Online MBA Programs in High Technology Management

Individuals with an MBA in high technology management are poised to take on higher-level positions at technology companies and organizations in the public and private sectors. This type of degree can allow professionals to move into managerial levels of the tech industry or pursue new career paths as information systems managers, management analysts, chief information officers, or chief technology officers, to name a few.

An MBA offers students a competitive edge, providing the skills necessary for a leadership role. High technology management prepares students to manage employees and businesses while keeping up with innovation and the fast-changing pace of the industry.

There are many career paths within high technology, each with its own set of goals and responsibilities. For instance, information systems managers must understand a company’s computing needs, acquire the necessary software and hardware to meet those needs, and install and maintain those components. Management analysts, however, analyze a company’s procedures, finances, personnel, and systems and recommend changes to higher-level executives. Chief information officers, as another example, develop IT strategies, manage IT personnel, assess IT performance, and offer technical support.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2022), the national median salary for a computer and information systems manager was $173,670, while management analysts earned a median of $104,660 per year.

There is a wide variety of MBA programs in high technology management, available both on-campus and online. This guide takes an in-depth look at the advantages of distance-based MBAs in technology management and profiles three notable faculty members from schools offering these programs.

Featured High Tech Management Programs
Pepperdine University Online MBA - Digital Innovation and Information Systems View Full Profile
Southern New Hampshire University Online MBA In IT Management View Full Profile
Purdue Global Online MBA - Information Technology View Full Profile
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Post-Bachelor's A.I. Certificate View Full Profile
Rivier University Online MBA in IT Management View Full Profile
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Featured Online MBA Programs in High Technology Management

Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management offers an AACSB-accredited online MBA program that helps students develop the strategic, analytical, and problem-solving expertise needed for leading organizations and teams. With several specialization options to choose from, high tech aspirants can choose the innovation and technology commercialization specialization and graduate in as few as 2 years.

The program’s core curriculum requires a total of 48 credits, which includes courses such as marketing management; managerial economics; macroeconomics; managing behavior in organizations; and financial management. Courses in the concentration include technology strategy; collaborative innovation; financing new ventures; and lean startup: idea to impact (experiential project course).

To be considered for admission, applicants must submit two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, online MBA essays, a professional resume, official transcripts for every higher education institution attended, and interview feedback.

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA)
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: Please view full profile for details

Maryville University’s John E. Simon School of Business offers an online MBA program that can be completed entirely online with no campus visits required. Designed to be completed in just a year, this online MBA has no GRE or GMAT requirement, nor does it require any previous business experience. With 12 concentrations to choose from, the program provides students with the knowledge and skills they need for effectively managing whatever industry challenges they may face in their future.

Students taking the general track can complete the program in just 39 credits, while those choosing a concentration will complete 42 credits. Students in the information technology concentration will learn to build strategies related to business for the global marketplace while also gaining advanced, high-tech skills demanded by almost every industry.

Core courses in the program include business ethics; business economics; organizational behavior and development; legal environment of business; strategic marketing; and corporate financial policies. Students in the IT concentration will take courses in information technology management; database principles; agile analysis and design; and data analysis.

Applicants to the program must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a completed online application, official academic transcripts, a personal letter explaining qualifications for graduate work, and TOEFL scores for international applicants.

Graduates of the program will be ready to take up roles such as information technology management consultants, data processing managers, management information systems directors, vice presidents of information technology, directors of information technology, and marketing and sales managers.

Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission(HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 14 months
Estimated Tuition: $749 per credit

Campbellsville University offers an online master of business administration degree program preparing students for leadership roles as executives or managers, helping organizations prepare for and solve tomorrow’s complex business challenges. Graduates of the program will understand how technology plays an important role in decision-making and will learn to excel in this ever-changing business management world. They will acquire the leadership knowledge and skills necessary for moving upwards into managerial positions.

With ten specializations to choose from, this online MBA has a concentration for every track possible. All programs are taught by dedicated faculty members who have real-world experience in the business world. The MBA with a concentration in information technology will allow students to explore the techniques, skills, knowledge, and tools related to IT security, such as threat management, legal and ethical issues, wireless security, accountability, encryption, security frameworks, and risk diagnosis.

Comprising 36 credits, this IT track includes three courses and nine core courses. The program’s core courses include managerial accounting; marketing management; management information systems; organizational theory; and business strategy. IT specialization courses include project management; information systems security; and information systems infrastructure.

Location: Campbellsville, Kentucky
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $499 per credit

Rivier University offers an online MBA in information technology management providing students with a solid foundation in business functions while also providing a concentrated study on the approaches and strategies of managing information technology. Graduates of the program will learn to enhance and manage computer security, maintain database management systems, and lead teams through virtual environments.

Made up of 36 credits, the program includes core courses such as accounting for managers; marketing and new product development; economic analysis; global finance for managers; risk management and decision making; and innovation strategies. Information technology concentration courses include leading projects through virtual environments; computer security; database management systems; and data mining.

The program opens up several opportunities for graduates. They can take up roles such as IT directors, desktop security managers, business systems analysts, help desk managers, resource managers, computer systems managers, and IT security managers and specialists.

Location: Nashua, New Hampshire
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE)
Expected Time to Completion: 15 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $648 per credit

New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Martin Tuchman School of Management offers an online MBA program with several concentration options to choose from. The management information systems (MIS) concentration will teach students about the value of information and how it relates to business. They will learn how management and information systems can help enhance business management systems and other strategies.

While this concentration is ideal for anyone who wishes to join a business school, students attending this online MBA concentration are looking to take leadership or managerial roles in information management or information systems technology.

Comprising 48 credits, this online MBA is divided into three modules: required core courses (27 credits), elective core courses (nine credits), and concentration area knowledge courses (12 credits).

Core courses in the curriculum include management accounting; managerial economics; organizational behavior; decisions analysis; management of technology; and managing technological and organizational change. Courses in the MIS concentration include web systems development; enterprise database management; systems analysis & design; business process innovation; and IT service management.

Students also have the option to earn a 12-credit graduate certificate in their selected concentration and apply those credits to their online MBA. This will allow students to earn two credentials for the price of one. The MIS graduate certificate can be completed entirely online.

Location: Newark, New Jersey
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,082 per credit

Students in Northwestern University’s online MBA program are seasoned professionals with at least five years of experience in their line of work who want to position themselves for leadership roles. The online MBA program has a 50-credit curriculum which is divided into two segments: thirteen core courses and five electives.

Combining classroom learning and real-world challenges, the program offers eight concentrations, including high technology management. This track focuses on the extreme growth of new sectors in the IT world, including exponential, cognitive, blockchain, IoT, and cybersecurity. Students who enroll in this concentration take the following three courses: entrepreneurial finance for high-tech companies; building and leading top-performing teams; and business law, corporate governance, and intellectual property strategies.

The program also allows students to obtain an online MBA with a dual concentration by taking four electives from two concentration areas and a “shared” course. Students can also further customize their degree with options to complete a dual finance and MBA degree, on-campus residencies, and international field study residencies.

Students can graduate in two years with start dates in September and January. A 3.0 or greater GPA is required for admission.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Format: Online with optional campus-based and international residencies
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $900 per credit

Norwich University’s online ACBSP accredited MBA program can be completed as a general program with no concentration or by choosing one of the seven available industry-relevant specializations. While most of the program is online, this online MBA requires students to attend a week-long residency at the Norwich University campus where they will have the opportunity to meet with faculty members, program staff, and fellow students in both formal classroom and informal settings.

The 36-credit curriculum of this program includes three core courses and three courses from any one of the chosen concentrations. Core courses include strategic resources management; managerial finance; and strategic marketing and operations management. The technology management specialization includes courses in technology management strategy; supply chain management strategy, planning and operations; and project management techniques, tools, and practices.

Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited U.S. institution (or its equivalent) with an undergraduate GPA of 2.75. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.

Location: Northfield, Vermont
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
Estimated Tuition: $799 per credit

The W.P. Carey School of Business offers a joint degree option for students: an MBA (master of business administration) with an MSE (master of science engineering) in electrical engineering. This concurrent degree program combines a rigorous management curriculum with advanced courses in technical areas allowing students to receive two degrees (an MBA from W.P. Carey School of Business and an MSE in Electrical Engineering from the Fulton School of Engineering) in a shorter duration and at a lower cost.

This online program is ideal for working professionals with an undergraduate degree in engineering and at least two years of relevant work experience. Students take one course at a time, each lasting about 7.5 weeks, for a total of 56 credits and 18 classes over three years. Students can also select from five electrical engineering tracks, including electric power and energy systems; electronic and mixed-signal circuit design; electromagnetics, antennas, and microwave circuits; signal processing and communications; and physical electronics and photonics.

The curriculum may include courses such as advanced silicon processing; artificial neural computation systems; digital systems and circuits; ethical issues for managers; fast computing electromagnetics; financial performance reporting; real-time digital signal processing; and operations and supply management, among others.

Graduates of this interdisciplinary degree develop advanced electrical engineering skills while learning new management responsibilities and business acumen to pursue leadership roles within engineering. Students wishing to pursue a similar concurrent degree can apply for the online MBA and master’s in an industrial engineering program.

Location: Tempe, Arizona
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 36 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,523.33 per credit

The Collat School of Business at UAB offers several concentrations as part of its online MBA program, including one in information systems management. The concentration program requires the completion of 39 credits over a minimum of two years. Work experience is not required for admission; however, preference is given to those with two or more years of professional work experience. No GPA requirement exists, and a GMAT waiver is available for qualified applicants.

The program is broken into 12 credits on tools and business perspectives, 15 credits on core business curriculum, and six to nine credits of electives (the general MBA track requires two three-credit courses, and the concentration requires three three-credit classes), and a three-credit capstone focusing on strategic management. The program focuses on all aspects of business, from management techniques and leadership styles to insights and analytics. This program is available 100 percent online.

