Volume 12, Number 3, 2004
In addition to the new undergraduate major in management information systems (MIS), the Lerner College also recently began offering a master of science degree in information systems and technology management.
The graduate program, now in its second year, has an interdisciplinary curriculum developed in conjunction with the College of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The part-time program provides working professionals with a solid understanding of both information technology and business management, according to Clinton "Skip" White, professor and MIS area head for the Lerner College.
"We designed the master's program for students who have either a business background or a technical, computer science background and who want to move into management," White says. "The courses all offer intensive work in information systems and also in management."
Students can complete the 36-credit program, which does not include a thesis requirement, in two years. The first six credits must be earned in three foundation courses, which can be taken online and which cover the fundamentals of business and programming.
One of the first students to enroll in the master's degree program was Anita Schwartz, AS '89, who says she always wanted to pursue a graduate degree in business but never found the time or the right program. With a bachelor's degree in computer science, Schwartz works in information technology for the University and has four young children.
"I decided to apply for the program because I thought it would be a perfect complement to my technical background and business interest," Schwartz says, adding that the evening course offerings fit her work and personal schedule.
Other students in the first group include a corporate database administrator, a project manager for a high-tech company and others in information technology careers, White says.
"The students who enroll in this graduate program probably see an MBA [Master of Business Administration degree] as too broad for the job they have in a technology-intensive organization," Jack Baroudi, professor of MIS and associate dean of the College, says. "They want a graduate degree that lets them specialize."