Instead of juggling a full-time job and attending regular classes, a new online degree option at the W.P. Carey School of Business allows professionals in the world of information systems greater flexibility in their pursuit of an education.
The 16-month Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program, which opens online in January 2012, is designed to make sure students have a broad view of information systems technology and can see how it adds value to an organization.
“The MSIM degree, it’s really designed for people who have been working as (information technology) professionals for a number of years and want to move from a more technical type role ... into more of a managerial role,” said Robert St. Louis, an information systems professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business.
The program has been taught in a classroom environment for the past five years.
“It’s just been an amazing success,” said Michael Goul, Chair of Information Systems Department at the W. P. Carey School of Business.
Classes are held two nights a week for four hours, but Goul admits the work can be tough.
“It’s pretty grueling and it’s hard on people that have certain job assignments,” Goul said. “So, there’s really been a need for a program that has more flexibility.”
The students in the program will work with five-week classes, one at a time, and with small groups of peers within the program.
“Technology has progressed to a point where it’s possible to deliver the same value (in an online class),” St. Louis said.
The online discussions allow students the time to produce well-contemplated answers instead of the fast pace of in-class discussions.
“So, even though that discussion may take a little bit of time … the quality can be equivalent to or better than the discussion in the other,” Goul said.
St. Louis has seen plenty of change in the world of information technology and expects the next 25 years to hold many more.
“The companies that are going to be able to prosper are going to be the companies that are able to both adapt to and leverage those changes and most of those changes are going to be driven by (information systems) technologies,” he said.
Working professionals, as well as companies, have to adapt to these changes as well.
“Information technology is changing so dramatically that anybody that got their degree ten years ago needs to get retrained,” St. Louis said.
Reach the reporter at rjmccul1@asu.edu
