In the business world, everyone is looking for the next “IT” thing. But for students enrolled in the Commerce School master’s program in management of information technology, that desire may be within reach. Computerworld magazine recently recognized the program as one of the “IT schools to watch.”
Commerce Prof. Barbara Wixom, who teaches classes in the program, said Computerworld’s findings are based on surveys completed by graduates of many different colleges and universities.
Commerce School Dean Carl Zeithaml said the master’s in management of information technology program “is an executive format ... targeted at working professionals” and “emphasizes the strategic management of technology as opposed to the technical aspects of technology.”
Wixom also noted that the Commerce School program is flexible and appealing because it is designed for professionals who are still in the workforce. A prospective student in the program can enroll in Charlottesville and come for a three-day weekend, once a month for a year, or he or she can enroll in Reston, Va. at the Bechtel Conference Center and attend classes every other Saturday for 16 months. Participants in both versions of the program attend “residencies” on Grounds for two weeks at the beginning of the program and one week in the middle of the program.
“Our hope is to help ... these folks move forward in their career paths ... and create successful business leaders in the IT industry,” Wixom said.
Wixom added that when Zeithaml became dean of the Commerce School in 1997, he challenged the entire school to create innovative programs. The master’s of management program was the IT area’s response to his demands.
Wixom highlighted the University’s differences from traditional IT programs, noting this most likely played a role in the program’s assessment.
“In the past you’ve had programs that are business programs,” Wixom said. “And there might be tech classes in it, but it’s up to the student to integrate technology with management ... and traditional master’s of science programs are heavy in technology. We’re pretty darn unique. We fall in the middle because we take both perspectives and integrate the content.”
Paul Matthews, senior systems engineering manager at Lockheed Martin and a 2005 graduate of the program noted that he had been “looking for a long time for a program that melded [his] technology background with [his] business interests, and U.Va.’s program did that very nicely.”
The program’s content is directly applicable to students’ professional lives, and students “gain immediate benefits that lead to long-term career success,” Zeithaml said, suggesting that career success has contributed to the program’s high marks from its graduates.
Matthews noted that since graduating, he has been promoted and received a 24 percent increase in his salary. Program graduate Charles Henry, vice president of revenue, quality billing assurance, and systems automation at Verizon, noted that within six months of completing the program he had been promoted to vice president. Both men acknowledged their advanced degrees were large factors in their career advancement and said they would recommend the program to others.
“What distinguishes the program is the quality of the professors and the commitment they have,” Matthews said. “They taught some very dry subjects in a way that was easy to learn and very enjoyable. Some other universities use part-time professors who are dry and read from a book... but [the University’s] were very engaging.”
Zeithaml noted that Computerworld’s assessment was the first of its kind in any publication.
“This recognition is wonderful,” he said. “It’s a real tribute to the faculty and staff who have helped this program to develop and grow over the past decade,”
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