Yue Xu:                        This is MBA PodTV and welcome to the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

I’m Yue Xu and I’m here at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business. Today, we’re taking up behind-the-scenes look at one of the most popular programs, the Master of Science in Business and Information Systems. Not only will you learn about the program but we’ll also look at the types of careers that this master program will lead to and also what life on campus is really like.

Today you’ll hear from the Programs Academic Directors, Peter Weiss and Kate Stewart. You’ll also meet some current students.

Van Muching Hall, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Peter Weiss:                The MS in Business and Information Systems is a one-year full-time degree that has a variety of components to it. We have a technical component and a business component. And it’s intended for a person who’s interested in getting an advanced degree, and therefore, becoming more competitive in a business environment but with a technical focus and information systems is a great career path.

Kate Stewart:              The curriculum is broken into two main parts. So we have a set of core classes and a set of elective classes. Within the core we really focus on building depth and skills in three main areas. The first is information technology, obviously, it’s a nemesis program. The second key area that we focus on is analytics.

This is a really hot area right now. A lot of companies are trying to find ways to leverage huge datasets for business intelligence and competitive advantage. Also, we really try to give our students some skills through a set of about four courses to understand how to handle those datasets and how they gain some insights from them.

And then the third area is business and management. Generally MS is in a business school, so students take a set of courses to understand how does the technology function and kind of fits into the rest of the organization, how that impact organizational strategy, what are the unique issues to understand in managing information technology projects.

Yue Xu:                        Taking on a master’s program isn’t always easy. You might be thinking how will this help with my future career and how can I take advantage of all this program has to offer? Well, one of the benefits of the MS in Information Systems is its flexibility.

Kate Stewart:              Well, the program is designed so that it can be completed in one academic year, but it could also be stretched out to one and a half or even two years. So we find that a lot of our students prefer to stay for one and a half years and that allows them to stay in the program a little longer, stay in the area a little bit longer and maybe get an internship. We encourage those students to get internships during the summer, so there is flexibility.

Xin Ton:                       Their teaching style is completely different than the style in China. In China, the semesters are long. They mostly consist of long lectures. But here, there’s more active participation. They don’t get you with a huge test at the end of the semester. They have different projects and case studies every week. Then you keep up on your studies. It’s busy but very fulfilling. I’m very happy because I’m learning a lot.

Yue Xu:                        You should consider where you want to study when choosing a master’s program because you could be spending up to two years there. Here at the University of Maryland is situated right outside of Washington, D.C. which means a quick hop into the excitement of the capital city. And as you can see here on campus it’s a beautiful green park-like environment.

Peter Weiss:                This is a beautiful city, lots of park space, there’s almost anything you could think of to do here. Washington being a large metropolitan area and is also the nation’s capital, a lot of employers are headquartered here. So within MS and IS your job opportunities quite vary. There’s all sorts of options for you. You can be a business analyst, so that’s a typical job opportunity and a lot of our graduates go for consulting firms who provide analysis for other industries.

You can also go into development, you can go into project management, data analytics has become a very hot area right now where more and more people require information systems people to analyse the data they’ve collected, and they look for business trends.

Jiefu Zhu:                     I think the professors are really nice to us. They organize many activities to help us find jobs. They organize extracurricular activities and that helps us form relationship with the faculty.

Xin Ton:                       I would tell someone who haven’t decided yet that you should really figure out what you are interested in, if you’re interested in business and information systems and see all those courses offered by Smith School that really fit want you want to do or want to know about. But to me, I really recommend this program. It’s really, really great.

Yue Xu:                        Well, that’s it for this episode of MBA PodTV. I’m your host, Yue Xu. If you want to learn more about the Smith School’s Master in Information Systems you should check out their website at rhsmith.umd.edu. And remember, to visit us at MBAPodcaster.com to register for the latest video and audio shows. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news and insights on your application process. Good luck.

Admitted student profile

Academic performance, letters of recommendation, career goals and strong test scores are among the criteria considered. A competitive applicant will possess the following:

• GMAT: Mid 600's or higher
• GRE: 75th percentile or higher
• Undergraduate GPA: 3.3/4.0 or higher
• TOEFL: At least 100 (Must meet minimum requirements stated by the university.)

Want to learn more?

Join an info session. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/ms/infosession.aspx

Admissions

Applications for fall 2013 opened on September 1, 2012.

For more information, click here. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/ms/infosys/admissions.aspx

Student Life

From MS Dinner and Movie Night, to NBA basketball games, to visiting the Smithsonian and our National Mall, MS students can find a wide variety of social events and community-building activities during their time at Smith. Other activities include:  visiting the Baltimore National Aquarium, MBA & MS International Week, the UMD Homecoming Parade, and the MS End-of-Year BBQ.