Background

The emergence of the knowledge-based economy has highlighted the need for effective exploitation of knowledge, making knowledge management an essential area of activity in organisations. Knowledge management (KM) is a systematic process of taking advantage of intellectual capital and knowledge assets for organisational success. It helps build the capacity of the organisation by developing, organising, retaining and utilising human and knowledge resources which contribute directly to its survivability and profitability. With the increased realisation of the value of knowledge and the need to exploit it in day-to-day operations, both public and private sector organisations have embarked on KM initiatives. Many have created formal positions and formed new divisions or departments to look into ways and means to apply KM in their operations. This has created a need for the training of KM professionals capable of taking the lead in the development and implementation of KM initiatives within their organisations.

Our Perspective of Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management, being inter-disciplinary in nature, draws upon the theories and practices of many disciplines such as business management, library and information science, information systems, computer science, philosophy, psychology, sociology, epistemology, and many others. However, a close examination of the literature and courses offered by KM programmes worldwide indicate that management, technology and information are the three foundation disciplines of knowledge management. Nevertheless, differences are prevalent among these programmes on the coverage and emphasis in these three core subject areas. Fortunately, we have a unique advantage over other KM education programmes that the Division of Information Studies offers two more graduate programmes in the areas of Information Studies and Information Systems. Taking advantage of our staff strength, we place equal emphasis on these disciplines and treat them as ‘three pillars’ of our KM education.

Aim of the KM Programme

Programme Mission: To educate and transform professionals from various disciplines into the next generation of knowledge management leaders to create, enhance and exploit knowledge assets of organisations of all types, by drawing upon the fields of management, technology, and information.

Upon completion of the MSc (KM) programme, graduates are expected to:

• Appreciate the importance of knowledge management in organisations of all types and sizes;


• Be familiar with strategies and technologies needed for managing knowledge and instituting changes within organisations;


• Develop an in-depth understanding of key concepts, functions, and issues related to KM systems;


• Understand and apply the principles and techniques of content management in organising knowledge and implementing controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, and information retrieval systems.

Career Opportunities

Employment is available with the private sector and government institutions, both in Singapore and around the globe. While the strategies and approaches to implementing KM vary between organisations, it is impossible to identify some generic roles that have been created to implement KM initiatives. While the following list concentrates on full time positions with a formal title, it is important to note that particularly in small organisations, where the size does not warrant full time positions, KM responsibilities are added to existing roles. Similarly, as KM is a multi-disciplinary subject, many jobs do not necessarily use the word Knowledge in their titles.

Knowledge-related Job Titles: Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO), Knowledge Engineer, Knowledge Asset Manager, Knowledge Editor, Knowledge Officer, Knowledge Analyst, Knowledge Architect.

Information-related Job Titles: Chief Information Officer (CIO), Content Analyst, Information Analyst, Content Manager, Document Manager, Information Architect, Content Management Director, Information Archivist, Information Developer, Web Content Specialist.

Information Technology-related Job Titles: Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Systems Developer, Senior IT Architect, Network Analyst, Systems Architect, Web Designer, Enterprise Portal Developer, Technology Manager.

Enquiries about the Information Studies Programme may be sent to:

Ms Karin Loh
Assistant Director (Academic)
Tel: +65 6790 6081

Ms Ms Shireen Lai
Senior Assistant Manager (Academic)
Tel: +65 6790 5779

Ms Nithiyah d/o Muthukrishnan
Senior Executive (Graduate Studies)
Tel: +65 6790 4602

Fax: +65 6791 5214
Email: wkwsci_coursework@ntu.edu.sg