Through Kyle Spurr, UM Information Provider
MISSOULA – Sarah Keller adopted her pastime for making a song to a non-public faculty in Washington. But if COVID-19 made tune faculty tougher, she made up our minds to check trade on the College of Montana.
3 years later, Keller is completing a stage in control knowledge techniques (MIS) and already has a role coated up this spring with probably the most greatest skilled carrier companies within the country.
“I spotted how nice of a occupation it was once,” Keller mentioned. “You’ll be able to do exactly such a lot with an MIS stage.”
Keller, who grew up in Nice Falls, isn’t by myself in making the transfer to MIS. A rising selection of scholars from numerous majors are moving to the MIS stage, making it the quickest rising main in UM’s Faculty of Trade.
The stage teaches scholars how you can combine era into trade, which is helping organizations with their processes and resolution making. It may end up in careers in cybersecurity, information analytics and answers supply – all spaces projected to develop over the following decade.
Already, an MIS stage is regarded as probably the most highest-earning at UM with graduates making a mean of $84,533 of their first 12 months out of faculty, mentioned David Firth, a professor of MIS on the UM Faculty of Trade.
“Obviously the chance to earn excellent cash is a draw,” Firth mentioned. “However I believe the truth that we’ve fresh grads from an entire number of corporations and companies come again and inform their tales of why they love their careers is in truth far more necessary and the larger draw.”
Firth mentioned fresh MIS graduates often go back to his categories to discuss their paintings. Alumni additionally go back for meet-and-greets and recruiting occasions. 3 of the 4 greatest nationwide skilled carrier companies ship recruiters to UM.
“We’ve got a powerful program for our scholars to interact with doable employers, and this provides them a large number of touchpoints to know what it is love to paintings at a company or corporate, in addition to communicate to those who have graduated from our MIS main and they might most likely be operating with,” Firth mentioned.
Present MIS scholars additionally really feel supported during the Montana Data Techniques Affiliation scholar staff, which hosts visiting companies and firms and offers scholars some other alternative to listen to about doable occupation paths.
The MISA scholar staff is led by means of Keller, who’s the president, and Collin Baker, vp of the membership and a senior MIS scholar from Missoula.
Baker mentioned the membership is open to any main and meets as soon as every week. The conferences are a superb opportunity for pro building and regularly characteristic occasions corresponding to resume development workshops and conferences with corporations taken with knowledge techniques.
“Corporations are making an investment in MIS as a result of that’s the best way issues are going,” Baker mentioned. “Each and every corporate is integrating era into each a part of their trade.”
Baker mentioned some other really useful side of UM’s MIS stage is the real-world enjoy. A paid internship is needed to graduate, which is helping scholars achieve skilled connections prior to leaving campus. Baker interned with the nationwide skilled carrier company, PwC, remaining summer time and can get started a occupation with that nationwide company after he graduates this spring.
“Whilst interns we did a large number of hands-on paintings,” Baker mentioned. “I used to be scheduling and assembly with the purchasers myself and giving displays to the companions. You do precise paintings from the get cross.”
MaKenna Dull, a junior from Anchorage, Alaska, was once in the beginning taken with finding out global trade as a result of she grew up studying Jap and is taken with global careers. She discovered an MIS stage would give her a powerful trail to these targets.
“I’m assured in my interpersonal talents, my force, and my sense of group to assist me prevail, however I wish to expand my wisdom within the era global and the MIS main is making that imaginable for me,” Dull mentioned. ““MIS is a language that I would like with the intention to perceive within the trade global.”
After she graduates, Dull plans to go back to Alaska together with her MIS talents and assist a trade or group succeed in their targets.
“I do suppose MIS is effective to any form of particular person,” Dull mentioned. “I’m an excessively other folks’s particular person and regularly query what stage can assist me get the place I need to cross. General, I believe having an MIS stage will assist me stand out and input the tech global – which is in every single place now – with out being intimidated.”
For Keller, incomes an MIS stage permits her to discover a enjoyable occupation whilst nonetheless supporting her love of tune.
All over her research, she has participated in a recital choir and UM’s Chamber Chorale. She is also within the Business Track Ensemble directed by means of John Wicks, UM professor of drum set and previous rock famous person drummer for the band Fitz and the Tantrums.
“MIS was once a wonderful main to me,” Keller mentioned. “A occupation in MIS will permit me to give a boost to my leisure pursuits and pursuits whilst studying precious talents.”
###
Touch: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu
