NU MIS program (Springfield, Campus: university, campus, accepted)

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by marothisu

No matter what, you're going to learn it of some kind in MIS probably. I think knowing it will absolutely make you not only understand everything better (which will go into everyday life - trust me) but it'll make you more marketable. However, you don't necessarily need a class to do this. There are definitely many resources and tutorials online which will provide you the tools to learn the stuff at a basic level for sure.

Check this out. It's online and interactive.
Learn to code | Codecademy



Heh, I think it's semi normal. I suck at geometry proofs but I can do upper level calculus still pretty well...



If you just want to do Database modeling/administration type of stuff and learn security stuff (not necessarily how to create it), and how to employ some business intelligence stuff then I *think* that MIS will be adequate. I am not sure of NU's program though and I know that MIS does a lot with database stuff at other schools. Have you seen the requirements and what you need to take?

NU is not my first pick. The issue is I like the prestige. It seems like having NU would look good on a resume. As far as the program it isnt my favorite. Im wondering if it would woah people in IT, I am taking it that it wont.

BTW, thanks for all the help. Ive been trying to get advice for a long time and nobody has really been helpful. Granted I dont know enough IT professionals and never really questioned one, except the ones at work.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

NU is not my first pick. The issue is I like the prestige. It seems like having NU would look good on a resume. As far as the program it isnt my favorite. Im wondering if it would woah people in IT, I am taking it that it wont.

BTW, thanks for all the help. Ive been trying to get advice for a long time and nobody has really been helpful. Granted I dont know enough IT professionals and never really questioned one, except the ones at work.

Makes sense. UT (Texas?) and BU (Boston U) are real good schools too...Texas of course is an awesome engineering school. I don't think any of those will hurt. Of course I don't know how their MIS programs are..but I doubt any of them are bad.

No problemo..

[Lucky Clover]

Ha, I'm getting my BS in IT at DePaul.

[chet everett]

Probably the best "break into it" program in the region for folks with pretty much NO background in doing anything computer related is the offering at UofC -- Immersion Phase | Masters Program in Computer Science | The University of Chicago There are sizeable number of folks that go through that program and then do quite well in the various healthcare / insurance / traditional lending firms that recruit there.

The second best option for folks with at least a clue about how IT fits in with business needs is DePaul. Their MS programs are VERY meaty and folks that do well in them will get a good job and have a decent network.
http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Prospectiv...eStudents.aspx

If you maybe have some experience with technology that is not as popular with bigger organizations and/or more forward thinking methodology DePaul also have VERY resepectable "Professional Development" options -- http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/ipd/Progra...msofStudy.aspx

IIT has similar sounding offerings.
Their most respected Master's program is in Mathematical Finance. IIT Mathematical Finance | Home
The offer a similar range of MS degrees through their equivelent divisions. IIT Professional Development | Information Technology and Management | Specializations The network is strongest with the "close to the metal" disciplines at firms like the old Andrew Corp and the core of Motorola's old military / public safety divisions. They also have certificate programs that can be very good for folks with a talent for some of the operational areas -- Information Technology and Management | Graduate Certificate Program

One of the "best values" for folks that have no real skills in IT and desire to learn a very productive path very quickly is Cisco training at Harper College -- Cisco CCNA Network Specialist CE Certificate: Harper College

The "bottom line" is that 99% of IT jobs are NOT based on "prestige" but on having solid skills. NU does turn out some folks with high skills but their forte is "prestige" and that is not really worth the premium when the loan in on your shoulders.

For folks like the OP I would strongly suggest that "CRM development training" is something they probably can pursue on their own. It is almost certainly more cost effective to earn a MBA from a upper tier or even regionally respectable university...

[emathias]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

...
I got into NU, but im not sure if I could get into Harvard.

