Operations Management vs. Information Systems

College Majors Business Majors
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am needing information about which degree is more beneficial in today’s economy: Operations Management or Information Systems.</p>

<p>I will be finishing my undergrad studies in about 1-2 years, currently I am declared as an Operations mgmt major (will be earning BBA…there is no BS program), but am a bit discouraged by the job prospects in my area, where the trend seems to be IT.</p>

<p>I picked Oper. mgmt. because it seemed to require the most math and stats courses, which I enjoy, and I felt was the more unique program compared to accounting or finance (which everyone does). My school is a very strong engineering school, so a lot of my operations professors are also Industrial Engineering professors as well.</p>

<p>However, I am finding out more about myself all the time, and I am realizing that my people skills are a bit mediocre. Oper. mgmt requires pretty sharp interpersonal skills, which I lack. I just can’t seem to connect with others on the necessary level, which seems critical to success in operations.</p>

<p>So, I have the option of switching my major to Info Systems. Both programs are in the same department at my univ., so instead of taking Oper. mgmt classes during my senior year, I will take Info systems classes, and I could end up with a BBA in Info Systems. I could also do an accelerated program where I can earn my MS in Info Systems in 1 year. Then, I was thinking of picking up some Cisco certs at community college, since my interest lies in networking.</p>

<p>Generally, which is the more employable degree? I have done quite a bit of research on both, but am not satisfied, and would prefer to hear from someone who knows more. I have a 3.8 GPA, so I don’t think grades are an issue for me.</p>

<p>I deeply appreciate any feedback.</p>

2

<p>If your interest is in computer networking (like the Cisco cert you mentioned) then an MIS degree will be better for you. Unless someone like Cisco is hiring Ops Mgmt people to help build routers, etc., but I suspect they would be looking for people with Computer Science degrees for that. </p>

<p>When I was getting my MBA (many years ago) I was also interested in my Ops classes, due to the math involved. But I couldn’t find much on job demand for that degree at that time and took my electives in MIS instead. Been employeed in the MIS field for the past 20+ years. I’m sure there are Ops Mgmt jobs out there, but just didn’t look like high odds for me at the time.</p>

3

<p>That was very helpful raellis, thank you. Now, let me follow up with a question since you work in MIS. How much programming would one need to know? If I were to pursue the info systems BBA, I would only need 1 programming course (I’ve already taken C++).</p>

<p>To be honest, programming isn’t my cup of tea, exactly. I can do it, but I found that it usually takes me twice as long to figure things out than the rest of the class. It doesn’t always “click” with me.</p>

<p>Also, if you could offer advice as to whether pursuin my masters in MIS would be beneficial. Should I do it now or wait until I have work experience? </p>

<p>I appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge.</p>

4

<p>Are you asking how much programming you would need for the degree or in the working world? Either way the answer is - it depends. You would need to check your school’s major requirements to see how much programming is required. I assume a few classes at least, but it will vary. In the working world you won’t need as much programming in hardware/software support (helpdesk, tech support, etc.) and in server/network support. There will be some, but nothing like if you get a programmer role. </p>

<p>As for getting work experience or going straight into a masters degree, my recommendation is to get the work experience (and/or the certifications you mentioned). Get a feel first for how you like working in IT, what areas you actually like to focus on, etc. Then you can make a better decision about what sort of masters program would best benefit you. An MS-MIS would again present some programming requirements. But you could also choose an MBA, an MS/MA in Project Management, or other options of interest. </p>

<p>Caveats:

  1. If you are interested in pursuing a PhD soon, that would be a reason for going straight into a master program.
  2. If your personal situation might make going back to school in a few years difficult, you might want to go ahead with it now. By personal situation I mean something like you are married and planning to start a family soon, or have parents who will pay for school now but not later, etc.</p>

<p>Full Disclosure:

  1. My undergrad is not in business or MIS, so I don’t have a lot of experience with bachelor programs. I have an MBA and took all MIS for my electives. So a little different situation than you are in. (FYI, 2 or 3 of my 6 electives did require some level of programming)
  2. I had a few years in the working world between my bachelor and master degrees, so I’m a little biased toward getting some work experience first.</p>