Moderator:
Welcome to Viewpoint with our guests from UMUC. Don, Art and Janet, we're glad to have you with us today. Let's begin with this question: At what level does UMUC's certificate or degree program prepare students to enter the workforce?
UMUC Directors: This is Janet, Academic Director, Information Systems (Undergraduate Programs). You might think of the certificates as geared toward helping members of the workforce stay current in today's demanding job market. They can be used to help you plan to reenter the workforce, develop new skills to advance your career or change careers, or increase your earning potential. Many certificate programs are available online.
This is Don. At the graduate level, a certificate represents about half of a Master's degree. It is a way of documenting your education for your employer earlier than completion of the full degree program. It is also a way to get some in-depth understanding of a different area if you already have a Master's.
Getting either a certificate or a Master's helps you "prove", as well as enhance, your experience, especially if, like me, you came to technology from a liberal arts discipline.
Silver Spring, Md.:
I am 33 years old and do not have a college degree. However, I have been working as a secretary since graduating from high school in 1986 and am making a very good salary.
I would like to take classes and earn a certificate in Web design. Do I need to go through all four years of college in addition to the certificate? I don't want to spend four years (or more since I have to work full-time), but I would like to change careers with a certificate.
Your thoughts?
UMUC Directors: Art H. To earn a certificate, you must complete all the courses required for that certificate, including any prerequisite courses. We have many students at UMUC who are only here to take advantage of the certificate program for personal and/or professional reasons.
For the Web Design certificate, 21 semester hours (7 courses) are required. Keep in mind that some of these courses may have prerequisites. For more information about our certificate program, please visit our Web site at http://www.umuc.edu.
Bowie, Md.:
I have over 10 years of experience in the IT field (I am a Sr. Business/Systems Analyst); however, I have not obtained my degree. I have taken some CC courses and have 24 hours of credit. With my schedule, I'm wondering if obtaining my Bachelor's is worth the major time and financial sacrifice. Where can I receive credit for experience and what's involved? Thank you.
UMUC Directors: JZ - UMUC will review and work to maximize credit transfers. This includes prior learning. We also have a viable cooperative education program (earning credit for on-the-job learning) that may be of interest. The Web site address for our cooperative education center is http://www.umuc.edu/careercenter.
Silver Spring, Md.:
Are COBOL programmers out of luck, when it
comes to career opportunities?
What training path(s) is well-suited for the
COBOL programmer?
UMUC Directors: This is Don. COBOL has been around a while--almost as long as I have. For you youths, COBOL is the acronym for "Common Object Business Oriented Language" developed by Grace Mary Hooper about 1948 to make it easier to remember long strings of binary code.
COBOL got a brief surge a couple of years ago when all the agencies and departments became concerned about the Y2K issue of "Millenium Bug"; COBOL programmers were in big demand to reconfigure dates that didn't include the "19" or the "20" at the front.
But in 2001, COBOL is simply not a growth market. Enterprises converting legacy systems still use some to capture and transfer data into new programs. But web-enabling is changing that, too.
My recommendation would be to upgrade skills to increase marketability; trying to find a COBOL job could be like trying to draw an inside straight.
Annandale, Va.:
Hi, my question is the following:
I will be getting out of a technical school where I have learned Oracle Data Base. I would like to know what my chances are of succeeding in this field. I don't have experience working with Oracle, however I feel that I have learned a lot about it. I know I will have to start with an entry-level position. Do you think it's going to be hard now that IT jobs are down?
Thank you very much.
UMUC Directors: Janet & Art - Technology jobs are holding steady in the database administrator and developer fields, despite the decline in internet-based companies. Legacy systems are still moving to the easier-to-use and more flexible capabilities that products like Oracle offer. Having a good grounding in databasse systems that gives you the flexibility to work with a variety of specific vendors' products will probably give you the best career opportunities over the long haul. Oracle is in demand - it gives you a foot in the door.
Washington, D.C.:
I have completed my Masters in Computer Information Systems.
The best I have seen in offers so far is entry government positions.
I want software. I have done networking in my last two positions and hoped that a software background would help to make me more well- rounded.
I also have my B.S. in Journalism which I'd hope would complement the Masters.
Am I doing something wrong? Where are these
great positions that going to school will help me to secure?
UMUC Directors: This is Don.
The jobs are there. Start with the Washington Post Sunday technology pages, because the IT jobs are listed there every week. Today's Post shows more than 500 IT jobs.
Analyze the listings and try to articulate the skills, training, and value you bring to the employer. Focus your search a few types of jobs, and take the time to do your homework about the prospoective employer and the type of work he or she is doing.
You don't indicate your experience level. Making the transition from Journalism to IT requires some experience as well as education. One strategy is to bite the bullet and take a slightly lower paying job to gain experience, in order to be able to capitalize on the opportunities in the new field later. In that case, the entry government positions aren't all bad.
