By Lanita Withers Goins , University Relations
Contact: 336-334-3890
Posted 12-13-10
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A degree program in UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics is moving from the classroom to the web.
Starting next fall, the Bryan School will offer the master’s degree in information technology and management as an online degree program only, replacing the face-to-face master’s program in the discipline. The degree is the fifth online offering for the school and the first at the master’s level.
The move online was prompted, in part, by student requests, said Dr. Lakshmi Iyer, an associate professor and director of graduate programs for the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management.
The numbers of students taking advantage of the Bryan School’s online post-baccalaureate certificates has more than doubled, she said. “In most of our information sessions, we had a number of inquiries for an online master’s program. We feel that is our potential for growth. The ability to take classes remotely is a huge benefit to working professionals who are unable to drive to campus for their education.”
The master’s degree, which requires 30 to 36 hours of class work to complete depending on an applicant’s background, focuses on both information technology and the management of technology resources. The program combines technological and managerial components to train graduates to deal effectively with the complex issues involved in applying information technology within organizations. Students also learn to work in a collaborative work environment, with an emphasis on problem-solving skills and decision making. Applicants are required to have taken the GMAT or GRE within the past five years.
Many prospective students in the program are working professionals who will benefit from the flexibility an online program will offer, Iyer said. “They already have a job in the workplace and sometimes they are retooling so they can move up.”
By taking the program through the Bryan School, students will be enrolled in a school accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and will have access to experienced Bryan School faculty, who will instruct the classes. A newly revised curriculum also includes a thesis option for students interested in pursuing research in the field or study at the doctoral level.
For more information, visit http://www.uncg.edu/bae/isom/masters. To apply to the program, visit http://www.uncg.edu/grs.
