Engineers with keen interest in Technology and its management often confuse MBA in Information Management with MBA in Technology Management. Some Business Schools offer MBA in Information Technology, which is normally an intersection between the two.
CIO or CTO
Before you start researching about top MBA Programs in IT, understand the different career paths that you can take from the same course. If becoming a CTO or CIO is your long-term career goal, then make note of the responsibilities of both this position. Do keep in mind that in most organizations there would be only one position and the responsibilities will be overlapped.
Let us first look at some of the common areas of responsibilities
1) Infrastructure: How the IT Infrastructure is managed in an Organization
2) Process: What processes are required to manage information flow, efficiently in an organization
3) Integration: How IT can be integrated so that Business Process flow is not interrupted
4) Budgeting: How to budget for the IT requirements in an organization – short term (1 year) and long-term(5 years)
5) Security: How to develop Processes and pick technologies to maintain security of
information flow in an organization.
6) Project Management: How to support projects in an organization with efficient use of IT infrastructure.
7) Relationship Management: How to manage the relationship with Vendors and internal IT team
8) Talent Acquisition and Management: How to find the best vendors and Technology Professionals
9) Innovation: How to think strategically and introduce technology and process innovations in an organization
When you look at the above areas, you will realize that the major difference between CIO and CTO is that CIOs tend to focus more on practices, processes and flow of information, while CTO has to think from a technology infrastructure point of view. Ideally, there should only be one role and for technology candidates, an MBA should teach you about management fundamentals, and processes & practices for technology management.
MBA in IT Management
IT Management deals with managing technological assets that cover topics like technology strategy, technology forecasting, technology road mapping, technology project implementation and maintaining an up-to-date technology portfolio. The role of technology is to create value for the customer and the IT management team must develop the decision-making skills necessary to learn when to invest or withdraw from a technology investment.
Goals of MBA in IT
The MBA in IT seeks to create leaders who understand the strategic value of technology and the application of the systems that underpin them. An MBA offers a greater understanding of how various functions in a Business works, how to translate customer’s needs to Business requirements and how to deliver them in the most cost efficient way. They are not just responsible for ensuring that the technology systems run smoothly, but are also involved with ensuring that Organizations take advantage of the strategic opportunities derived from the technology. They must be equally comfortable in dealing with directors, board members and strategists as well as skilled technical personnel.
Choosing the right MBA program
Ideally, prospective MBA in IT should choose a program with flexibility and a wide range of courses that cover three core areas: Process, Technology and Innovation Management. Long-Term goals should be taken into consideration before picking the best MBA program in IT.
Career Options
The ultimate goal of an MBA in IT is to be the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or even a Chief Information Officer (CIO). They could also be the Information Technology (IT) Director in non-tech companies. Other options include IT Business Management and IT Project & Program Management, IT Financial Management,IT Outsourcing, IT Infrastructure Management, IT Leadership, IT Transformation, IT Infrastructure Design, IT Service Delivery, Global IT Operations, Strategic IT Management, IT Cost Optimization, Enterprise IT Infrastructure and IT Operations Management .
Related Read: MBA in Information Systems - Top 5 Course Details and Career Options
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About the Author
I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.
For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.
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