Guide to Getting Your Management Information Systems Associate Degree Online
An online management information systems associate degree covers both information technology and business processes. An online management information systems (MIS) associate degree prepares graduates for entry-level positions across diverse industries. MIS plays a vital role in an organization's management, administration, and operation.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting your management information systems associate degree.
What Will You Learn in an Online Management Information Systems Associate Degree Program?
MIS students study information technology (IT), people, organizations, and interrelationships within a business context. For this reason, MIS students gain an education in IT-related tools and concepts, such as databases, networks, and computer security.
They also learn the best practices for analyzing complex business processes and developing improvements. Employees use these skills to benefit the organization through investing in business, equipment, and personnel processes.
Common Courses
This course helps students understand information systems and how they help organizations solve business problems and improve day-to-day operations. Learners explore business processes and information systems, network security, and business intelligence. Students also discuss how information systems help map strategy and advantage over competitors.
Spreadsheets are essential tools for businesses, especially concerning data analysis and problem-solving. This course introduces Excel features, functions, and formulas. Learners explore how to harness tools in spreadsheet applications, including quick analysis, visual tables, and graphs.
MIS combines both IT and business. MIS students get an introduction to accounting principles, economics, marketing, and management. In this course, students learn how to prepare, read, and communicate financial information to external users for decision-making purposes. Students examine income statements, balance sheets, cash flow, and analyses.
This course focuses on marketing methods and institutions. Students gain an overview of management and marketing strategy, performance indicators, and key actors in marketing. Learners also examine how marketers collect, assess, and use information.
This course explores statistical theory and its applications, specifically how businesses use statistics to make decisions, handle uncertainty, and plan strategy. Topics include:
- Data mining
- Probability theory and models
- Budgets
- Forecasting
- Sampling distributions
- Hypothesis testing
Students learn how to work with data, including its analysis, interpretation, and application within the business framework.
Core Skills
Online management information systems associate degree programs develop core skills, including problem-solving, analysis, reasoning, and teamwork. The ability to communicate across teams and organizational levels is key for MIS professionals as they manage people, technology, and change.
Students learn about programming and IT concepts, such as databases and networks, and financial concepts like macroeconomics, microeconomics, and statistics. Through these varied but focused courses, students gain a broad understanding of data, information, technologies, and business processes, which makes them attractive hires across diverse industries.
What Can You Do With an Associate Degree in Management Information Systems?
With an online management information systems associate degree, students gain a versatile skill set and knowledge base they can take to the workforce.
Just like the major, the careers available to MIS graduates are dynamic and varied. Businesses of all sizes rely on information, creating strong yet competitive demand for MIS professionals.
Potential Careers and Salaries
These professionals build, modify, maintain, and troubleshoot single- and multi-user database applications for various industries. Duties include managing data entry, overseeing quality assurance, and providing timely information and reports supporting organizational or departmental goals.
Average Annual Salary: $44,471
These workers resolve problems related to hardware and software. As experts in IT, they troubleshoot most issues and find experts for challenges beyond their scope. They serve as the first point of contact for customer support.
Average Annual Salary: $45,346
These specialists assist users in identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving issues with their software, computers, or computer components. They assist users on site but can also help remotely by phone, chat, or email.
Average Annual Salary: $60,160
These workers optimize sales, distribution, manufacturing, marketing, and other core business functions through automation. Automating these processes helps achieve accuracy, efficiency, and cost savings.
Average Annual Salary: $99,020
These professionals ensure that a company's computer systems are functional and reliable. Their primary tasks include:
- Performance and security monitoring
- Installation and set-up
- General upkeep of systems and servers that connect teams
Average Annual Salary: $89,460
Transferring to a Four-Year Program After an Online Associate Degree in Management Information Systems
Many MIS associate graduates wish to continue their education, either by pursuing a four-year degree in MIS or by focusing on an IT-oriented field such as computer science or database management.
Upon completing an online associate management information systems degree, students can pursue various four-year majors beyond MIS. An MIS degree's broad, balanced curriculum makes it simple to pivot to another field, such as computer science or computer security.
Bachelor of Computer Science
For aspiring programmers, a CS degree is a natural fit. Alongside courses in computer programming, students also study the theory and design of computing systems.
Bachelor's in Database Management
Online associate degree in management information systems graduates may want to focus on database management. This major takes what MIS students learn during their first two years and applies it specifically to information storage systems. This program teaches students how best to balance access and protection of data. Students learn to design, create, test, manage, and secure various relational and non-relational databases.
Computer Forensics Degree
Students interested in security, privacy, and protecting data and information might want to earn a degree in computer forensics. This program teaches learners how to fight cybercrimes, such as data breaches, identity theft, and virus transmission.
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