Fresh out of College, want to go back for IS/IT related degree

Let me introduce my background and kind of describe what I'm after and interested in. I'd appreciate any feedback from experienced individuals who can guide me on a career path.

BBA in International Business, Management emphasis... SDSU 2004-2009
Under this major, I was also required to learn Mandarin Chinese

So I'm fresh out of college this year, but I already want to go back for another degree. I'm still pretty green in terms of the business speak and acronyms, so if I get something wrong please forgive me. I have some brief experience at mwave.com (e-commerce site) and I've already taken a liking to the processes behind a company's internal information system. I enjoy analyzing and understanding the needs of the business and translating that into data to provide for employees to utilize. I enjoy streamlining this process to make it more efficient, easier to use, and provide more utility.

I want to be very clear that I have a background only in management, no technical training whatsoever. Even so, I'm not afraid of technology. I'm a fair bit of a gadget geek and I'm not afraid to learn from a web-based tutorial or forum.

My main question is, for someone with my background wanting to get into this IS/IT (I've seen these terms used interchangeably so I'll follow suit) field, what kind of program would be best? My college, SDSU, offers an undergraduate degree in Information and Decision Systems - and now that I've found myself interested in it, I should have chosen this major instead. How would I ask my school about going back to finish only the upper division for this major?

Or rather, should I just be looking at a graduate program? If so, does anyone know of any good ones in Southern California? Due to financial reasons, I'd like to stay as close as I can in CA.

Thanks for any insight provided.

-James

 

I think in this time and age you don't have to limit your self to any geographical area.

Since this forum has a lot to offer advising about your possibilities by selecting Distance Learning options. These usually can be in any part of the country or even overseas.

You may start looking in to Excelsior College, Thomas Addison State College,
Charter Oak, Western Governors University and hundreds of other programs.

One popular way is to earn IT related Certifications.

For example A+, Network+, Security +, Microsoft and Cisco certifications as well.

These Certifications also cary academic credit, so with your excising Business Degree and these certs you can be closer to the second BSc degree in IT or IS.

Your job opportunities will increase if you hold both degree and certifications.

 

Whichever route you decide to go, I'd suggest since you don't have a technical background that you spend some time preparing before starting any program. The reason I say this is based on my undergrad experience in IT, the people who already had some background in computers (programming, operating systems, networking, etc) had a much higher chance of success than those who didn't.

Studying for some certifications like Lerner suggested would be a good way to learn about some of these topics while at the same time earning valuable credentials. (Some employers might even be more predisposed to hire you based on having multiple certifications than having a second BSc/BA in IT.)

Taking the "testing out" option as Lerner suggests through the "big three" or WGU may not be what you're looking for, these options are better for people who already have knowledge and want to get their degree done as fast as possible, but it sounds like you want/need to learn.

 

Visit the SDSU campus and tell them you are interested in earning a second bachelors degree. You will have to complete at least 30 units and meet all the course requirements for for the second degree. You should also find how to do this by reading the SDSU catalog.

SDSU is a great school and it may be hard to beat their CA resident tuition rates.

I think your knowledge of Chinese may prove to be a big asset to you in the future in this global ecomonmy - especially if you can interpret documents on technical issues. I knew someone who did contract translations (Hebrew - English) working through Berlitz (about 20 years ago).

 

Just likes other replies...the best way to get your certifcation and highly recommend CCNA, CCNP, CISSP, VMWARE (VCP). Find an entry level Information Technology job, then move yourself up to mid-level and continue for a Master degree in IT with Management.

 

Here http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31454 is a thread on master's degrees in information technology.

 

James, the occupation you are describing is called "business analyst". It's also referred to as "IT analyst". A business analyst translates business requirements into technical specifications that drive the product/software development life cycle.

Here are examples of programs in this field:

http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/business_and_management/certificate/business_analysis/
http://unex.uci.edu/certificates/business_mgmt/business_analyst/
http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/business_technology/masters/business_analysis.aspx?ct=1&
http://www.lebow.drexel.edu/Prospects/ExecEd/OpenEnrollment/BusinessAnalysisProgram.php

There is a professional certification for this field - the CBAP - and some of the academic programs are structured around its body of knowledge (the BABOK):

http://www.theiiba.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Certification&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=6084

Regarding other, hard skill certs...I would defer pursuing any of those until you've had broader exposure to various IT disciplines - software development, networking, databases, project management, etc - from the detached perspective of the business analyst. You may or may not find yourself attracted to any one of them.

