Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MS-ITM)

The Master of Science in Information Technology Management program is designed for business professionals who want to advance their careers in positions such as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and IT Manager. Classes are taught by professionals who also work in the field at major companies in the Bay Area. A dynamic classroom environment helps to teach real-world skills for the strategic application of IT — including cutting-edge applications of technologies such as business analytics, mobile, cloud services, and social media.

Thrive in a Changing Tech Environment

Contemporary Information Technology (IT) managers are organizational leaders who bridge and integrate the worlds of business and IT. They engage business leaders in the ongoing and innovative application of information technologies that enable business success and have the skill sets to function in a complex discipline with many facets.

Build High-Level Skills

The Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MS ITM) program was designed by faculty with experience in leading-edge technologies to develop professionals suited for the top positions in the IT management field. The degree meets the needs of the modern management-level technology professional responsible for the planning, budgeting, design, integration, and deployment of strategic enterprise technologies and programs that contribute to the business organization's success.

International Students Welcome

International students are also eligible for up to $2,000 through the GGU International Welcome Scholarship. Students in the MS IT Management Cohort program will have access to job search support for Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment. GGU conducts weekly career seminars (but does not guarantee job placement). Learn more about being an international student at GGU.

Curriculum

Students considered for admission to this program will have a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in IT courses or three years of substantial full-time work experience in an IT department. A business/engineering manager with four years of experience whose job requires significant interaction with IT may also be considered.

The Master of Science in IT management requires completion of 33 units in the graduate program. Foundation program courses may be waived in accordance with university policy regarding course waivers. To facilitate scheduling, students may be admitted to advanced program courses before completion of the foundation program but must complete the foundation courses by the time that nine units have been earned in the advanced program.

The MS ITM curriculum is grounded in the four foundational components of IT: 1) software, 2) infrastructure, 3) network/communications, and 4) data. The program addresses these foundations from both a contemporary and forward-looking perspective. Instructors with current field experience at some of the Bay Area's top companies present courses that address the strategic application of the foundation while integrating emerging technologies, e.g. unstructured data analytics, cloud services, virtualization, mobile platforms, and social media. This program is a STEM-designated degree program.

Total Units — 30

Foundation Program — 3 Units (Not Included in Total Units)

The foundation program course should be completed or in-progress before enrolling in any of the 300-level advanced program courses.

• Data Analysis for Managers

Advanced Program — 30 Units

Students must complete ITM 300 in the first six units of the program. ITM 300 is a co-requisite for the following courses: ITM 304, ITM 316, and ITM 318.

Core Courses — 24 Units

• IT Management & Digital Transformation in the Business Enterprise
• Managing Data Structures
• Software Engineering Leadership
• Network and Infrastructure Management
• Security, Privacy, & Compliance
• Management and Leadership
• Teamwork in Organizations
• Agile Management for Project Manager

Capstone Course — 3 Units

Select one of the following:

• Strategic Information Technology Planning, Organization, and Leadership
• Internship: Information Technology Management

Elective Course — 3 Units

Select one of the following:

• Leading Complex Change
• Adaptive Decision Making

Admission Requirements

Students considered for admission to this program will have a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in IT courses or three years of substantial full-time work experience in an IT department. A business/engineering manager with four years of experience whose job requires significant interaction with IT may also be considered.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Science in Information Technology Management program will be able to:

• Explain the framework of the IT discipline, identifying both foundational and support organizations.
• Participate in management-level discussions that cross IT departmental lines.
• Identify issues associated with each of the functional areas of IT and offer solutions.
• Engage in planning and budgeting processes for each of the foundational components of IT.
• Use their knowledge of IT organizations to break down barriers existing between IT silos in their work environment.
• Engage their business community in meaningful dialogue regarding possible solutions to IT/business problems.
• Integrate new and emerging technologies into each of the foundational components of IT.
• Describe the processes of digital transformation and business re-engineering.
• Explain modern software engineering approaches for a minimum viable product, CI/CD, self-scaling, and site reliability engineering.
• Demonstrate ability lead and govern the routine operational management functions of IT including tools for PMP, ITIL, SLA monitoring, compliance audit, risk, and security management.

International Scholarships

Golden Gate University welcomes students from all over the world and offers a scholarship for all qualified international students who enroll in a master's degree program in our School of Business, School of Accounting, or Braden School of Tax. Admitted students that have not previously attended Golden Gate University and satisfy the admissions criteria will be automatically considered for an International Student Scholarship or Grant through the admission process. For the 2020-2021 academic year, a limited number of scholarships will be awarded in each of the following categories:

International President's Scholars -- $15,000

Admitted students who earned a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and who demonstrate English language proficiency as evidenced by a minimum TOEFL a score of 90, Duolingo score of 120, PTE of 65, or IELTS composite of 7.5 with no sub-score of less than 6.5 will be considered. Students who have earned a master's degree after earning a bachelor's degree will be considered using the cumulative grade point average and English language proficiency as noted above. An International President's Scholar is eligible to receive up to $15,000 to complete their degree, $5,000 per term for up to 3 consecutive terms.

International Dean's Scholars -- $12,000

Admitted students who earned a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and who demonstrate English language proficiency as evidenced by a minimum TOEFL score of 85, Duolingo score of 115, PTE of 62 or IELTS composite of 7.0 with no sub-score of less than 6.0 will be considered. Students who have earned a master's degree after earning a Bachelor's degree will be considered using the cumulative grade point average and English language proficiency as noted above. An International Dean's Scholar is eligible to receive up to $12,000 to complete their degree, $4,000 per term for up to 3 consecutive terms.

Welcome Grant -- $3,000

Admitted students who earned a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and who demonstrate English language proficiency as evidenced by a minimum TOEFL score of 79, Duolingo score of 100, PTE of 57 or IELTS composite of 6.5 will be considered. Students who have earned a master's degree after earning a bachelor's degree will be considered using the cumulative grade point average and English language proficiency as noted above. Our Welcome grant is a one-time award of $3,000 applied to tuition in the first term of enrollment.

To be considered for any of the scholarships listed above:

• Students must have their applications complete and ready for review by June 15 for fall 2020 and October 1 for spring 2021 admission.
• The student must be an international student who entered the United State using an F Visa or studying in their home country. Students studying on a J visa are not eligible for these scholarships or grants.
• President's and Dean's scholarship recipients must be continuously enrolled in 9 or more units and maintain satisfactory academic progress as evidenced by achieving and maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in each term of enrollment. These scholarships are renewable for a maximum of three consecutive (3) terms.
• Students may only receive one scholarship or grant. Specifically, President's and Dean's, scholarship recipients are not eligible for the Welcome Grant or the Alumni Referral Grant.

A $1,000 US tuition deposit is required of all admitted students prior to the issuance of visa eligibility documents (commonly known as form I-20). The deposit is credited toward the first term's tuition and is non-refundable. Tuition deposits must be paid by the following dates or students will forfeit the scholarships:

• Priority application for fall 2020 scholarships was June 15, 2020 but GGU is still accepting applications.
• Spring 2021admission - tuition deposit must be paid by October 31st.

Deferring your enrollment may impact your scholarship eligibility. Please speak with your enrollment counselor for further details.

For more information, please see our brochure here.

For more than 100 years, non-profit Golden Gate University (GGU) has been helping adults achieve their professional goals by providing undergraduate and graduate education in Accounting, Law, Taxation, Business and related areas.

GGU is one of California's oldest private universities, enrolling thousands of students and representing more than 68,000 alumni. The university's main campus is located in San Francisco with additional teaching sites in Seattle and Silicon Valley. In addition to evening and weekend classes, most courses and degrees are offered entirely online.