Technological Changes and the IT MBA

With the arrival of high-speed Internet and its accessibility, a growing number of business professionals are considering the possibility of earning a Masters of Business Administration degree in Information Technology. One reason for this shift in focus is the greater availability of IT to the general public. Also, more and more universities and colleges are offering online classes and degrees, using technology that has become available only in the last few years.  New IT devices have streamlined such courses in a number of ways.  Data manipulation and presentation is now easier than ever before. The time required to research topics and interpret data has decreased.  Without the recent IT changes and new media, this would be difficult if not impossible. 

Given the current economic situation, heading back to college for an Information Technology Masters of Business Administration degree can be an attractive option.  Taking action to gain more earning power is appealing as well.  There is also a decline in the amount of time spent traveling.  

Online classes have considerable financial appeal as personal budgets shrink.  The expense and frequency of transportation to a virtual campus, as opposed to an actual one, are much lower.  In fact, at some campuses the student must appear only once or not at all. Others have a greatly reduced number of classroom hours.

Historically, semesters last about 15 weeks and the students take more than one course.  Each course meets a total of about 37 hours per semester.  A number of colleges have created opportunities for educational advancement designed for non-traditional students, using new technology and new class scheduling.  Semesters may be much shorter than the traditional 15-week terms.  Some colleges offer course tracks for various term lengths, for example, 5 or 10 weeks.  In the 5-week model, classes meet 4 hours once a week in the evening for 5 weeks, for a total of 20 hours of class time.  Taking classes online, even with 15-week semesters, can be economical, because of the negligible costs of transportation. 

To meet the standards of college accreditation regarding the number of classroom hours required, teamwork is emphasized.  Students meet outside of the classroom with their teammates via communication technology, such as voice mail, conference calls, email, podcasts, video conferences, and the Internet. Since students are learning how to use new technological advances together and individually, the hours spent in this way are included in the total hours per course.  Teams can also be effective in the collection, manipulation, and interpretation of data.

Have your advanced degree your way!  Streamline your progress toward an IT MBA.  Select the best combination of rigorous technological learning and the right schedule for you.