Colorado State’s College of Business Offers Distance Option for MSBA in Computer Information Systems

Students from as close as Larimer County and as far away as Switzerland are now enrolled in the Master of Science in Business Administration Program with a specialization in Computer Information Systems at Colorado State University’s College of Business. The distance option for the MSBA-CIS program, which just completed its first year, was built to meet the fast-paced and challenging requirements of computer information systems.

Established in 1967, Colorado State’s CIS program is one of the nation’s oldest. As a result, extending the program to offer a new distance MSBA-CIS program was a natural progression, said Jon D. Clark, professor and chair of the College of Business’ CIS Department.

“Several positive trends are already emerging, including students expressing satisfaction with the flexibility distance learning provides and with being able to enroll even though they are not located near any university,” Clark said. “Most of our students are working professionals, and about half of them are working in the IT sector, but the others have expressed interest in earning degrees that will allow them to enter this field.”

Noting that the distance program learners must meet the same admission standards as residential, on-campus students, Clark said the initial class of students is high quality.

“The CIS program at CSU is a very well organized and thought-provoking program” said MSBA-CIS student Graham D’Alessandro. “Learning at a distance allows for great flexibility, my professors are very helpful and the material is very interesting and keeps my interest piqued.”

“Learning at a distance has changed thanks to high-speed Internet connections that are now more the rule than the exception,” Clark said. “Students can watch streaming video of lectures, participate in discussions and class projects and interact with faculty and fellow students instantaneously and in a manner that fits their personal and professional schedules.”

Another unique feature of the CSU program is the fact that it is geared to both IT and non-IT professionals or undergraduate majors. This allows for an academic credential for entry into the IT field for students without requiring undergraduate course work to be successful in the program.

“The classes are completely equivalent to my expectation of the CIS program,” said student Anwaar Misurati. “I am so excited and inspired to apply all that I learn in the CIS program to my career.”

Clark noted that because of the university’s long tradition of supporting distance learning for business majors (the MBA has been offered for nearly 45 years), CSU faculty are especially well-suited to implement classroom and instruction technology via a distance program without compromising its quality.

The MSBA-CIS program can be completed in as little as 12 months or can be flexed up to five years depending on students’ particular needs.

Application deadlines for admission into the fall semester are July 1 for international applicants and July 15 for U.S. applicants.

To learn more about the MSBA-CIS program, contact Claire Pettner, CIS graduate advisor, at claire.pettner@colostate.edu, 866-491-2746 x1 or 970-491-4612, or visit www.CSUcis.com.

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