Individuals who have an interest in pursuing a career as a chief technology officer are typically required by employers to hold a master of business administration degree (MBA) that has a focus on technology, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics*.

Now, San Diego State University's College of Business Administration is offering another option for these individuals in the form of the master of science in information systems degree. According to school officials, students who complete this graduate program will have the potential to assume a role as a chief technology officer or chief information officer within corporate, government or nonprofit settings.

The program, which is currently accepting applications for classes beginning in the spring 2012 semester, was modeled after a curriculum that was published by the Association for Computing Machinery and the Association of Information Systems.

"As technology changes, firms must recognize opportunities to invest in systems for making smarter decisions, increasing their clock speed, and achieving secure process integration with their business partners," said Robert Rice, chair of the university's management information systems department. "This degree program prepares students to do that."

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Computer and Information Systems Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos258.htm (visited September 13, 2011). This is a national estimate and conditions in your location may vary.