The widely agreed-upon educational prerequisite for a career as an Information and Technology Manager is an undergraduate degree in computer-science or information-related subject. This undergraduate degree is generally considered only the starting point. Typically, a professional desiring to pursue a position in IT Management will then work to accrue years of experience in their field in order to grasp a working knowledge of all the concepts involved in technical/information-based leadership. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, "Many organizations require their computer and information systems managers to have a graduate degree as well. A Master's of Business Administration (MBA) is common and takes two years beyond the undergraduate level to complete. Many people pursuing an MBA take classes while working, an option that can increase the time required to complete that degree."
The problematic scenario which can be created with this timeline is the time lost within the workplace and the upheaval the working professional must endure in order to leave an established career within an organization in order to move to a nearby business school for a two year, full-time program. This is the main reason why so many award-winning, distance-learning Master's of Business Administration programs have become championed by today's working professionals in business. Not only does a graduate student within an online program enjoy the benefit of not having to quit a position with an organization they have invested years into, they are also able to set a schedule flexible enough to allow them to complete coursework on a time table that works around their professional and personal life. Many online programs offer accelerated paces for their curriculum allowing students to complete an entire degree in a year's time. While some students have a demanding or unpredictable work schedule, many business schools also include a time line of over five years for students needing to take classes at a slower pace.
Another benefit to an online MBA is the student's ability to apply the very concepts learned in the virtual classroom directly to the work environment. This component of the degree functions as an instant litmus test, helping the student understand what is truly helpful in the "real world" and allowing the organization to benefit immediately from what the MBA student is learning each week. For this reason, many organizations even offer scholarships or tuition-matching programs.
A great example of a top online Master's of Business Administration in Information & Technology is the one offered by the School of Business and Economics at Campbellsville University. This 36-credit hour online MBA in Information Technology program is delivered as a 100% online experience without any campus visits or residency programs included. This type of degree not only saves time, it also keeps the graduate student from being responsible for added travel and lodging costs that some hybrid degrees feature within their programming. The curriculum is divided between 27 credit hours of core coursework including Marketing Management, Organization Theory, Human Resource Management, and Business Strategy and nine credit hours of Information Technology-intensive courses. The business school has designed this program to be completed in as few as 24 months. Priced at just $17,964, the online MBA at the School of Business and Economics has received national recognition by U.S. News & World Report as the 86th bets program in the nation.
