The Technology Management MBA is now offered at various schools across the country. It is a program designed to prepare students to take on positions of leadership within the field of technology. The specialization is usually for those who already work in this particular field but who want to further increase their knowledge and career prospects in this area. You will gain advanced skills surrounding different technologies, while at the same time becoming an innovative leader.
Technology is now all around us and a huge element of this is IT (Information Technology), although machinery and other tools are also part of it. Manual work has now almost completely disappeared, and managing this transition requires extensive skills and understanding. This is what you will learn while pursuing a Technology Management MBA to provide you with the advanced skills and knowledge to spot upcoming trends, and lead teams through change. Jump to 9+ Tech Management Online MBA Programs for 2017.
Why Earn a Technology Management MBA?
By earning an MBA degree, you will be able to improve your professional standing, increase your earnings, and enable you to look after the business element of any type of industry. With the Technology Management MBA in particular, you will be able to use technology to improve core business elements.
All industries now use technology, particularly information technology, in order to enable them to innovate and grow. However, with technology continuously developing, it can be difficult for organizations to keep up. With an MBA in Technology Management, you will learn about team building, communication, emerging trends, and more, relating specifically to technology.
You will learn to combine technical expertise and a true desire to implement and create efficient strategies across businesses in an effort to promote and support the use of technology. Clear communication is one of the greatest challenges within this form of management. With this MBA degree, you will be able to understand customer behavior, cost structure, industry trends, while at the same time become a liaison officer between departments.
By completing this degree, you will have the ability to be a strategic thinker, translating different business goals into the technological realities that are required to make them come true. The global economy we live in today also means there are no more borders to the industry of technology. You can study for the degree from anywhere in the world, with many courses being offered online, and you can get to work anywhere in the world as well.
Admission Requirements
Schools set their own admission requirements, but they are quite standard across the board. They also tend to be highly competitive. Those required by the University of California Berkeley – Haas School of Business are a good example:
• A resume demonstrating professional experience.
• A professional recommendation from a current line manager
• Proof of academic aptitude, demonstrated by transcripts of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and GPA
• A GPA of 3.0, or a B, minimum
• GMAT/GRE
• Quantitative and qualitative proficiency in certain basic course materials
• Personal qualities that demonstrate you believe in furthering yourself and changing the world for the better
• TOEFL/IELTS or other English proficiency test for non-native English speakers
• Essays
• Interviews
• Two professional letters of recommendation
Curriculum and Courses
The admission requirements are quite standard across the board, and also with the curriculum and courses that a school offers. This is because, without meeting certain standards of education, they will not be able to obtain school or program accreditation. Do make sure, therefore, that you look into the accreditation of your chosen school and program. A good example is provided by the University of Washington – Foster School of Business, which has created a curriculum that focuses on evidence based challenges, including real world challenges and case analysis. Their curriculum includes:
• Accounting
• Marketing
• Operations management
• Entrepreneurship
• Business economics
• General management
• Finance
• Technology management
Career Outcomes and Job Titles
With a Technology Management MBA degree, you will see a lot of career doors open to you, with employers such as Autodesk, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Google, to name but a few. Some of the specific opportunities that are available to you include:
• Entrepreneur
• Technology manager
• Digital media manager
• Innovator
• Chief technology officer
• Computer and information systems manager
• Information technology (IT) director
Job Salary & Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that the average annual salary for Computer and Information Systems Managers was $131,600 per year at bachelor’s degree level. Holding an MBA usually results in an increase in salary of $15,000 per year on average, meaning you could earn around $150,000 per year with this degree. The BLS has also reported a 15% projected growth in demand for these professionals from 2014 to 2024, which is much faster than the national average.
Scholarships and Grants
• William C. Ray, CIH, CSP Arizona Scholarship: the ASSE foundation has awarded over $1.6 million in scholarships since 1990. Their focus is particularly on those who wish to improve safety across the world. This includes occupational safety, of which technology management is a vital part. Students must provide transcripts, an academic letter of recommendation, and hold a 3.5 graduate GPA minimum.
• MGMA Western Section Scholarship, which provides nine different scholarships with unique eligibility criteria. All applicants have to demonstrate that they want to personally and professionally grow as leaders.
• Gemperle Family Farms Scholarship Fund, which offers between $1,000 and $3,000, for a one year period of time, designed to cover school supplies, books, institutional fees, and tuition. To be eligible, students must be a child or grandchild of Gemperle Family Farms employees. They must also have been employed for three years, attend an accredited institution, and have a 3.0 GPA minimum.
• Leymer Educational Trust Fund which offers a $1,500 scholarship for Pulaski County residents who study at graduate level in Arkansas.
• NIAF Scholarship Program, which offers over 80 different scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, averaging at $3,000 per scholarship. To be eligible, students must be of Italian descent, being a direct descendant of an Italian immigrant. They must also hold a 3.5 GPA minimum.
Additional Resources
• IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society
• Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
• Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
