MBA (IT) and Sponsorship


ipsitaojha

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I am planning on applying for some MBA(IT) programs. Some of them are state sponsored colleges and some are private colleges. I would be allowed to transfer some credits/courses from my previous MBA. My question is, do you think my chances of getting a job (sponsorship) would increase post an MBA in IT? I was thinking in the lines of Business Analyst/System Analyst?? Please advice !! (I am from a Non IT background, BBA+MBA with 2 yrs of exp in non-IT, currently on H4)

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you already have an MBA, you do not need another one. THere are some IT careers that are MIS  (business school degree) based.

I also wanted to inquire, what is the difference between MS in Information System and MS in Information Science. Do both of them qualify for STEM extension?

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Universities title their degrees differently - and sometimes seemingly at random. The Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula has a comprehensive document on the requirements for the various degrees they recognize.

 

The DSO at the university granting the degree is the proper person to ask if the degree meets the STEM requirements.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Universities title their degrees differently - and sometimes seemingly at random. The Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula has a comprehensive document on the requirements for the various degrees they recognize.

 

The DSO at the university granting the degree is the proper person to ask if the degree meets the STEM requirements.

 I spoke to the associate dean of the program, she was unaware if it would fall under STEM extension. I then spoke to the International office, they said that it may fall under STEM extension, if when I am doing the MS in Information Science, I take Information System and Technology as my major. But they weren't very sure about it, they said they follow the USCIS's list to see if a course qualifies.  According to the list released by USCIS, this course comes under STEM. 

 

http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stem-list.pdf ( 11.0401). 

Could you please have a look at the course content and advise if this will come under STEM extension?  Please advice. This degree is provided by a state sponsored college and it is not a private university. I plan on taking the 5th Major that is Information System and Technology. 

 

Master of Science in Information Science

 

About the Program

The Master of Science in Information Science is a program designed to serve two major purposes:

  1. To prepare students for employment in corporate and public sector organizations where the generation, management, and use of information is the dominant or an essential aspect of the organization;
  2. To equip students with the knowledge and skills required for entry into a doctoral program in information science. The M.S.I.S. is accredited by the American Library Association.
Graduates of the program are expected to:
  1. Demonstrate a sense of professional identity by applying the concepts and principles of the information sciences and related disciplines.
  2. Know the history and evolving roles of the information professional in the changing global society.
  3. Create, select, acquire, organize, manage, preserve, retrieve, evaluate, and disseminate information using relevant theories and practices.
  4. Assess information needs of diverse and underserved populations and provide resources and instruction to meet those needs.
  5. Recognize the crucial role of users in the design and implementation of information systems.
  6. Formulate, interpret, and implement information policy, and promote ethical standards in the production, management, and use of information.
  7. Understand the importance of information access issues, including privacy, equity, intellectual property, and intellectual freedom.
  8. Conduct and apply interdisciplinary research to develop, maintain, and assess information services and systems.
  9. Understand, implement, and use appropriate technologies in the delivery of information content and services.
  10. Apply management principles to the creation, administration, and promotion of information organizations and systems.
  11. Understand the information environment and build collaborative relationships to strengthen information services and literacy.

Graduates who move directly into the profession gain employment in libraries, information and records centers, archives, governmental agencies, school districts, or private sector environments. Typical employers include corporations, hospitals, academic institutions, human service organizations, law offices, and legislatures.

The degree is awarded for successful completion of a minimum of 42 credit hours. There are five areas of concentration in the curriculum:

  1. Archives/Records Administration - to prepare students who wish to pursue a career in archives, or as paper or electronic records managers.
  2. Library and Information Services - to prepare students for professional positions in academic, special, or public libraries.
  3. Library and Information Services/ School Library Media Specialist - to prepare students seeking certification to work in public school libraries throughout New York State.
  4. Information Management and Policy - to prepare students pursuing careers as information managers in corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
  5. Information Systems and Technology - to prepare students for professional employment as systems and technology experts in a wide range of government, library, corporate and nonprofit organizations.
Required Courses
  • IST 523 Fundamentals of Information Technology (3)
  • One advanced technology course-choose from: IST 535, 538, 561, 611, 658, or 659. *IST 673 is required for LIS/School Media (3)
  • IST 601 The Information Environment (3)
  • IST 602 Information and Knowledge Organization (3)
  • IST 608 Research Methods (3)
  • IST 614 Administration of Information Agencies (3) (LIS/School Medis students must take IST 676 instead of 614)
  • IST 668 Internship (150 hours) (3)
Concentration Courses for the Five Tracks 1. Archives and Records Administration
  • IST 546 Fundamentals of Records Management (3)
  • IST 547 Electronic Records Management (3)
  • IST 654 Preservation Management in Archives and Libraries (3)
  • IST 656 Archives and Manuscripts (3)

Students take electives in the Department of Information Studies or Department of History to support this concentration.

2. Library and Information Services
  • IST 603 Information Processing (3)
  • IST 605 Information Sources and Services (3)

Students take electives in the Department of Information Studies and in other departments throughout the University to support this concentration.

