Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I apply for admission to the Information Management Concentration?
A: You cannot be directly admitted to the IM Concentration. You must apply for admission to the MBA program
(http://mba.mccombs.utexas.edu/admissions/). Students are accepted into the IM Concentration only after they have been admitted to the MBA program.
Q: I just want to be a general manager; why can’t I leave all this information technology stuff to the technicians?
A: IT is becoming a key strategic resource for more and more organizations and some technical staff do not understand the business side of things well. If you owned a company, would you feel comfortable leaving key strategic decisions to these technical types? Those managers who understand IT and how it may be effectively used for competitive advantage will, themselves, have a competitive advantage in the employment market.
Q: Do I need to have a technical undergraduate degree or technical work experience to do well in the IM Concentration?
A: A technical undergraduate degree or technical work experience is NOT required for this concentration. In fact, we strive to have a balance between students with technical and non-technical backgrounds. We know very well how to help students learn the technology as it is applied in business. In the past years some of the IM Concentration students who have been in the most demand by prospective employers have had undergraduate degrees in English on one occasion and in Drama on another.
Q: Will the IM Concentration turn me into an IT geek?
A: No. It will, however, introduce you to enough IT concepts and jargon so that you will be able to understand what geeks are talking about. If you are a geek when you enroll, the concentration will teach you how to be understood by IT-ignorant managers.
Q: Will the IM Concentration turn me into a programmer?
A: No. We are not in the business of training programmers. In the concentration you will learn enough about what programmers (and other IT types) do to be able to better work with them.
Q: I don’t need to know anything about auto mechanics to drive a car; why do I have to learn about the details of Information Technology?
A: Your comment about driving a car is true now, but remember that cars today are the product of a century of development. If it were 1919 it would certainly be wise for you to know a bit of auto mechanics before you took a long trip. In its development cycle when compared to automobiles, 1919 arguably is about where IT is, so we feel some hands-on is advisable. We are backed in this assessment by managers whose advice and counsel we sought from companies such as Fed Ex, P&G, Ford, GM, Intel, Dell, IBM, Allied Signal, Cisco, and Nortel, as well as from the leading consulting companies.
Q: Since IT is changing so rapidly, won’t all the things we learn in this concentration be obsolete by the time we graduate in two years?
A: First, we teach you the basic concepts and the economics of IT which change much more slowly, so these will still be viable when you graduate. Second, as part of the concentration you will learn how to learn about developments in IT, so you will have the skills to keep up with IT developments.
Q: I have been working as a programmer (systems analyst, network manager, etc.) for the past four years, aren’t courses in Information Technology just a waste of my time?
A: No. Your knowledge of IT is most likely from a largely
technical perspective. Our courses are focused on how businesses can
use IT to improve their competitive positions. However, you may wish
to take only a minimum of IM courses and take more courses in Finance,
Marketing, Operations, Organization Behavior, etc., to round out your
business education.