The core MBA curriculum includes courses such as strategic cost analysis and decision making; information technology and business strategy; topics in corporate finance; operations and supply chain management; and marketing strategies. Courses in the management information systems specialization include information security management; social media and virtual communities in business; web analytics; and introduction to business intelligence.

Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,088 per credit

University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is revered locally and nationally for its online MBA program. The U.S. News & World Report ranked it as the tenth-best online MBA in the U.S.

Specializations include accounting; finance; information systems and business analytics; marketing; and supply chain management. Because of the program’s flexibility, the 54-credit curriculum can be completed over two years while still maintaining a job. The specialization in information systems and business analytics teaches students how to leverage technology for business applications.

Some courses students take include decision modeling; ethical leadership; marketing management; strategic information systems; and organizational change. In the information systems and business analytics specialization, students will take the following courses: data mining and predictive analytics; social media and web analytics; and managing digital businesses and platforms.

While most of the program is online, students must complete two two-credit on-campus residencies, one on the fundamentals of business, and the other on integrative business simulations.

To be accepted, students must have a minimum of two years’ work experience with a 3.0 or greater. A GMAT waiver is available for qualified applicants.

Location: College Park, Maryland
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Format: Online with two on-campus residencies
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,805 per credit

Not exactly an MBA, but this master’s degree deserves recognition. University of Southern California’s Iovine and Young Academy offers an online master of science in integrated design, business, and technology (MSIDBT) that features an integrative curriculum teaching students to think critically at the intersection of the technology, arts & design, venture management, business, and communication.

Graduates of this innovative program will be prepared to become entrepreneurs, leaders, creative problem-solvers, and innovators who can collaborate and lead across cross-functional teams, deliver solutions to drive positive change, and adapt quickly to a rapidly changing global marketplace.

The program comprises 38 credits including coursework in processes and perspectives; integrative project; opportunity and uncertainty; narrative and storytelling; design essentials; using intellectual property laws to protect your products and ideas; technology essentials; and visual software development. This cross-disciplinary curriculum also requires students to attend two in-person residentials in which they work on real-world challenges. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.

Location: Los Angeles, California
Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Expected Time to Completion: 16 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $2,035 per credit

Admission Requirements for Online MBA Programs in High Technology Management

There are many common application requirements for the above programs and other online MBA programs in high technology management. They include:

  • Completion of certain prerequisite business, management, and technology courses
  • A competitive GPA from a bachelor’s program in a related field
  • A GMAT or GRE score; some schools require scores, some do not, and others may waive the requirement under certain conditions
  • A personal statement of goals and objectives
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Several years of professional experience
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students

Accreditation of MBA Programs in High Technology Management

Accreditation means that a particular school or program offers a curriculum that abides by established standards in a discipline. The accreditation process is performed by a third-party accreditation agency. Several organizations accredit high technology management graduate programs.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) aims to promote and improve business administration and management programs and courses in management and information technology. It values faculty research and secure knowledge foundations within business programs. To date, AACSB accreditation has been awarded to 900 business schools in 53 countries.

As a final note, students of high technology management MBA programs may find additional resources in organizations like the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Professors to Know from Schools with Online MBA Programs

  • Seung Ahn, PhD, Arizona State University

    Dr. Seung Ahn primarily teaches econometrics at ASU, but his research interests span also cover panel data models, asset pricing models, and factor models. He received his doctorate in economics from Michigan State University and has been a professor at ASU since 1990.

    Dr. Ahn has been published in distinguished journals such as B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, the Journal of Econometrics, the Journal of Sports Economics, and the Journal of Market Economy. Dr. Ahn has also consulted with several organizations in the public and private sectors, including Motorola and the World Bank.

  • Brad Alge, PhD Purdue University

    Dr. Brad Alge is an associate professor of management in the area of organizational behavior and human resource management at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. He teaches or has taught courses in organizational behavior; leadership; teams, titans, & technology; technology & human capital management; and human resource information systems. His research focuses on information management, leadership, human-technology interaction, motivation, and employee rights. His research has been published in prominent journals such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Business and Psychology.

    Dr. Alge has received several awards such as Excellence in Teaching Award, Krannert Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, and Faculty Service Award. He completed his PhD from The Ohio State University, an MBA from Kent State University, and a BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

  • Rajshree Agarwal, PhD, University of Maryland

    Dr. Rajshree Agarwal is the Rudolph Lamone Chair and professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. She has a doctorate from the University of Buffalo and is currently also the director of the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets, which is dedicated to interdisciplinary research on how to support human enterprise and well-functioning markets.

    Dr. Agarwal teaches various courses in entrepreneurship, strategic management, technology and innovation, microeconomics, and industrial organization. She has received many awards for teaching excellence and is passionate about providing business education to science and engineering students.

    Before her current position, Dr. Agarwal worked at the University of Illinois creating specialized certificate programs and earned the “University Scholar” designation in 2009—the highest honor given to a faculty member in recognition of overall excellence. Her research has been published in journals such as Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, and Management Science.

Farheen Gani
Farheen Gani
Writer

Farheen Gani is an expert in online MBA programs, having covered MBA programs in computer science, economics, healthcare management, and fraud and forensics, among others, since 2018. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).