It is well known that there is no graduate degree out there that is more versatile and has a higher return on investment than the MBA. Sure, it will take two years and lots of hard work to earn that degree, but the payoff is definitely worth it—with an MBA, your career will take off (and so will your salary).
A Rising Career for MBAs: Technology
If you are considering earning an MBA, but are not sure what area of business you would like to specialize in, consider this: twenty years ago, the personal computer revolutionized how corporations got work done. In the last ten years, it’s email and the Internet that has changed the way businesses function. Corporations now have powerful computer networks that service their staff (and often their clients)—spanning the globe. Because of this, a new focus is needed in management—a focus on information technology. Information technology is constantly evolving and changing and the average CEO is finding it more and more challenging to keep up with those changes. As a result, the field of information technology is requiring much more skilled professionals—and not just professionals, but managers.
The MBA with an Information Technology Concentration is a standard MBA that blends in additional curriculum specific to business technology. Some programs also combine IT with e-business and other topics in online marketing and brand building, but general IT specializations includes studying topics such as project management, enterprise systems and infrastructure, and dynamic electronic strategies that build upon an organization’s profitability, efficiency, and value.
It is well understood that information technology meshes seamlessly with business management. Additionally, it is known that a savvy business leader must make the decision-making regarding the information technology concerns of a business. Managers with IT experience offer unique guidance through these technological twists and turns.
The Changing Face of Technology
While information technology is hardly a new topic in business, its application and purpose have shifted. Networks are in place and the skilled technicians that have long defined the IT profession fill many of the jobs. But information technology has proven to be too slippery a slope for traditional business managers to navigate. They are relatively unskilled in the technological processes that run businesses, and many are neither qualified nor necessarily interested in the decision-making relative to enterprise systems and infrastructures. This is where the MBA graduate with a focus on information technology steps in—and takes care of business.
Chief Information Officer
An advanced business degree with a concentration in Information Technology will not only put you in high demand, but could lead you to a chief position of your own—the recently created position of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). CIO is a job title commonly given to the person in a company responsible for the information technology and computer systems that support the organization’s goals. As information technology and systems have become more important, the CIO has come to be viewed in many organizations as a key contributor in formulating strategic goals. But the first step to becoming a CIO is earning that MBA in Information Technology—get started today!
