With the advent of the digital economy on a global scale coupled with cheap internet access in low and middle-income countries, we are witnessing an information revolution. Industries are switching to digital mode everywhere at a very fast pace, but all this has generated a lot of unaccounted and hard to manage information. Organizations need people who are able to manage their information for them skillfully because without management information in itself is not of much use. This is where Management information system (MIS) comes into the picture. MIS lies at the intersection of IT and Business management, and it wouldn’t be incorrect to call it the best of both worlds. MIS meets the needs of the marketplace for expertise in both technology and management. Highly qualified individuals with motivation for leadership in information technology fields are encouraged to apply for admission to this program. “Forbes Magazine” has listed MIS program to be the Eighth best postgraduate degree option for a safe and secure high paying professional job.
Management Information Systems(MIS) focuses on how companies can use the information to improve their operations. As an integrative field that studies people, technology, and organizations, computer and information systems management plays a crucial role in the implementation and administration of technology within businesses and organizations.
Master of Science (MS) in MIS will instill in you, basic business and technical knowledge focused on Information Systems. It makes sure that you enter the job market equipped with skills such as problem identification, solution development, and deployment. You will receive exposure to network and data communications, database management systems, distributed computing, and various systems analysis and design development strategies. Information professionals must be familiar with the theory and practice of storing, organizing, retrieving, and analyzing information in a variety of settings in business. Expertise in information systems is more strategically important now than ever.
Course Structure
Most of the MIS master’s degree program can be completed in less than 2 years, but some may take more or less time depending on your school and program. These programs include detailed study of technologies and strategies employed to solve business-related problems within an organization. In terms of credit hours, we can safely say that most schools set it at 36, but it can be reduced by completing an internship for credit during the summer between the second and third semester as a directed elective. While the actual curriculum may vary from school to school, but the following courses can be found in most of them.
- Advanced Database Management
- Advanced Systems Analysis & Design
- Enterprise Architecture
- E-commerce and Internet based Applications
- Project Management
- Accounting Concepts & Procedures
- Business Information Security
- Corporate Information Planning
- Data Warehousing
- Information Systems Design & Development
In the Management Information System world, you have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to selecting the specific program. In most of the schools, the eligibility net is very wide, and students from various backgrounds can apply for it, but those who have a strong background in either technology or business can opt for certain programs which are geared more towards those fields. So while looking at various school curricula, you should take note if they lay more stress on IT or business component and then choose accordingly.
USA is the top destination for Indian students who want to do their masters from abroad. According to GyanDhan’s research, Indian students studying Engineering subjects in the US institutes, around 2.20% students were studying MIS in 2018.
Eligibility
To pursue Masters in MIS, the qualifying criteria becomes very broad when compared to other degrees in technology or management. Some schools require you to have a degree in IT or management, but most don’t have any such restrictions. Such students, however, may have to take extra courses after joining the program.
Graduate level entry into international B-schools requires that you should have completed your bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Your academic performance is measured through your Grade Point Average (GPA) by most of the international business schools. Academic eligibility should be confirmed with the “Admission Committee” of your respective schools, and you should avoid taking advice from non-official channels.
Work experience certainly plays a positive role when it comes to getting admitted, but those of you who don’t have it, don’t need to worry too much. Most Schools don’t have any norm regarding compulsory work experience.
A good GRE or GMAT score is absolutely indispensable when it comes to getting admitted into a top school for an MIS program.
Language courses like TOEFL and IELTS are required by most top schools. TOEFL test scores are accepted in the USA. while IELTS is recognized by schools from many countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK.
You also need to prepare a resume, an SOP, and a recommendation letter. You can use this tool of ours to review your SOP. It is automated and hassle-free. Most candidates take the role of their resume and the recommendation letter very lightly. It is advisable to give proper attention to your resume as well as the recommendation letter. You should get your recommendation letter via professional or academic contacts, preferably by someone who knows you well.
The last obstacle to tackle would be the interview, most of the schools will require you to go through an interview round, once your application gets accepted. Get some insight into interview questions and make a note of the answers that are expected from you beforehand.
Degree of Master’s is supposed to make an expert out of you in a particular field. MIS does have many streams for the specialization, but we are going to discuss the most popular ones.
1. Operations and Supply Chain Management (SCM)
SCM can be defined as a methodology to design, plan, execute, control, and monitor supply chain activities in order to make full use of global infrastructure and to balance supply with demand. This is the methodology of maximizing resource utilization, minimizing wastage, and providing good customer service. SCM managers take care of external things such as planning the end product, procuring raw material, transport, and delivery of end products. Operations management and Supply Chain management are both linked with each other. In fact, Operations management is a part of SCM. Operation managers take care of internal issues such as sales forecast, increasing productivity, maintaining quality standards, and balancing supply with demand.
Demand for MIS graduates in the SCM field is very high and again there are many managerial roles to choose from once you enter the job market. Overall job opportunities should also be good, because of employment growth and the need to replace the logisticians who are expected to retire or otherwise leave the occupation. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts growth rate for SCM jobs at 7 percent, which is as fast as the national average itself.
