After graduating from an Arts degree, Katie O’Reilly’s attention quickly turned to enrolling in the MSc by research (Business Information Systems) at Cork University Business School.
Although Katie was determined to accelerate her career, she was naturally apprehensive about enrolling in a postgraduate programme in an altogether different discipline.
With the help of CUBS faculty, Katie quickly brushed aside any obstacles by finding ways of fusing her existing skillset with the specialist expertise that she was developing.
Why did you choose to pursue an MSc in BIS @ Cork University Business School?
I was unsure about where to turn next after graduating with a BA in History and Political Science. While I always had a keen interest in technology, I was a little hesitant about choosing a master's in a discipline without any real experience.
But after enrolling, I found that the MSc by research (Business Information Systems) is designed to act as a bridge to introduce you to computer studies.
The faculty helped too by encouraging me to bring the skills that I had developed as an undergrad into the programme.
As a student, it’s easy to see why Cork University Business School and its faculty are recognised internationally for their expertise.
How do you think an MSc from BIS at Cork University Business School will shape your future career?
I’m currently looking at diversity and innovation within technology as part of my research project, and I hope to work in that space after graduating.
As an undergrad, diversity and equality were subject areas that I was hugely interested in, and I relished the opportunity to explore them from a technological perspective as a postgrad student.
Diversity and innovation are huge growth areas at the moment and will continue to grow in importance into the future.
After I graduate, I want to be in a position where I can continue to research and promote the importance of diversity and its relationship with innovation in technology.
I think that the MSc has provided me with an in-depth knowledge of the field and that can only serve to boost my career opportunities.
What is it about your research topic that makes it so interesting?
I’m exploring how diversity can play a role in preventing unconscious bias in the development of algorithms.
Specifically, I’m looking at how the makeup of a design team can influence the results published by an algorithm. It’s a relatively new area of research, which makes it both challenging and exciting.
Over the past few years, we have seen a push for diversity in the tech industry, however this has been a slow growing area where only a limited number of companies have actually adopted the recommendations that have been published in recent reports and research.
In that sense, because it’s so topical, it’s a really interesting area to research. Fortunately, as UCC provides access to a range of research material, I’m gaining huge insights and knowledge.