 

...and one more thing: your background in Mandarin will be HIGHLY desirable to organizations that have product development and/or QA teams in Shenzhen.

 

Might I recommend a couple of books co-authored by the great Dr. John Bear, Bears' Guide to the Best Computer Degrees by Distance Learning and Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead?

 

If you are looking for a reasonably priced MS in Information Systems (MSIS), look at Dakota State University (DSU). I just finished the coursework and comprehensive exam (awaiting results) for an MSIS from DSU. DSU also offers an MS in Information Assurance (MSIA) if that is something that interests you.

http://www.dsu.edu/gradoffice/index.aspx

 

I concur with Ian. My wife completed her M.A. in Journalism at SDSU while I was stationed at Camp Pendleton. She really enjoyed the school’s academic quality and rigor. Fine university!

 

Thanks for the great information everyone.

Daniel: I think your information hit spot on. I had asked this question across various forums and "Business Analyst" was the term that everyone seem to point toward.

I have a few options in mind at the moment. One of them is, of course, getting another degree in the near future (1-2 yrs). But, in the meantime. I still feel pretty green and would like to get more experience in the real business world.

For someone aiming to be a business analyst, would it be a good choice to try to find an entry level IT job and work there for a while? (Helpdesk, and then up from there). What other types of entry level jobs should I try to break into in order to build relative experience for becoming a Business Analyst?

Any insight on this? Thanks in advance.

 

No, helpdesk is a bad choice. The help desk, while important, is regarded as a low-skill cost center in most organizations, not a profit center.

The business analyst is best served by working on projects within the profit centers, those that have the most strategic value to the organization. Translated, this means "projects of highest value to the folks holding the job title of Director or higher".

I just did a search for "business analyst" on dice.com - almost 2400 jobs appeared. Accordingly, I suspect that your formal qualifications are near sufficient. To crack that first job:

Be open to those that are less desirable - short-term contracts, high travel, etc.

Be open to relocating.

If you're absolutely convinced you need exposure to a hard skill, review some of the open reqs on Dice for business analyst positions that require technical skills used to crunch data for consumption by senior management - SAP, databases/data warehousing, etc, advanced Excel skills, etc.

If you can swing the experience requirements to take the PMP, do it.

 

The times got hard following 9/11/01 my brother in law shifted more in to Computer and Software Engineering, Applications development etc.

He found a gig as Systems Business Analyst for Toyota. This was very rewarding contract.

Not only from the wide range of skills you get to practice and perfect but also
from point of exposure to upper management and connections with leading Vendors, getting in to lead positions and recognition to a degree of accepting a position of Manager of major department responsible for CRM and Business Analytics solutions.

At some point Toyota invested in retraining many of its developers in to System Business Analysts with Certification.

"The Certified Business Analyst credential is an essential accreditation for business analysts, project managers and systems analysts in any industry," says Larry Seeley, President of ESI. "Projects are the lifeblood of any organization, but so many projects fail each year due to poorly developed or inaccurate requirements. ESI's training gives professionals the skills to develop, document and manage requirements early in the project life cycle. Professionals who earn the Certified Business Analyst credential will be able to demonstrate their commitment to the success of every project they undertake."
Three universities in the United States and Canada currently recognize ESI and CDI's business analysis curriculum: The George Washington University, Royal Roads University and McMaster University. To date, more than 100,000 professionals in the United States and Canada have taken one or more of these business analysis courses."The Certified Business Analyst credential is an essential accreditation for business analysts, project managers and systems analysts in any industry," says Larry Seeley, President of ESI. "Projects are the lifeblood of any organization, but so many projects fail each year due to poorly developed or inaccurate requirements. ESI's training gives professionals the skills to develop, document and manage requirements early in the project life cycle. Professionals who earn the Certified Business Analyst credential will be able to demonstrate their commitment to the success of every project they undertake."
Three universities in the United States and Canada currently recognize ESI and CDI's business analysis curriculum: The George Washington University, Royal Roads University and McMaster University. To date, more than 100,000 professionals in the United States and Canada have taken one or more of these business analysis courses.

Business Analyst Defined:

A Business Analyst assists clients and stockholders by analyzing business practices, identifying potential problems and providing solutions to these problems. They may go by other titles including budget analysts, financial analysts, or management analysts if they specialize in a particular field. Analysts are essential to any business because of their ability to reduce wasted costs.

There is another title as I mentioned Systems Business Analyst.
Combines both worlds Systems and Business.