Pittsburgh, PA , July 8, 2008 - [UPDATED December 23, 2008] - The MSIT in IT Service Management announced by the School of Computer Science will not be offered in the Fall of 2009, given the current global economic and financial crisis. Any decisions about offering a program in the future will be reconsidered at a later date.
Beginning this fall, Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science will offer a professional masters degree in Information Technology Service Management (ITSM). The Master of Science in Information Technology in IT Service Management (MSIT-ITSM) degree will be offered by the Institute for Software Research (ISR) within the School of Computer Science.
Services are a key and growing component of the global economy, with information-intensive services growing at a rapid rate. Information technology is both an integral component supporting many services and playing a vital role as IT service businesses contribute to the global economy. Computer science can help solve many of the critical problems facing services systems. Service systems are an example of ultra-large-scale systems that are highly dependent on IT. Modern IT service management environments are complex; highly dependent on use of computing technology; depend on complex architectures; often utilize telecommunications/networking; demand high performance (e.g. virtualized data centers); require high reliability, privacy & security, availability (e.g. call centers); integrate intertwined processes; and demand skill sets that encompass both IT and management capabilities. These are complex systems and relationships, so service system managers require a first-class education that prepares them to work with clients, service providers, and hardware and software vendors across extensive service value chains.
Given this need for high-quality educational offerings and continuing demand for informed and experienced managers and leaders in service science, Carnegie Mellon University is responding by introducing the Master of Science in Information Technology in IT Service Management (MSIT-ITSM) degree. “Carnegie Mellon is delighted to launch this new program,” said Bill Hefley, program director for the MSIT-ITSM program and associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon. “This new venture creates excellent opportunities for well-prepared students from the global service economy to come to the Institute for Software Research for graduate study, enabling these students to contribute to the global services industry, as service providers, consultants, or clients.”
The MSIT-ITSM curriculum provides a comprehensive program that integrates technology, management, and organizational strategy. It emphasizes the importance of, and interrelationships among technology, management, and strategy for successful careers in the services industries. This education prepares students to deal with issues necessary for an organization to integrate and manage its people, processes, information, tools and technology so customers can be served efficiently and effectively. Service management in the context of the MSIT-SM degree program addresses the design, establishment, operation, management, and improvement of both IT services and IT-enabled services.
This new degree program offers a multi-disciplinary view of service science that can give graduates a unique edge in today's complex marketplace. The MSIT-ITSM is a competitive credential that will equip professionals who aspire to become service executives, specializing in services operations, technology management, or service improvement and innovation. This program is specifically focused on services, and not solely on IT, to provide a comprehensive preparation of front-line leaders and those who will move into the executive ranks in the growing services economy. The curriculum focuses on four core areas: (1) IT, computing, and software engineering, (2) behavioral and management sciences, (3) quantitative methods, and (4) IT service management. Students who enroll in the MSIT-ITSM degree program also complete elective courses in computer science, business, and management, and a practicum component that provides hands-on learning. The practicum is a key component to this degree program. "These projects are for real clients in real organizations,” Hefley said. “Practicums require the students to apply what they've learned in class; there is no substitute for this experience."
Carnegie Mellon is accepting applications for the first offering of the MSIT-ITSM degree in 2008 and for the second offering, beginning in 2009. Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in an engineering discipline, computer science, software engineering, or information systems. Some applicants may have degrees in other fields (sciences, business) with IT work experience. All applicants are expected to have strong technical/critical reasoning and quantitative skills, and they should have at least 3-5 year of relevant industrial experience prior to beginning the program. Students in the program may have experience in IT service delivery, and are looking to enhance their ability to develop, deploy, and manage IT services. Other students might use this program to support career advancement, e.g., moving from a technical role to a business leadership role.
For additional information about or application forms for the MSIT-ITSM degree, contact Professor Hefley (weh+msit@cs.cmu.edu).
About ITSqc
The ITSqc in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science has a mission to address the emerging need for capability models and qualification methods for organizations involved in the evolving Internet economy. ITSqc's Research Consortium involves leading international corporate, government and academic entities in the development of the Capability Models.
About Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts, and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. Carnegie Mellon has contributed to the development and use of several quality standards, such as eSCM-SP, eSCM-CL, CMMI®, SW-CMM® and People CMM®. For more information, see www.cmu.edu.
® Capability Maturity Model, Carnegie Mellon, CMM and CMMI are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University.
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