what can you do with a BS in CS and a MBA?

[tipsy88]

Okay i guess i should of known what i want to do before i started for my MBA, but honestly who really knows before they go to school these days anyway.

I guess my real question is what kind of work is out there for a guy who has a BS in CS and a MBA? I'm not too familiar with the industry, as i only worked in a small startup prior to going back to grad school. So if there is anyone out with information about the industry and types of positions i might expect, i would appreicate it.

[Jayesh]

Ok, this post is pretty much useless, but I have heard that an MBA right out of school is not useful at all

[Spud-Child]

I don't know for sure what jobs fit that description, but that is exactly what my roomie will have when she graduates so I will ask her and get her to post...as for the mba being useless--I completely disagree. I haven't finished mine yet, but as soon as I have it I will be getting a raise to the tune of at least 10k a year...possible 20...I don't find that very useless.

[tipsy88]

why is it useless?

[Phoenix]

Tipsy - Things I can think of are offhand are a business analyst or project manager. These jobs often combine both business/management and knowledge of computers. (I don't know a whole lot about business analysts to be honest, just from what I've seen in looking for jobs.) If you haven't already, you may want to jump on a job site and try searching w/ the terms "mba" and "computer science" to see what comes up for you. The jobs that come up could open up some options/suggestions in how you can use your degrees. Just an idea...

[Spud-Child]

My roommate also said project manager or business analyst, though many companies also like IT managers to have an MBA as well because it gives an individual a more rounded view of business rather than being 100% computer oriented.

[dinochica]

Most MBA programs consider work experience a prerequisite for their program. Many won't even look at your application unless you have at least two years full-time job experience, sometimes more. The entrance counselor at the university I will be attending said that they want students who already know what it's like to work in the "real world" for a couple of years and gain contacts, networking, etc. (They apparently don't consider going to school full-time, working part-time and making A's a full time job...)

Plus, she told me that it's much easier to place a graduate in a job or an internship if they already have job experience. I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone here that it is very difficult to get a job (even with a Bachelors and Masters degree) if you don't have experience.

I am a recent BS graduate who is working full-time before I start my MBA. One thing you do having working for you, Tipsy, is that your undergrad degree is in a science/technology field. Many programs now give priority admission to students who didn't get business degrees. Some even openly promote technology-based MBA programs (University of Washington, for example).

Good luck with the job hunt and/or your degree.

[Jayesh]

I have 6 years xp working in the IT field and I am just begginning to explore the possibility of going back to school to do an MBA.

I have read at several places that most companies and universities prefer an individual to have some skill before moving on to a management position.. The reasoning behind this is that management is not something you can learn from a book. Management is learnt from experience, and basically business schools facilitate sharing the experience of the students within the class. Also, I personally dont see how a project manager can effectively lead a group of people without having any knowledge of how the work is done

Now, this is what my research on the net tells me, and I have never set foot inside a business school, so I could be tottally off track.

Also, Tipsy, where have you done your MBA from. I beleive that the business school affect the value of your MBA a lot!!! One of my acquaintances is in software, and he completed a part time MBA course at Univ. of MD, and he is not able to get into management!!.. I mean he can, but he will have to take a pay cut, and why would he do that??

[Phoenix]

Jayesh - As far as project management is concerned...you can manage a group of people if you know about the technical aspects of CS. I was a project manager for an internet company. I knew how web technologies worked together on a web page (altho I didn't know how to actual do the programming/coding). And I had the people skills and organizational skills. So it was a good combo. You can always learn the work process and how the work is done. I do agree that management is something that is learned from experience but things that also help are certain skills that are also learned/experienced (i.e. communication, organization, time management, etc.)