Anyone capable of doing the work can get into this particular program at Harvard. As I mentioned in my original response, the Extension School is run differently than other schools at Harvard and one of those key distinctions is admissions - everyone essentially works their way into the degree programs, the admissions application for the degree programs is mostly a formality but you can't formally join the degree program until you've completed at least three required courses with a B or higher. Depending on your background, some of the courses will seem pretty easy, but there are definitely some very interesting but very difficult courses, too. Some of the Extension School courses are taught by adjunct faculty from other Boston-area universities, but some are taught by the same professors who teach at Harvard College or SEAS (Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Science) or the GSAS (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences). In fact two of the courses I took were shared courses, with students from the Extension School, the College, the Kennedy School, and other schools within Harvard University.

So, while the Extension School has very different admissions processes from the rest of Harvard, it has many of the same advantages and provides an opportunity to people who want access to the resources of Harvard but may not have the time to enter a regular, full-time program or are capable of doing the work but may not have maintained a particularly distinguished undergrad record.

I will say that if you wanted to do the Harvard Extension School route, and are able to move to Cambridge and take the courses in person you'll get more out of the experience for a couple of reasons: 1) You'll be able to take advantage of the side-benefits of being affiliated with Harvard such as the special speakers, special events, tremendous libraries and labs, etc. 2) More importantly, you'll be able to interact with other students more easily - part of education are the facts you learn from the coursework, but part of it - especially if you're switching careers - is the interaction with peers and classmates. In this last course I just finished, at least 3 out of 20 of the students (a New Yorker, a local woman, and a woman from Mexico) had quit their jobs to do the program full-time. The rest of us were doing it part-time while maintaining a job.

There are 12 courses in most of the IT degree tracks, and while you could theoretically do 4 courses per semester, 3 is a safer target unless you want to really be spending all your time studying, so that would be about 21 months you'd have to spend in the Boston area. If you do it part-time remotely, 3 years is a reasonable target. I work at a startup and I finished in 8 semesters. I could have easily finished in 6 semesters if I didn't work for a startup.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Probably the best "break into it" program in the region for folks with pretty much NO background in doing anything computer related is the offering at UofC -- Immersion Phase | Masters Program in Computer Science | The University of Chicago There are sizeable number of folks that go through that program and then do quite well in the various healthcare / insurance / traditional lending firms that recruit there.

The second best option for folks with at least a clue about how IT fits in with business needs is DePaul. Their MS programs are VERY meaty and folks that do well in them will get a good job and have a decent network.
Masters Degree Students

If you maybe have some experience with technology that is not as popular with bigger organizations and/or more forward thinking methodology DePaul also have VERY resepectable "Professional Development" options -- Programs of Study

IIT has similar sounding offerings.
Their most respected Master's program is in Mathematical Finance. IIT Mathematical Finance | Home
The offer a similar range of MS degrees through their equivelent divisions. IIT Professional Development | Information Technology and Management | Specializations The network is strongest with the "close to the metal" disciplines at firms like the old Andrew Corp and the core of Motorola's old military / public safety divisions. They also have certificate programs that can be very good for folks with a talent for some of the operational areas -- Information Technology and Management | Graduate Certificate Program

One of the "best values" for folks that have no real skills in IT and desire to learn a very productive path very quickly is Cisco training at Harper College -- Cisco CCNA Network Specialist CE Certificate: Harper College

The "bottom line" is that 99% of IT jobs are NOT based on "prestige" but on having solid skills. NU does turn out some folks with high skills but their forte is "prestige" and that is not really worth the premium when the loan in on your shoulders.

For folks like the OP I would strongly suggest that "CRM development training" is something they probably can pursue on their own. It is almost certainly more cost effective to earn a MBA from a upper tier or even regionally respectable university...

I'm not in the region. I'm in DC. I'm doing online. Do these programs stack nationally? Nationally what programs are good?

Thanks for all the info everyone has been very helpful.

[chet everett]

I do not know if there is a formal "ranking" for these kinds of things like there are for traditional MBA or Master of CS degrees. If your goal is to remain in DC I do know that many of the local universities do have similar programs and some almuni networks in the greater DC area that may be useful...