2. Enterprise Information Systems (EIS)
Enterprise Information System (EIS) provides a single centralized technology platform which helps organizations to integrate their business processes. The focal point of EIS is to increase productivity and reduce service cycles, product development cycles, and marketing life cycles. EIS is the backbone of every enterprise today whether they deliver goods or services and has access to all parts of the said enterprise at any given time. EIS today is being driven by people who have knowledge of both technology, and business, it can not be otherwise in this digital age.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the growth rate for EIS jobs at 12 percent for the decade 2016 to 2026, that makes it the fastest-growing occupations in the years to come. MS in MIS proves to be very useful to get your career started in this line of profession.
3. Project Management Information System (PMIS)
Project Management Information System (PMIS) refers to a system which organizes information in a logical way which is to be accessed sometimes later for the successful execution of a project. PMIS consists of a network of hardware and software applications, directed and managed by a team, for collecting and organizing information. PMIS also acts as a communication bridge between upper and lower management levels. PMIS help project managers collect, process, and distribute information via electronic and manual means.
College Name | Popularity Rank | Global Rank | Total Tuition Fees | Deadline | Annual RA+TA | Unsecured Loan Offer | Secured Loan Offer |
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The University of Texas at Dallas | 2 | 421-430 | 53704 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The University of Texas at Austin | 4 | 67 | 37884 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
NYU Tandon School of Engineering | 5 | NA | 53850 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Illinois at Chicago | 6 | 207 | 56336 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Purdue University | 7 | 105 | 58264 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 8 | NA | 35540 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Syracuse University | 9 | 501-550 | 48600 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Rochester Institute of Technology | 21 | NA | 91040 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Colorado Boulder | 12 | 182 | 66276 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Iowa State University | 13 | 471-480 | 51428 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Arizona State University | 14 | 209 | 60396 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Washington | 17 | 61 | 63360 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Boston University | 18 | 81 | 105632 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Pittsburgh | 19 | 142 | 88948 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 20 | 364 | 105100 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Stanford University | NA | 2 | 108030 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Berkeley | NA | 27 | 29700 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Carnegie Mellon University | NA | 47 | 94600 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Georgia Institute of Technology | NA | 70 | 57136 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | NA | 69 | 68660 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Michigan | NA | 21 | 99016 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Texas A&M University | NA | 195 | 67333 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Cornell University | NA | 14 | 59000 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Los Angeles | NA | 33 | 53088 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Pennsylvania | NA | 19 | 86264 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Harvard University | NA | 3 | 92680 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Northwestern University | NA | 28 | 108240 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Maryland, College Park | NA | 129 | 46440 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The Johns Hopkins University | NA | 17 | 107480 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The Pennsylvania State University | NA | 93 | 76932 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Duke University | NA | 21 | 107080 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Minnesota -Twin Cities | NA | 163 | 42000 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Irvine | NA | 164 | 22884 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Northeastern University | NA | 346 | 47070 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Delaware | NA | 421-430 | 54810 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Engineering | NA | 651-700 | NA | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Illinois Institute of Technology | NA | 395 | 56700 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Houston | NA | 601-650 | 36612 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Missouri University of Science and Technology | NA | 651-700 | 50164 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
George Mason University | NA | 801-1000 | 40380 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | NA | 801-1000 | 59920 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
California State University, Fullerton | NA | NA | NA | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
San Diego State University | NA | 801-1000 | 28608 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Lamar University | NA | NA | 27408 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The job outlook is equally positive for all jobs related to Information System Management, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and growth rate is much higher than the national average for all other occupations.
1. Software Developer
A Software Developer is someone who manages the project, and it is about more than just writing the software. They research about the market, develop different models, work on the finances of the project, performs testing of the end product, and so much more. Traditionally this job has been with lead programmers, but now companies don’t want to compromise on the managerial front.
2. Business Analyst
A Business Analyst is a professional who studies the business model of any organization in great detail and then implements technological solutions which are cost effective and efficient. So they work as a bridge between business problems and technological solutions. Business Analysts work in many sectors of industry such as finance, banking, insurance, telecommunication, software services, civil services, and so on.
3. Consultant
Consultants work to improve the structure and efficiency of IT infrastructure in their respective organizations. They also provide guidance and technical advice while selecting and purchasing equipment for infrastructure. MS in MIS provides a good head start in this field.
4. Senior Consultant
A senior consultant is someone who has developed a specialization within a given field of work. They are more sales-oriented than anything else and look after the relations with clients. They can work independently within an organization as well as in a team.
5. Computer Systems Analyst
A system analyst is an IT professional who analyses, designs, and implements different information systems to collect, process, store, and distribute information. System analysts assess the viability of different information systems in terms of the end product and work in close contact with end users, software vendors, and programs in order to achieve these final results.
Apart from these, you can also work as a Data Analyst, Information Technology Director, IT project manager, and on many more positions.
6. Job Prospects
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of computer and information systems managers is expected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations”. Demand for computer and information systems managers will grow as firms increasingly expand their operations to digital platforms. Computer and information systems managers will be responsible for implementing these goals.
Management information systems is an attractive career for all those who possess required technological and managerial skills. MIS graduates are high in demand, and they can work in many different lines of professions in the field. We will discuss some of the most famous ones in detail below.
Companies that Hire MIS graduates include Accenture/Educational Testing Service (ETS), Argus Information & Advisory Services, Akamai Technologies, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Cognizant Technology Solutions, Deloitte Consulting, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Sears Holdings Corporation, Wellington Management, etc.
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