learning of organizational change and leadership styles that support change. You will gain an understanding of the complexities of work cultures and how they impact a knowledge organization. Culture impacts and influences the way people work, decision making, communities of practice and knowledge sharing. Then, you will explore change management strategies and tactics for different types of change, aligning stakeholders behind the vision and understanding and overcoming resistance to change.
You will gain practical skills in leading interventions, change management frameworks and maximizing opportunity, measuring and realizing value throughout change initiatives aimed at making your organization more agile. Throughout this course, the objective will be to prepare Knowledge Management professionals to meet the challenges of organizational change successfully.
ELECTIVE COURSES
CHOOSE 3 COURSES | 9 CREDIT HOURS
This course will examine how knowledge services are designed, developed and implemented with sound governance and knowledge culture considerations. We will build on the knowledge audit that you developed in course KM 601- Knowledge Assessment and Evaluation. This course will draw on examples from various organizations on strategies for building a successful knowledge strategy and services for an organization or institution.
In this course you will study introduction to enterprise wide applications such as intranets, content management systems, search and social media. The course will also explore Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems. Off the shelf systems are often expensive and very complex. Organizations must make decisions about whether to buy off the shelf systems or customize and adapt and in some cases, build from scratch. It is important for knowledge managers to understand the options, complexity of these systems and organizational goals.
In this course, you will examine case studies in this key area as well as feature guest speakers related to the digital workplace. You will further explore how CRM systems interact with other knowledge systems, roles and responsibilities. Additionally, you will gain insight into implementing single projects and portfolios of enterprise tools. By examining case studies on actual implementations of these key systems, you will have focused discussions on what these systems are, how they work and key Knowledge Management considerations. You will also work in a group combining individual projects to develop a roadmap for the implementation of an enterprise wide portfolio.Today’s complex systems often produce complex information needs that require new technical communication methods and tools. This course surveys Knowledge Management systems that enable the access of knowledge assets. There are several categories of Knowledge Management systems semantic networks, content management, groupware systems and KM 2.0, intranets, extranets, document management system, data warehousing systems. You will also look at implementation of a Knowledge Management system. The business and system issues associated with the analysis, design, construction, deployment, management and evaluation of Knowledge Management systems are addressed.
A Knowledge Management system can enable your business to make better decisions. A Knowledge Management system focuses on both explicit and tacit knowledge. Many publishers use content management systems (CMS) to constantly update web pages and properties with fresh content to engage web visitors. In your role as a knowledge professional, it is quite likely that you will be involved in the implementation of a new tool and it is important to think strategically about this tool and the enterprise architecture.
There is a growing need in the labor market for experts who with the ability to recognize and understand the needs of a Knowledge Management system and skills to implementation and organize content in such a system.
You will use Knowledge Management technologies, review case studies and analyze knowledge processes and systems. Additionally, you will learn the implementation planning process of a knowledge system for an organization and the role of the Knowledge Management.
Knowledge of Document Management and Records Management are key processes for anyone working in Information Management. This course covers the principles and application of document management, records management and their associated systems. Student will examine principles, frameworks and the relationship with information policy and industry standards. The course will also introduce students to the records lifecycle, ensuring students can reconcile the physical and intellectual considerations related to curating, managing and preserving digital materials from a Knowledge Management perspective.
With the growth of big data and internet records we will further explore how we manage social media, Web 2.0 and instant message records and also understand the role of knowledge managers in this key area.
The course will involve lectures, case studies and insight into key practices related to managing and procedural frameworks in implementing a document and records management solutions.
Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage in today’s environment requires organizations and institutions know how to innovate. The ability to think creatively and turn ideas into action helps organizations stand apart from their competitors. As a Knowledge Management professional, it is important to foster innovation in knowledge initiatives. The goal of this course is to help develop your skills and teach you tools and techniques to create innovative products and services in your organization.
In this course, you will examine three main phases: exploring and discovery, executing and design and leveraging and renewing innovation through delivery. You will focus on developing new ways of thinking and opportunities to apply these ways of thinking through a course project and various class exercises.
During this course, you will go from idea to reality. Collectively, we will start with about 500-750 rough ideas and, through a variety of structured techniques, you and your smaller team will then refine them into approximately a dozen finished concepts. The purpose of this exercise is to give you a “live case” example of an innovation process that can be used to explore how to boost innovation in your organization. Additionally, throughout the course you will examine and learn through lectures, case analyses, visiting experts, relevant readings and student presentations.
Structuring online content is essential so that people can easily find what they are looking for. This course introduces you to concepts and practices in Information Architecture as well as basic elements of user experience design (UXD). Students will learn the broader context of Enterprise Architecture and develop practical skills to compare, analyze and design information architectures. The focus of Information Architecture is the structure and organization of content in an intranet, knowledge hub, website, mobile app, or other knowledge system with the goal of improved findability. Information Architecture is essential as it provides consistent taxonomies, metadata, search functionality and structured vocabulary with the user in mind.
The course will have a group and individual component. For the group component, students will analyze a website from an Information Architecture perspective in a small group as well as conduct user research. For the individual component, you will select a target intranet or website for design, create the Information Architecture design and develop a presentation showing the process and workflows.
THESIS
6 CREDIT HOURS
Students in this course will work with their thesis supervisor to develop a thesis proposal and begin their distinctive, applied research project. The primary goal is for the student to practice the mechanisms of transitioning from concept to active inquiry. Depending on the nature of the topic, the student will develop a study questions, conduct a literature review, develop a methodological approach, and begin preliminary research. Students are expected to apply qualitative, quantitative, and comparative research approaches to the chosen topic.
In this course, students will continue developing their thesis project, revising techniques (if required), addressing challenges, analysing findings, and eventually articulating the complete experience. Students will build on work from the previous semester and put all of the pieces together to complete the final thesis project, following the required research process and procedures. Students will be required to provide a verbal defence as part of the assessment and fulfilment of the course.
RECOMMENDED STUDY PLAN
ATTENDANCE
Weekday Classes
Course B | Mon –Wed | 5:00 pm –8:00 pm
If one course is registered, one-timing would be selected
Weekday Classes
Course B | Sat-Sun | 2:00 pm –5:00 pm
If one course is registered, one-timing would be selected