Officials in the College of Business see lofty rankings as a guidepost.

Better yet, a lighthouse.

"It's a signal to us that we're on the right track," said Ashley Bush, chair of the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, or BAISSC. "It's a signal to students that there's value in the degree, and it's a signal to potential employers that we have a high-quality program."

On the college's voyage to preeminence, the department's programs remain in shipshape. Its undergraduate Management Information Systems program ranks No. 16 among public schools, and its online master’s degree in Management Information Systems ranks No. 11.

The department also boasts a No. 9 ranking for its MBA specialization in Business Analytics.

Those rankings adorn the college's boatyard of nationally decorated programs. Nearly every program ranks in the Top 25 among public schools, and the Dr. William T. Hold/The National Alliance Program in Risk Management and Insurance leads the way with a No. 1 ranking among all schools.

"Our MIS and business analytics rankings underscore the work of our world-class faculty and mirror the mission and dedication of departments and programs throughout our college," said Michael Hartline, dean of the college and captain of this six-department vessel. "We're united in our commitment to give our students the education and training they expect and deserve – and to keep climbing the ranks of the best business schools in the country."

In the MIS programs, the department aims to give students the business and technical knowledge for success in an ever-changing digital society and global economy.

Bush, the Sprint Professor of MIS and director of the master's in MIS and business analytics programs, noted MIS faculty members' emphasis on teaching students how to manage the design and development of systems-related solutions for companies and organizations. They prepare students for careers in, for example, systems or database design, analysis and development and – more increasingly in an era of cybercrime – security.

"We're almost a translator at times," Bush said. "Our expertise is in understanding technology and how technology can be used to achieve businesses' goals."

In its MBA specialization in business analytics, Bush's department strives to give students a broad understanding of analytics tools and techniques that businesses use to derive insights from data. Faculty members emphasize when to use those tools and techniques and how to analyze results.

BAISSC offers various other undergraduate and upper-level degrees, including MBA specializations in MIS and supply chain management.

Bush and other faculty members attribute success to world-class faculty members who are experts in their fields, leaders in research and launchers of rewarding and fulfilling careers. They cite academic assistance and other support from the college, university and alumni, including the hosting of career fairs, industry conferences and networking events. They also attribute success to a highly engaged industry advisory board.

In addition, they point to an undergraduate curriculum that continues to evolve and reflect business trends and employee demand.

And they profess passion for what they do.

"It gives me great satisfaction to teach the business analytics-oriented courses in our curriculum and to see my students land business analyst jobs upon completing their studies," said Noyan Ilk, an associate professor in the department.

Equipped to succeed

The college's graduates have reaped such benefits for decades. Ryan Dorrell recalled his first job, as an applications developer at a major accounting firm, after graduating from FSU with a bachelor's degree in MIS in 1995.

"The curriculum aligned really well with what was happening in the technology and professional world at that time," Dorrell, a serial entrepreneur who serves on the BAISSC Advisory Board, said last month. "I felt like I was immediately productive and could contribute to my employer right away."

With fellow alumni Dave Romine (BS MIS ’96) and Jeff Alagood (BS MAR ’94), Dorrell launched AgileThought, an information-technology company, in 2014. Three years later, Romine – then the company's CEO – said he and his partners could "trace our fundamental business acumen back to what we learned and experienced at FSU.”

They gave back to the college with gifts to support Legacy Hall, the college’s future home, and a fund for MIS students.

AgileThought ranked among the country's fastest-growing companies and best companies for new college graduates before its founders sold it in 2019.

It stands as an example of possibilities for FSU business graduates, including MIS alumni.

"If you look at the marketplace, we need MIS knowledge – everyone's using technology," said Lance Kerwin, an assistant lecturer and the director of the MIS undergraduate program. "If you want to be employable, MIS gives you access to a lot of opportunities."

Kerwin earned a master's degree in MIS from FSU in 2008. He tells students to liken an MIS degree to a hunting license for its use in various pursuits.

"MIS is the best hunting license for business," Kerwin said, "because you can be in any industry, any sector and do a lot of different things."

Global reach

The college's online MS-MIS program, meanwhile, tends to attract – as a part-time program – IT professionals who want to advance their careers, Bush said.

And it attracts them from all over the world. Three years ago, Razvan Petrescu earned a master's degree in MIS while working in Doha, Qatar, as head of management information, financial planning and decision support at Al Khalij Commercial Bank. Last summer, Petrescu became a Tampa-based senior vice president for capital-planning quality assurance at Citi.

Like the undergraduate program, Bush said, the online MBA specialization in business analytics keeps its finger on the pulse of industry and society.

"We answered a call from people in the industry who wanted to learn more about analytics but didn't necessarily want that full-blown analytics degree," Bush said.

She touted personalization among students and faculty members, despite the remote format. That comes in part from emphasis on networking and interaction, she said.

Bush saluted her department's faculty in general, saying, "We have people from different backgrounds and disciplines, and I love how we've been able to work together to build our programs and make them better."

-- Pete Reinwald