Online MBA Spotlight: Information Systems Management

The information technology (IT) industry is booming, with an estimated 3.9 million Americans working in the field today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the industry to add nearly 500,000 new IT professionals by 2024, bringing the talent pool total to more than 4.4 million. While demand for qualified technology professionals is high in just about every area of the computer and information technology industry, computer and information systems management is expected to experience even greater growth for the 2014-2024 decade. 

Information Systems Management - Employment and Salary Outlook  

At a projected 15 percent change in employment from 2014 to 2024, job growth for computer and information systems management is much faster than the average for all occupations. This means that by 2024, this occupation will increase by 53,700 new jobs, expanding from 348,500 to 402,200. Growth is three percent faster than computer and information technology and eight percent faster than the average for all occupations. In 2008, computer and information systems managers held around 293,000 jobs. 

Besides an excellent job outlook, information systems managers (also called IT managers or IT project managers) earn some of the highest salaries in the IT industry, and they just keep rising. According to the BLS, information systems managers averaged $131,600 in 2015, with some of the highest earners exceeding $166,160. Even “lower” paid information systems managers made out well. They averaged around $80,160 to $101,800 that same year. In 2008, median annual wages for professionals were $112,210. 

In addition to high salaries, computer and information systems managers, especially those at higher levels, often receive employment-related benefits, such as expense accounts, stock option plans, and bonuses. 

So what does all of this mean for MBA students specializing in Information Systems Management?

Stability, promising employment and salary growth, and excellent job prospects, to name a few. In fact, the BLS says that top employers prefer to hire information systems managers with a graduate degree, especially an MBA with technology as a core component. 

Students that choose the Information Systems Management specialization will learn how to define and analyze information systems requirements in various business situations and manage others as they build these requirements. They will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to: 

• Address information systems needs from a business perspective
• Align information technology with business strategy
• Evaluate emerging disruptive technologies
• Take on professional roles involving information technology planning and strategy

Students will gain project management experience involving a variety of information technologies and their utilization, applicable to private and governmental organizations, and they will gain knowledge of the information systems life cycle and the nature of related phases and tasks, from initial study through post-implementation support. Students will also gain: 

• A thorough understanding of system requirements elicitation, analysis, documentation, validation and management
• Experience with identifying organizational data to design and manipulate databases
• Integrated technical knowledge and understanding of business operations
• Techniques for working with users and builders of information systems
• Tools for developing prototypes that use visual programming technology 

To achieve this, students will complete the traditional MBA core requirements, and additional courses in the Information Systems Management area. Course titles in this area vary by school, so the following course list is just an example of what some programs might offer: 

• Analysis, Modeling and Design
• Business Process Management
• Data Management
• Data Mining and Analytics
• Database Management Systems
• Information Technology Strategy and Architecture
• Internet and Mobile Technologies
• IT Project Management
• Management of Information Technology 

Some schools also allow students to take additional electives that can help enhance their degree. Many students choose additional advanced computer science, advanced software development, or other advanced technology courses. In general, MBA programs require 36 to 62 credit hours to graduate. Add an additional three classes or more to complete specialization requirements. 

Which Schools Offer an Online MBA in Information Systems Management? 

The MBA in Information Systems Management (also Management Information Systems-MIS) is a popular degree, so finding a quality program should be easy. If you're looking for an online program, the following schools should be enough to get you started. 

1. Charleston Southern University, School of Business, Charleston, SC
2. Colorado State University, College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
3. Concordia University, Batterman School of Business, Mequon, WI
4. Dallas Baptist University, College of Business, Graduate School of Business, Dallas, TX
5. Delta State University, College of Business and Aviation, Cleveland, MS
6. Florida State University, College of Business, Tallahassee, FL
7. Fort Hays State University, Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Hays, Kansas
8. Gardner-Webb University, Godbold School of Business, Boiling Springs, NC
9. Grantham University, Mark Skousen School of Business, Lenexa, KS
10. Marywood University, College of Professional Studies, School of Business and Global Innovation, Scranton, PA
11. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Martin Tuchman School of Management, Newark, NJ
12. Park University, College of Management, School of Business, Parkville, MO
13. Stevens Institute of Technology, School of Business, Hoboken, NJ
14. Tennessee Technological University, College of Business, Cookeville, TN
15. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Collat School of Business, Birmingham, AL
16. University of Arizona, Eller College of Management, Tucson, AZ
17. University of Central Arkansas, College of Business Administration, Conway, AR
18. University of Colorado Denver, CU Business School, Denver, CO
19. University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, College Park, MD
20. University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, Durham, NH

Considering an MBA? Use our interactive map to find information on schools and colleges offering MBA programs in your state and across the U.S.

Sources 

"Computer and Information Systems Managers." U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. 

"Compare Information Systems MBA Programs." StartClass. Graphiq, 2016. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. 

"Computer and Information Technology Occupations." U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. 

"Management Information Systems (MBA)." Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. DePaul University, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. 

"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015, Computer and Information Systems Managers." U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. 

Occupational Outlook Handbook. St. Paul: JIST Publishing, 2015. Print. 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Library Edition, Bulletin 2800. Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.  

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Library Edition, Bulletin 2800. Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.