But a better strategy may be to try to articulate your "multitasking" abilities as journalist-cum-techie. And, knowledgeable as you are about online, time and distance are immaterial. I know at least one techno-reoporter living in silicon valley who writes and does web technologies for a major eastern paper.
In any event, good luck in your search.
FT. Meade, Md.:
Does UMUC have any alliances with Maryland community colleges to facilitate transfer of credits regardless of my major?
I have attended two and would need to transfer many credits.
Thanks for your time.
UMUC Directors: Art & Janet - Yes, we have alliances with several Maryland Community Colleges. Although an alliance does not need to be in place in order to transfer credits to UMUC, they do provide for almost seamless administration of your academic career. A UMUC counselor can evaluate your transcripts and tell you exactly which courses will transfer to UMUC.
Silver Spring, Md.:
How are certificates viewed by potential employers as compared to degrees? Is there a stigma?
UMUC Directors: Don, here.
Some employers prefer vendor certificates over degrees, such as Microsoft, Oracle, or Cisco certificates.
These are very expensive, and have a short shelf life, limited to one or two generations (about 18-24 months) of technology.
A degree will give you a stronger base and will allow you to shift from one vendor to another and from one generation to another with greater ease.
Washington, D.C.:
What kinds of jobs would be available to one who completes the MS in Information Technology or Technology Management from UMUC? Does the degree prepare the student for a career in programming? If not, what would be a more appropriate course? Thank you.
UMUC Directors: Don, again.
The two degrees are substantially different. MSIT is about technology for people with a solid background in engineering, math, or physical sciences. Technology Management is about how managers use IT and other technologies to run the enterprise.
Put another way, the MSIT is geared toward the CIO or CTO wanna-be, and the Technology Management degree is aimed at the CEO, CFO, or other corporate officer who doesn't want to be snowed by technobabble, but who won't have day-to-day responsibility for running an IT shop.
Probably neither will suit you for an entry level technology position. But if you have experience and the prerequisites. Either can help you move up the organization.
Arlington, Va.:
Hi,
I received a BS in IFSM from UMUC in 1993. I haven't actually worked in the IT field since 1990. I am currently working as temporary staffing manager. I am considering returning to school in the fall. What certificate program would help me and should I even pursue it or a Master's degree? I just need to get my foot back in the door. I am interested in databases, such as Oracle.
UMUC Directors: Don back to you.
Your timing is perfect. We are substantially upgrading our database curriculum into a strong track within the Masters in Computer Systems Management (CSMN) program called Database Systems Technologies. The curriculum will include labs in Oracle and courses on relational databases, object oriented databases, and combined object-relational databases. For more information, contact the Program Director, Dr. Hoferek, directly at mhoferek@umuc.edu.
We'll look forward to having you in the program.
Arlington, VA:
Does UMUC have a doctorate in IT?
UMUC Directors: No, but we do offer a Doctor of Mangement with an emphasis in Technology and Information. Go to http://www.umuc.edu/prog/gsmt/dm/ for more info.
Aspen Hill, Md.:
I am an elementary school teacher who would like to make a career change. I have good computer skils, I enjoy the technical aspect, and wonder if this field may be for me. What would be an intelligent way to get my feet wet exploring this so that I may make an informed judgement?
UMUC Directors: Art & Janet -
First of all, talk to the technology folks in you own school or within the school system. They can give you information on the different roles they play in the IT arena.
UMUC offers several technology-related courses during the summer months aimed at serving the school teacher. This can provide opportunities to sample existing and emerging technologies.
Bowie, Md.:
Can your online classes be taken individually or only in the context of your certficate or degree programs? Thanks for your answer.
UMUC Directors: Janet - Any course at UMUC can be taken individually as long as you meet the prerequisites for that course.
Adelphi, Md.:
Does UMUC offer placement assistance to its graduates?
UMUC Directors: Art - Yes, in fact UMUC has a very respected career and cooperative education center that is helpful for students, alumni and employers. For more information, click on http://www.umuc.edu/careercenter/
Reston, Va.:
Until recently, I've been very confident that I could easily find another job as a Web project manager, if I chose to leave. But given the large number of Web firms going under, should I be solidifying my position at my current job?
UMUC Directors: Don here.
Generally, the economy is slowing world-wide, and that slowdown is particularly affecting high tech industries. It is hard to tell without knowing more about your specific circumstances.
But generally, increasing your skills and knowledge, by completing your Bachelors or getting a Masters works both ways--strengthening both your position and increasing your opportunities in other firms if the current ship starts sinking.
New York, N.Y.:
Hey there. I'm a graduate of University of Maryland (not UMUC) with a BS in IT.
Upon entering the workforce, I found that a lot of the concepts that faced me weren't covered in school, and more importantly that a lot of the career paths in IT weren't covered. For instance, I'm now a business analyst, a track I didn't know existed until I landed the job.
