The strong presence of technology in our world today has increased many people’s interest in obtaining technology-based degrees, both as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, in order to further or begin their careers. One of the most common technology-based degrees is in Management Information Systems (MIS). Many of these same people are also planning for the future and wondering what prerequisite courses will be needed prior to starting their Master’s degree in MIS. This question can be answered based on what educational track was or is to be completed in a post-secondary educational environment.
Different Tracks
If a student has completed their Bachelor’s degree in MIS or in a business or computer-related field, they will have the most course prerequisites transferrable to a Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MSMIS) program. If a college track was not taken in either of these fields of study, then a student can expect to complete a larger number of prerequisites in order to satisfy the requirements of both being accepted to and being able to finish a MSMIS program.
MSMIS Prerequisites
Because the Management Information Systems educational track is a combination of business management and informational sciences, both business courses and selected information science courses are required to satisfy the MSMIS requirements. Typical course prerequisites prior to being admitted to an MSMIS program include the following courses: database management, project management, systems development life cycle, web development, and IT hardware and systems software. In addition to the mentioned informational science courses, a business acumen program consisting of low-level accounting, finance, statistics, economics, marketing, management, and operations courses are usually required to gain a business knowledge base. Upon completing of these courses, one can usually find themselves working towards their MSMIS degree contingent on a certain grade point average and standing with the selected institution.
Courses Taken Within MSMIS Program
Once one has been admitted to an MSMIS program, they can expect to take courses heavily focused on advanced informational science topics. Some of these can include courses such as the following: business intelligence and analytics, security, advanced web development, advanced data communications, and financial modeling. These courses are designed to give an individual specialized knowledge in the MIS field that will enable them to seek broader career options with better pay and stability. Typically, one could expect the completion time of a MSMIS program to be around 1-3 years. The number of years taken to complete the program is based on workload and the institution that is offering the program. Some hiring companies also greatly consider a potential employee who has advanced their education with an institution that is certified with The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or AACSB certification.
Choosing to further education with a Master of Science in Management Information Systems is a wise decision in today’s world. With technological advancement increasing at a rapid pace and bachelor’s degrees saturating the job market, possessing the MSMIS degree will help one to be more marketable, while learning an invaluable set of skills.