[Lucky Clover]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Probably the best "break into it" program in the region for folks with pretty much NO background in doing anything computer related is the offering at UofC -- Immersion Phase | Masters Program in Computer Science | The University of Chicago There are sizeable number of folks that go through that program and then do quite well in the various healthcare / insurance / traditional lending firms that recruit there.

The second best option for folks with at least a clue about how IT fits in with business needs is DePaul. Their MS programs are VERY meaty and folks that do well in them will get a good job and have a decent network.
Masters Degree Students

If you maybe have some experience with technology that is not as popular with bigger organizations and/or more forward thinking methodology DePaul also have VERY resepectable "Professional Development" options -- Programs of Study

IIT has similar sounding offerings.
Their most respected Master's program is in Mathematical Finance. IIT Mathematical Finance | Home
The offer a similar range of MS degrees through their equivelent divisions. IIT Professional Development | Information Technology and Management | Specializations The network is strongest with the "close to the metal" disciplines at firms like the old Andrew Corp and the core of Motorola's old military / public safety divisions. They also have certificate programs that can be very good for folks with a talent for some of the operational areas -- Information Technology and Management | Graduate Certificate Program

One of the "best values" for folks that have no real skills in IT and desire to learn a very productive path very quickly is Cisco training at Harper College -- Cisco CCNA Network Specialist CE Certificate: Harper College

The "bottom line" is that 99% of IT jobs are NOT based on "prestige" but on having solid skills. NU does turn out some folks with high skills but their forte is "prestige" and that is not really worth the premium when the loan in on your shoulders.

For folks like the OP I would strongly suggest that "CRM development training" is something they probably can pursue on their own. It is almost certainly more cost effective to earn a MBA from a upper tier or even regionally respectable university...

Boom. Chet nailed it. I've gotten the same advice from a lot of people regarding this.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by tawfiqmp

Boom. Chet nailed it. I've gotten the same advice from a lot of people regarding this.

Yes, I completely agree.

I tried to imply that in my posts but should have just come straight out with it. It's hard for people who don't already know me to believe it, but the program at Harvard I just completed I selected because it was affordable and flexible and it was a decent school (i.e. not a diploma mill), and had nothing to do with the name - if anything I was worried the name would be a distraction during a job hunt because I know many hard-core tech people are a little suspicious of educational brands that are well-known, but not especially well-known for computer science.

If the University of Illinois at Chicago, or Depaul or IIT had been able to match it on both price and flexibility, I'd have been equally satisfied with any of those places. And, in many ways, those would have been better if I were trying to change jobs because they'd have a lot more local connections. For someone trying to change jobs, going somewhere that you'll be able to leverage connections you make there can be very important.

[chet everett]

I actually worked alongside some folks that had an advanced degree from Harvard School of Education and they felt EXACTLY the same way -- there are HUGE differences in what Harvard Law/Medicine/MBA costs and how the other divisions of the University are run.

There are people that will look at you sorta like "what is so great about you" when they see a big name on your resume but when it came to my coworkers that did get a MEd or EdD from Harvard they did report that the courses were priced right, the teaching was first rate and it worked for them.

Originally Posted by emathias

Yes, I completely agree.

I tried to imply that in my posts but should have just come straight out with it. It's hard for people who don't already know me to believe it, but the program at Harvard I just completed I selected because it was affordable and flexible and it was a decent school (i.e. not a diploma mill), and had nothing to do with the name - if anything I was worried the name would be a distraction during a job hunt because I know many hard-core tech people are a little suspicious of educational brands that are well-known, but not especially well-known for computer science.

If the University of Illinois at Chicago, or Depaul or IIT had been able to match it on both price and flexibility, I'd have been equally satisfied with any of those places. And, in many ways, those would have been better if I were trying to change jobs because they'd have a lot more local connections. For someone trying to change jobs, going somewhere that you'll be able to leverage connections you make there can be very important.