Hello

I would like to know about the nature of the job for those who hold MBA in IT. what is it really and what they do mean by managing technology. most schools provide vague info in their websites and others are so specific to the point that they demand an excellent software programmer to consider their course! could someone tell be please how its different from the standard MBA course and which one one of them (typical MBA or specialized MBA) is worth pursuing?

many thanks

Generally these are very weak, which is why they are so rare. Either they are on business analysis, in which case they are too junior for MBA roles, or they are on IT transformation and strategy, in which case they feed people into Accenture and Booz. But people want CIOs with solid work experience. There is not a big need to middle managers in IT. For a good example of what works look at the MoT programme at the EPFL and the SDM at MIT.

Typically, it's better to do a general MBA rather than a concentration, and I'd say that's especially so for people in IT.

What futures employers are looking for is a good mix of technical background (that you would presumably have after working in the field for at least three years) and robust management skills (provided through your MBA.)

There's not really a need to gain more technical skills at b-school. However, networking in this field might be better at schools with strong tech orientations (MIT, as Duncan pointed out; or Tepper, Stanford or LBS.)

You should enroll in that particular course only when you feel convinced about the course structure and also how much applied kind of course is it. This matters a lot.