As companies grow increasingly dependent on technology and digital information to remain competitive, the career path is wide open for dual-degreed professionals with advanced business knowledge and information systems expertise.
While earning an online Dual Degree Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Management Information Systems (MIS) can be demanding, Fortune notes such credentials stand out in the competition for senior management and C-suite positions.
“It can also effectively double, well, everything — your networks, skills, the industries you could potentially work in, etc.,” according to the magazine.
How Does a Dual-Degree Master’s Program Work?
Poets & Quants, a B-school resource, says doubling up graduate degrees is becoming more popular, adding there are two courses of study. In joint-degree programs, students must complete curricula for both degrees, while dual-degree programs “allow overlap of degree requirements, with single courses counting for credit across both degrees.”
For instance, the core MBA/MS in MIS curriculum offered online by Lamar University integrates economics, finance, management and technology studies, such as data mining and predictive analytics, complemented by a comprehensive selection of electives in information systems.
Combining the core curricula requirements enables students to complete the Lamar dual-degree program in as few as 18 months.
What Value Does an MSIS Degree Add to an MBA?
Data is a company’s life blood, and combing an advanced degree in data science with graduate management qualifications opens doors to business-critical operations such as:
Project Management
Information systems projects aimed at optimizing operations, reducing costs and risks, increasing productivity and other processes with bottom-line impact fail at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to the Standish Group’s Annual CHAOS 2020 report, “66% of technology projects end in partial or total failure.” Competent management is critical to avoiding failure, and senior-level project managers (PMs) are the key players throughout the project lifecycle. PMs, therefore, require not only relevant technical expertise but also an in-depth understanding of business goals, challenges, leadership and other people skills. However, employers are still struggling to find job candidates with software, information technology and systems management skills, making a degree in information technology in high demand.
“The role of the project manager has long been shifting…towards a strategic leadership position for effecting change in an organization,” according to Rebels Guide to Project Management.
Supply Chain Management
When governments worldwide shut down global commerce in reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak, supply chains broke. Putting them back together mandated actions such as adjusting to changes in workforce dynamics, increasing inventories and investing in digital and risk-management capabilities. However, McKinsey & Company says the expanding role of information technology that supports customer-centric digitally-integrated predictive networks, combined with developing new strategies for managing risk, is driving demand for professionals with technical and business expertise.
“Talent gaps are wider than ever,” McKinsey concludes.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
An ERP system is a must-have for any business organization,” according to CIO News. It integrates operational data from human resources, inventory, customer relations and supply chain management in one platform. By incorporating all its business activity in a single database, ERP provides total visibility to all levels of management. It avoids redundant data entry to ensure consistency and standardized access. In-house ERP managers and consultants, therefore, must have insights into specific business operations as well as the technical expertise to design and integrate ERP systems with operational units.
“Businesses of all sizes in virtually all industries use some form of ERP,” according to Oracle NetSuite, “and look for the right ERP professionals to help ensure success.”
MBA graduates with an advanced information systems degree are ready for high-demand careers that require foundational management knowledge and expertise in transforming data into knowledge businesses use to make better decisions more quickly and with higher certainty.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Dual Degree Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Management Information Systems program.