3. Library and Information Services/School Library Media Specialist
  • IST 571 Literature for Children (3)
  • IST 578 Literature for Young Adults (3)
  • IST 603 Information Processing (3)
  • IST 605 Information Sources and Services (3)
  • IST 668 Internship (3) [Prerequisite: 100 hours of pre-internship field experience] This is in addition to the 3-credit Internship of the M.S.I.S. Required Courses. One internship must be in an elementary school and one in a secondary school. Of those, one must be in a high needs school. 
  • IST 670 Teaching Fundamentals for School Libraries (Required for students who are not certified teachers.) (3)*
  • IST 673* Technology in School Library Media Centers (Advanced course for technology core) (3)
  • IST 675* The Curriculum and Supportive Resources (3)
  • IST 676 Administration of School Media Centers (3) (This course is taken instead of IST 614.)
* These courses include field experience assignments. There are additional
education requirements for students with no prior education courses.
 
 
4. Information Management and Policy
  • IST 560 Information and Public Policy (3) 
  • IST 615 Advanced Seminar in Information Management and Policy (3)
  • IST 636 Systems Analysis in the Information Environment (3) 
Students take electives in the Department of Information Studies, Department of Public Administration, and School of Business to support this concentration.
 
5. Information Systems and Technology
  • IST 533 Information Storage and Retrieval (3)
  • IST 611 Information Systems (3)
  • IST 636 Systems Analysis in the Information Environment (3)

Students take electives in the Department of Information Studies, Department of Computer Science, Department of Public Administration, Department of Geography and Planning, and School of Business to support this concentration.

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If the DSO cannot answer the question, ask for a referral to their attorney. It would be inappropriate for a forum member to give you a definitive answer.

 

I did look at the list of elective courses and found it quite interesting.  Some of the areas of specialization are not traditional STEM careers yet others appear to be. It is certainly understandable why the DSO and Dean cannot make a determination.

 

However, the degree looks like it would be applicable in so many areas that you should not worry about the STEM extension and begin looking for an H1B sponsor while you are in school so they can file during your regular OPT period.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thank you for the response.

I am having another issue in the admission process! When I was inquiring about the admission process to this state sponsored university I was told that if I have a master's degree I would be given a waiver of GMAT/GRE if I have over 3.5 in my masters (I have 3.55 cgpa). The Department Dean also told me that if I have 15+ years of education in English I would not need TOEFL. However when I spoke to the Admission Department they said that it is not upto the Department to waive the TOEFL but the admission Department and asked me to take the TOEFL. 

So I went ahead and took a TOEFL, got my result last Wednesday (118/120), and then applied. Now the issue that I am facing is that the university doesnt seem to understand that I have PGDM (Post graduate Diploma in Mnanagement) which is what Colleges in India offer instead of MBA. Only Universities offer MBA, Colleges affiliated with AICTE like IIMs, XLRI offer PGDM. They are not able to understand if its a Master's course. And I am hoping to get a waiver based on my PGDM. I do not know how sad the situation is that its one of the largest universities in NY and they have never dealt with a PGDM student before. Please advise how to deal with this issue Even Wikipedia says this about Indian MBAs:

India[edit]

There are many business schools and colleges in India offering two-year MBA or PGDM programs accredited by AICTE or UGC. The students are a mix of fresh graduates as well as with experience and get either at public or private schools depending on entrance examinations. Typically programs offer full-time, part-time and executive education programs.

The premier institutes in India, the Indian Institutes of Management, however offer post graduate diploma in management. Diplomas are awarded by IIMs because of an archaic Indian law which says that only universities can award degrees. IIMs are not considered universities since they were created by a special decree of the Indian parliament to increase management talent in India. Indian Institutes of Management are also unique in that they offer rigorous and intensive 1 year full-time MBA programs for graduates with approx. 5 years or more of work experience and call them as Executive full-time MBA programs. IIMs also offer 2 year full-time programs which are primarily aimed at fresh graduates and those with 2–3 years of work experience. Both the 2 year and 1 year full-time programs are considered on par with other regular MBA courses delivered from schools like Insead, IMD and Harvard and enjoy excellent credibility in the APAC region.

 

 

 

If the DSO cannot answer the question, ask for a referral to their attorney. It would be inappropriate for a forum member to give you a definitive answer.

 

I did look at the list of elective courses and found it quite interesting.  Some of the areas of specialization are not traditional STEM careers yet others appear to be. It is certainly understandable why the DSO and Dean cannot make a determination.

 

However, the degree looks like it would be applicable in so many areas that you should not worry about the STEM extension and begin looking for an H1B sponsor while you are in school so they can file during your regular OPT period.

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It is up to the university if they will accept any of your prior study for credit towards a degree. They have experience with many students over the years. The university department I am most familiar with, for example, will not admit students from several institutions for graduate studies because of horrible experiences with previous students. It is quite possible that their experiences with students with credentials similar to yours have shown the students to be ill prepared for work in their department. This is particularly the case if your degree was a distance learning program or by a university without a good international reputation.

 

If you want to attend, you will have to play by their rules. Also, most universities will transfer no more than 6 units of credit towards a masters and that must match their courses content closely.