I'm wondering if there's any effort being made, either in UMUC or in the educational community in general, to offer more of a workspace indoctrination program and prepare students from what it is that they'll be doing once they graduate?
UMUC Directors: Don again:
You don't say when you graduated. If it was ten or more years ago, many of today's IT jobs weren't invented when you were in school!
The focus at UMUC is to teach at the applications level, so that the theory is covered, but the direct fit with your work world is even greater. We're even looking a the possibility of an MBA-IT for business analysts who want to understand the underpinnings of the technology more.
Washington, DC:
I'm interested in taking online classes, but I don't know much about them. Does the entire class log in at a specified time each week? Do I need any special hardware and software? How many students are in an online class? Will I get the individual attention I need? Will I get to know my professor and classmates? I really like the give and take in a classroom. How will it be different online?
UMUC Directors: Classes run asynchronously. That is, an online session runs from Sunday to Sunday, and you are able to log in and do the work on your own schedule. Discussion threads allow you to communicate with the instructor and classmates, as well as read articles, mini lectures, and hyperlink other articles and materials.
The instructors are available by e-mail 24/7 and usually get back within a business day. The give-and-take works like an Internet chat room, though with a little different tempo.
To get a better look and feel for an online class, take a test drive at http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/mod1_frm.html You can also find the tech specs at http://www.umuc.edu Generally, we are geared toward the Pentium home computer with a dial-up modem connection and the latest generation of freeware for word processing, browsing, and composing.
Fairfax, Va.:
I work for a small area firm in a tech capacity. I'm self-taught. I have a liberal arts undergraduate degree. Do you think my lack of a computer science degree is eventually going to catch up with me?
UMUC Directors: Don:
Yes--you need to formalize your knowledge and fill in the gaps.
Burke, Va.:
This is a 3-part question.
What are your most popular graduate degrees?
Can you explain how your distance learning degrees work? Is there a specific time I have to log on or can I pick up my assignments at my convenience?
How long does it typically take to complete a graduate degree?
UMUC Directors: Don:
Online MBAs are the most popular, based on enrollments.
All courses are asynchronous, but based on a weeklong session. That is, it is not entirely self-paced; you need to stay at the same pace as the rest of the class.
Most Master's degrees require 12-13 courses (the OMBA more), so, with two courses each regular semester and one in the summer, it averages 2 1/2 or 3 years to complete.
Upper Marlboro, Md.:
Which are the best (most marketable) areas within IT to specialize in from an employment point of view now and for the foreseeable future? I want to enter this field and this is of importance to me.
UMUC Directors: Janet & Art:
A recent report in ComputerWorld ("The Most Wanted Skills for 2001", 12/00) listed the following areas as hot jobs:
Web Development
Programming
Networking
Application Skills
Database Administration and Development
This list should provide you with a good list of candidate areas to look into for the coming years.
Montgomery, Alabama:
I am a 25 year career Civil Service employee. My expertise is in Telecommunications Management in Project Management with heavy networking skills. I have upgraded my skills with a BS Computer Information Systems Degree in 1996 and a MS Software Development and Management Degree in May 2001. I had my resume professionally rewritten and my belief was that this would be the ideal time to take early retirement form Dept of Defense and start a second career as I was just completing my MS degree. I have been flooding the market with resumes. Answering ads from Boston to Orlando. I am using traditional resume mailings, e-posting on over a dozen job sites/boards from Monster.com to Headhunters.com. I have posted on both the Washington Post and Boston Globe and still I have had only a couple of telephone calls and nothing concrete in almost 60 days of looking. Is this an age thing? I would appreciate some advice. Thanks.
UMUC Directors: Don here:
Try rifle shots instead of shotguns. Flooding the market with resumes usually demonstrates a lack of focus on the specific job opening or company you are looking at.
Some other options:
Register with a placement service or "headhunter."
Go through the job lists for the high tech firms and target specific jobs. Tailor your resume and cover letter specifically to that job.
Private sector employers generally don't want the kind of encyclopedic information sought on a governemnt SF 171--be short, crisp, and to the point about your skills and experience based on the terms they use--don't expect them to wade through a long chronological list.
Network.
Network!
NETWORK!!!
UMUC Directors: Time to sign off. Thanks for taking the time to log on to Viewpoint and asking us thoughtful questions. You are all welcome to visit the UMUC website, and to contact any of us directly for answers to specific questions about UMUC programs.
We all wish you the best in your careers--both professional and academic, and hope you'll think hard about the value higher education gives you in general and about the opportunities UMUC offers in particular.
Best regards,
Don Goff, Janet Zimmer, and Art Huseonica
Moderator:
Our thanks to Don Goff, Art Huseonica, Janet Zimmer, University of Maryland University College and all who participated.
