ICT in Business and the Public Sector (MSc)

In the two-year master’s programme ICT in Business and the Public Sector, you will expand your knowledge of ICT and develop business and organisational skills that are essential to become a modern IT professional.

Specialisations

Programme changes in September 2025

Note: in September 2025 this master programme will become _Computer Science and Business Studies_, i.e., a new Business Studies specialisation of the existing master Computer Science programme. The curriculum will remain mostly the same, with additional freedom in choosing electives from the master Computer Science.

Lijin Zheng

Student

“I was interested in how ICT facilitates business and so this master’s programme suited me well.”

“I have a technical background and I did a lot of programming during my bachelor’s in Digital Media Technology in Beijing (China). For my master’s I decided to make some changes. I was interested in how ICT facilitates business and so this master’s programme suited me well. I decided to follow this programme in Leiden, because Leiden University has a very good reputation and belongs to the worldwide top.

We started with several courses on both ICT and business aspects. The ICT courses didn’t focus on (fundamental) computer science and programming, but more on ICT at a higher level with topics such as ICT architecture and enterprise information systems. We learned to understand the concepts behind ICT. The most important knowledge I gained from this master’s programme was how to bridge ICT and business and how new ICT technologies can be used to make business more effective and efficient. That was exactly the part I liked most. In the coming months I will complete my master’s degree with a thesis project at an ICT consultancy company.

In the course of this master’s programme we did a lot of projects in groups. Since half of the students are international, we experienced how people from different cultures have different ways of acting and expressing ideas. This really helped me to improve my cross-cultural communication skills.”

Jorge Osorio

Alumnus

“During my master’s in Leiden I developed a broad view of IT.”

“The KLM programme that trains participants for the position of IT manager has a stringent selection process. You have to have good analytical skills, be able to handle people and have broad technological knowledge.

What’s interesting is that in my Leiden master’s ICT in Business I learned to regard IT from these different perspectives – not only from a purely technological, but also from a social, economic and organisational viewpoint. I am now reaping the benefits of this.”

What does this master’s programme entail?

The MSc ICT in Business and the Public Sector (last intake in February 2025) is offered by the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) as a two-year research master on the management and application of ICT in an organizational context.

Over the last years, rapid changes in information and communication technology (ICT) have created major challenges and opportunities for all kinds of organisations, industries, and individuals. To thrive in our modern information society, businesses and governmental organisations alike must combine a solid grasp of the evolving technological possibilities with a deep understanding of how to effectively and responsibly apply these in an organisational context.

Read more about our ICT in Business and the Public Sector programme.

Why study ICT in Business and the Public Sector at Leiden University?

The master's programme ICT in Business and the Public Sector is unique in the Netherlands and has a strong international focus. Besides students and lecturers coming from all over the world, there are several possibilities for studying abroad. Cross-cultural team work is required in a lot of courses.
The groups are small (40 students) and the lectures are often interactive.
You will benefit from the department’s strong links to industry. There are good in-company research thesis internships, often followed by excellent career opportunities.

Find more reasons to choose ICT in Business and the Public Sector at Leiden University.

ICT in Business and the Public Sector: the right master’s programme for you?

Are you interested in managing ICT in complex organisations, in an international context? Are you a team player who likes to cooperate with colleagues from different departments? Then ICT in Business and the Public Sector is the right choice for you. Besides understanding of typical Business and organizational topics, this master’s programme covers the interface between IT and Management. The programme offers two specialisations: ICT in Business and ICT in the Public Sector.