Edinburgh Napier and Deloitte team up to announce unique postgraduate qualification

• The custom-made MSc programme will be completed by the firm’s employees

Edinburgh Napier University has launched a new postgraduate education programme for Deloitte, the leading professional services firm.

The agreement enables Deloitte to offer a unique, part-time Master of Science (MSc) qualification in Digital and Business Risk Management from Edinburgh Napier University to its IT Audit & Assurance and Risk Advisory graduate hires in the UK.

The course will be completed remotely, on a part-time basis over three years, alongside paid study-leave provided by the firm.

The first cohort of 35 Deloitte employees are already undertaking a series of modules which build skills in relation to identification and management of business and emerging technology and digital risks for organisations of differing size, scale and industries.

Deloitte will offer the same opportunity to those joining its IT Audit & Assurance and Risk Advisory teams as part of the firm’s graduate programme in September 2023.

Adam Conway-Howe, director in IT Audit & Assurance at Deloitte UK, said:

“As technology and digitalisation continues to transform the world of business, it’s more important than ever that our people are aware of the opportunities and risks this creates for our clients.

“As part of the world-class training and development Deloitte provides for our people, we are excited to offer those joining our IT Audit & Assurance and Risk Advisory businesses the opportunity to gain a post-graduate degree in Digital and Business Risk Management from this fantastic university.

“Created in close collaboration with Edinburgh Napier to ensure the programme is tailored specifically to the needs of modern businesses, this MSc offers a unique learning experience for our people right from the outset of their careers, alongside the practical experience they gain working at Deloitte.”

Kevin Johnson, Audit & Assurance partner at Deloitte in Edinburgh added:

“I am delighted that we’re working with Edinburgh Napier University on this programme.

“As a partner with responsibility for early careers in Audit & Assurance across the UK, I know the importance of building confidence, as well as a capacity for continuous learning, as our graduates join the workforce. 

“As technology evolves and our clients’ requirements grow in complexity this qualification should help to ensure our people have the right skills to support them now and in the future.”

The custom-made programme is being delivered at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School, in partnership with its School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.

Professor Christine Cross, Dean of the Business School, said:

“We worked closely with Deloitte to develop an understanding of their educational needs and deliver a programme that aligns with those requirements.”

Programme Leader Dr Paul Langford added:

“This part-time programme aims to equip the graduate entrants with a broad understanding of how high-performance firms work, the impact on businesses of current developments in technology, and how firms need to think about, be aware of, and manage risk.”

Among the team responsible for developing the agreement with Deloitte is Matthew Burdge, Business Development & Relationship Manager at Edinburgh Napier.

He said: “Edinburgh Napier University prides itself on translating its research and teaching to real world impact and meeting the needs of industry, the MSc offering that we are providing to Deloitte provides the perfect platform to do this.

“We were delighted to have the first Deloitte students and look forward to welcoming future cohorts to study at Edinburgh Napier University.”