Institution: the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD

How long has the course been running? since September, 1999

Why was it introduced? because of demand by graduates

Course duration: one year full-time, two years part-time Number admitted to course: It depends on the quality of the applicants, says academic course co-ordinator Dr John Mooney. "This year we took in 80 students, all with very interesting academic and work experience," he says. "Because it was only our second intake, we felt there was a huge backlog of people. We wouldn't want to compromise on the quality of the people, however, and next year, we'll probably have a combined intake of 40."

Entry requirements: a 2nd class honours degree in business studies or significant work experience. There are no interviews so candidates have to use the application form to persuade course organisers of their motivation.

Employment rate: 100 per cent. Graduates went into relatively new e-commerce start-ups, the larger commercial organisations, e-commerce, e-commerce consulting, investment and finance. A few graduates are developing their own businesses.

Course content: Core subjects include management and information systems, the evolution of e-commerce, research methods and business policy. On the elective list are: e-commerce infrastructure and systems development, managing e-commerce strategy and operations, virtual organisation and managing customer relationships through e-commerce.

Fees: £5,500 full-time, £3,250, per annum, part-time

Sounds expensive? Not really. "In the Financial Times' ranking, Smurfit Graduate Business School came out as being the best value for money in the world," Mooney says.