MIS

One of the most important decisions during any student’s college career is their major and fortunately The University of Alabama has a wide variety to choose from. Inside each major here on campus a sub culture forms between the students and faculty involved in each one. One in particular has caught my attention and offers many interesting qualities that other majors on campus don’t have; it’s called Management Information Systems or MIS. Not only are many people completely clueless to what this major is but also have no insight into how it works or the type of people involved with it. As a junior currently in the program I will attempt to offer some insight into what this major is the personality of its students, why these students decided to be MIS majors, and how it’s different than other majors on campus.

The first thing people usually want to know when I tell them what I’m majoring in is “what is MIS?” According to the University’s MIS website it combines a strong business curriculum with the experience and technical skills needed to compete in today's information-based society. Even after that wordy definition is it still very vague as to what someone in the program actually does. Since the program basically combines aspects of business and technology. Graduates from the program have gotten jobs ranging from Business Consultants to Software Engineers and just about everything in between. So an MIS major can pursue a career in almost any aspect of business they would like. So the next question is what types of classes does someone looking to earn an MIS major have to take? According to the official MIS catalogue students must pass a wide variety of business and computer science classes that include but are not limited to: Accounting, Marketing, Statistics, Management, Finance, Coding, and Database Management. Looking at this list it it safe to conclude that a student looking to major in MIS is up to no easy task. So why do people choose MIS as their major?

One of the main reasons students choose MIS is because they are very interested in business and technology. And given that the MIS program at the university is ranked nationally as one of the 5 best programs in the nation students can rest assured that the quality of the classes will be second to none. Another reason that students choose the program is the outstanding job placement after graduation. The program currently advertises that 99 percent of students have a job in the business technology field after graduatation. Not only are students guaranteed jobs they also can rest assured that these jobs will pay very well. The average starting salary of an MIS graduate is 50,000 to 60,000 dollars annually with significant signing bonuses. These incentives give students many reasons to major in MIS. Let’s take a deeper look into what life is like for a student currently in the program.

Currently being a junior in the program myself I can give a firsthand perspective into what it's like to be an MIS major. The first reason that really draws someone into the major is the fact that students feel like they are learning something practical that they can carry over into their careers. Another benefit of the major is the sense of professionalism instilled in every student from the beginning. Each week MIS majors attend Alabama Information Society meetings that bring in different companies to give presentations and recruit students for summer internships. These meetings require students to dress in business formal attire and conduct themselves in professional manner. This early instilment of professionalism really sets the program apart from others when companies are looking to hire newly graduated students. The program offers countless means for students to improve themselves to further the advancement and provides them with skills that will carry over with them to their careers.

There are many great reasons to be an MIS major. It's a very small major that provides students to form close relationships with both their classmates and their professors. This allows for students to constantly get support when they are struggling with their class load. And while these classes are very challenging they provide students with skill that can carry over into their careers. Speaking of careers MIS provides networking opportunities with many companies by hosting meetings and careers fairs to allow students to get their name and resume out before they graduate. With the MIS program at the University of Alabama MIS program being one of the top five in the nation there are many advantages to being inside the major. But there is a few problems with the major that sometimes get overlooked. The tough course load can sometimes be overwhelming for students. Since these courses are so difficult it really requires the right kind of person to join it.

Being in the MIS program myself I get a firsthand look into the personality of the students currently in the major. Being that MIS is relatively small major compared to others on campus you get to know everyone in the major pretty well. Between constantly seeing each other in classes or the many networking events the program host every semester it almost becomes more of a group or club than a major. Hopefully the next time someone mentions MIS or you see an advertisement for it on campus you'll now have a little more knowledge of one of the most successful programs on campus.