Graduate School of Business expands, adds new master’s, dual degrees

May 22, 2019 | Graduate School of Business |

The Harding University Graduate School of Business has added to its educational offerings with the launch of an online Master of Science in Information Systems and dual degree options for undergraduate students, combining their BBA with an MSIS or Master of Business Administration.

The MSIS is a 30-credit hour program with concentrations in data analytics and information assurance and security. Every course includes an emphasis in ethics, systems thinking, analytical and critical thinking skills, collaborative skills, written communication, creativity and technical solutions.

The IS discipline bridges the gap between business and highly technical professionals. The MSIS is carefully designed with the business professional in mind, engaging just enough technology for a deeper understanding of data and technology related decisions.

The MSIS is offered alongside Harding's MBA, which was recognized as one of the best in the country in 2018 by BestColleges.com, a leading provider of higher education research and college planning resources.

The fully online MBA is also a 30-credit hour program focused on principled leadership and developing leaders of integrity who can contribute to an organization’s long-term success. In addition, the MBA is adding a thesis option, which facilitates a path to a doctoral program or law school.

“These master’s programs are attractive for students who may have been in the workforce for a while and/or do not have an undergraduate degree in business,” Dr. Allen Frazier, dean of the College of Business Administration, said. “The online nature of our programs, built according to Quality Matters standards, help to ensure the caliber of our programs as well as the convenience.”

The new dual degree programs allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree in business and either an MBA or MSIS within five years or in as little as 12 months beyond their bachelor’s degree program. The offering will be available beginning in fall 2019.

“We believe the dual degree programs bring a lot of value to our existing undergraduate students,” Frazier said. “More and more employers are looking for masters-level credentials; they will also increasingly prefer job candidates with data science and analytics skills over ones without.”

The integrative dual degree is offered to Harding undergraduate students with a minimum of 90 hours and a 3.0 GPA. Students can receive dual credit for select courses by taking graduate-level and undergraduate courses concurrently. The five-year timeframe for the completion of two degrees offers a substantial savings of time and money for students as opposed to pursuing the degrees separately.

All Graduate School of Business students will receive one-to-one academic advising and support by award-winning faculty from the University’s Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration.

To learn more about the Graduate School of Business, visit harding.edu/gsb , call 501-279-5789 or email gsb@harding.edu .