WGU - MS ITM vs MBA ITM

So I enrolled in the MS ITM program at WGU and start May 1st. My undergrad is a BSBA. Currently I'm Director of IT at a smaller ($10m) non-profit. My long term goal is to transition over Cybersecurity, slowly, and I still see myself in management for quite a while longer. Yes, I realize WGU has a Cybersecurity degree but I don't think I'm quite ready for it yet and I'm not 100% certain I'll forever do cybersecurity for the rest of my long career. Therefore I figured the MS ITM approach was better than the MBA ITM approach.

Is my logic right on this one or should I go the MBA or cybersecurity route? I figured it was a happy medium but also figured it would be a good idea to reach out to people on here who have done one or more of them!

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TheFORCE

MBA over MS if you want to continue aiming towards management or C level positions. MS if you want to continue towards advanced technical positions.

MBA focuses on business, money, processes and people.
MS focuses more on the expert technical side.

Squished

TheFORCE wrote: »

MBA over MS if you want to continue aiming towards management or C level positions. MS if you want to continue towards advanced technical positions.

MBA focuses on business, money, processes and people.
MS focuses more on the expert technical side.

Thanks. I like business, money, and processes, but I hate people. I do like technical and want to explore this more. No chance of heading to the C level on an MS?

Dakinggamer87

Squished wrote: »

Thanks. I like business, money, and processes, but I hate people. I do like technical and want to explore this more. No chance of heading to the C level on an MS?

I think it is possible as I have been making huge progress towards management with my MS. Although I did supplement it with some MBA courses/training to fill in the gaps of focus on business, money, processes and people.

EANx

Squished wrote: »

Thanks. I like business, money, and processes, but I hate people. I do like technical and want to explore this more. No chance of heading to the C level on an MS?

If you hate people, you probably don't want to head to the C suite. The primary role of senior executives (in public companies) is to make shareholders comfortable with the decisions that are being made.

Squished

EANx wrote: »

If you hate people, you probably don't want to head to the C suite. The primary role of senior executives (in public companies) is to make shareholders comfortable with the decisions that are being made.

Those people I love. End users are hard to tolerate anymore which is why I'm trying to move away from client services. I do great in a business setting.

EANx

If you want the business-setting, then why not check-the-box with the MBA? Think like an executive, you can hire technical skills but who will manage projects? (more appropriately, who will manage the people managing projects) Who will spend money wisely and in a way that shareholders relate to? Figure out where you want to be in X years and work backward from there.

Squished

EANx wrote: »

If you want the business-setting, then why not check-the-box with the MBA? Think like an executive, you can hire technical skills but who will manage projects? (more appropriately, who will manage the people managing projects) Who will spend money wisely and in a way that shareholders relate to? Figure out where you want to be in X years and work backward from there.

20 years from now I want to be sitting on my yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean only fielding phone calls for catastrophic issues. Wait, isn't that what we all want? You're absolutely right, you can hire technical. Not everyone can manage and you can't really school it. I do like the idea of being a manager of managers and do like the idea of making major decisions with regard to budget. I think I will check the MBA box. I will continue filling my certifications though on technical aspects simply because I'm enjoying them and I do not want to become one of those managers who reaches the top and couldn't do simple desk side support if needed. I can't stand those managers and I remember being on the help desk having to visit them and just having little to no respect for them when they couldn't do the most basic of things. I visited my CTO's office too many times for the stupidest things.

TechGuru80

TheFORCE wrote: »

MBA over MS if you want to continue aiming towards management or C level positions. MS if you want to continue towards advanced technical positions.

MBA focuses on business, money, processes and people.
MS focuses more on the expert technical side.

Not necessarily...OP has already said he has a BSBA...Bachelors of Business Administration. An MBA will cover a lot of similar material and perhaps dive a little deeper but it won’t be the same return as an engineering or IT undergrad going into an MBA.

I did a BSBA undergrad and an MSIA and honestly the response is seen as the same as if I did the opposite. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

Squished

TechGuru80 wrote: »

Not necessarily...OP has already said he has a BSBA...Bachelors of Business Administration. An MBA will cover a lot of similar material and perhaps dive a little deeper but it won’t be the same return as an engineering or IT undergrad going into an MBA.

I did a BSBA undergrad and an MSIA and honestly the response is seen as the same as if I did the opposite. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

I'm learning a lot of this is not necessarily the letters or titles next to your name, but the simple fact your progressively making yourself a better developed employee. Seeing people that have had professional development versus someone like me that has had none, it's pretty astounding how far behind I am. Time to make up some though.

Dakinggamer87

Squished wrote: »

I'm learning a lot of this is not necessarily the letters or titles next to your name, but the simple fact your progressively making yourself a better developed employee. Seeing people that have had professional development versus someone like me that has had none, it's pretty astounding how far behind I am. Time to make up some though.

You always have time to make the change!!