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Thank you for the reply!

The problem is not that they dont deem the course fit , thg dont know the difference between pgdm and mba! The college iattended from is a good college in india and it was a residential program. Its not a distance learning program. Alumni from my program are in positions like VP of JP Morgan Asia, Head Brand Communication NPD, North America. professional orgainsations recognise the PDGM course but this university has never dealt with pgdm students before. I havebeenasked to speak to the dept heads now to see if they will waive the GMAT.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Take the GMAT and the problem is solved.

Thank you for all the responses! I got the required waivers and have been accepted for the MS in Information Science course, the course i listed above and requested you to have a look. The course has a cpt element, i wanted to ask can i do unpaid cpt on h4?! Please advise!!

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No CPT or OPT for H4. That's for F1 students.

As mentioned by some other h4 visa holders here on murthy forum and confirmed by my university( its a state sponsored university and not a private university) i can be on h4 for 3 semesters and do the last semester on f1 and get opt post completion of the course! All i have to do is maintain full time status! My only question is, in the third semester i wud hv to go for a cpt as is needed in the course, am i eligible to do a cpt that is unpaid while in h4 status?!

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As mentioned by some other h4 visa holders here on murthy forum and confirmed by my university( its a state sponsored university and not a private university) i can be on h4 for 3 semesters and do the last semester on f1 and get opt post completion of the course! All i have to do is maintain full time status! My only question is, in the third semester i wud hv to go for a cpt as is needed in the course, am i eligible to do a cpt that is unpaid while in h4 status?!

 

Please read what was said before!

CPT is part of an F1. On H4, there is NO SUCH THING as CPT.

Period!

On H4, you can NOT work, not even unpaid.

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As mentioned by some other h4 visa holders here on murthy forum and confirmed by my university( its a state sponsored university and not a private university) i can be on h4 for 3 semesters and do the last semester on f1 and get opt post completion of the course! All i have to do is maintain full time status! My only question is, in the third semester i wud hv to go for a cpt as is needed in the course, am i eligible to do a cpt that is unpaid while in h4 status?!

CPT is for F1, not for H4. Did you got it or not??

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Are you sure the internship requires work authorization?  Have you discussed this with the DSO or are you just assuming this is the case?

I am assuming that authorization is required! Have scheduled an appointment with the faculty advisor to discuss this in detail!

Thank you again for all the guidance!

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Are you sure the internship requires work authorization?  Have you discussed this with the DSO or are you just assuming this is the case?

I spoke to the concerned authority and she said i need to be have work authorization to do the cpt. I am planing to do 15 credits, 15 credits, 6 credit(summer semester and full time status for summer semester is 6 credits and for other semesters its 12 credits), and 6 credits in 4 semesters. And do the last one on f1 visa. Need to do 42 credits to graduate. Just wanted to know, if i can do cpt in last sem, its a 3 credit course ( 150 hours and mostly unpaid, its called a capstone project in the course and a thesis is to be submitted) and still get opt after completion of the course?!

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I spoke to the concerned authority and she said i need to be have work authorization to do the cpt. I am planing to do 15 credits, 15 credits, 6 credit(summer semester and full time status for summer semester is 6 credits and for other semesters its 12 credits), and 6 credits in 4 semesters. And do the last one on f1 visa. Need to do 42 credits to graduate. Just wanted to know, if i can do cpt in last sem, its a 3 credit course ( 150 hours and mostly unpaid, its called a capstone project in the course and a thesis is to be submitted) and still get opt after completion of the course?!

For OPT, you should be on F1 as full time student for one academic year.

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  • 5 months later...

It is up to the university if they will accept any of your prior study for credit towards a degree. They have experience with many students over the years. The university department I am most familiar with, for example, will not admit students from several institutions for graduate studies because of horrible experiences with previous students. It is quite possible that their experiences with students with credentials similar to yours have shown the students to be ill prepared for work in their department. This is particularly the case if your degree was a distance learning program or by a university without a good international reputation.

 

If you want to attend, you will have to play by their rules. Also, most universities will transfer no more than 6 units of credit towards a masters and that must match their courses content closely.

 

 

Thank you for all the help during my admission process. I have few more queries. Please advice sir!

 

I am pursuing MS (Information Science, IT specialisation) from State university. I will complete second semester in April 2015. I am doing it on H4 visa (to avail in-state fee for 2 sems). In start of February 2015 I will apply for F1 visa for my third semester (summer 2015). In May 2015 I really need to visit India and I would come back end of May 2015 and resume classes for the 3rd semester (summer 2015). My questions are:

 

1. How much time does it take for F1 processing? If I apply in Feb will I get it by April end?

2.. Will I face any problem in stamping in India because I am shifting from H4 to F1 midway through the course?

3. I have given TOEFL but not GRE. I gained admission on the basis on my Master's course and work experience from India (the university site states the requirements and its a state university), will no GRE be a problem during stamping, the university is a reputed one?

4. My husband's GC has been filed, will that be a conflict when I go for visa stamping? As F1 visa is a non-immigrant visa while GC filed for hudband show intent to immigrate. Please advice, if such a question comes up .

 

Thanks

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