The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a business-focused Bachelor of Science in Information Systems through the Collat School of Business. This degree program is designed to help students build their proficiency and skills across several high-demand areas of business and technology, including:
- Accounting
- Communication
- Database management
- Economics
- Financial literacy
- Programming
- Quantitative analysis
- Systems analysis
Because this bachelor’s degree program is offered through the Collat School of Business, it has the perks of being 100% online, accessible 24/7 and led by knowledgeable faculty members.
Here are some of the biggest benefits of pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in information systems with the University of Alabama at Birmingham:
Entirely online
One of the biggest perks of the information systems bachelor’s degree offered through University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Collat School of Business is the ability to earn a degree online. This program is 100% virtual, which means students can learn and study anywhere they choose.
When deciding to enroll in a university and pursue a degree, many people have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. Two obstacles many people encounter are family or work obligations. When they’re required to be present on campus for numerous hours each day, they may not be able to easily tend to their other responsibilities.
However, with courses, homework, and exams that are accessible entirely online, students can study at home, at their favorite coffee shop, their local library or anywhere else with a good internet connection. This makes it much easier to balance school, work and family.
Asynchronous schedule
There are different styles of online education. Some follow synchronous schedules, where students are expected and required to log on at certain hours of the day. Even though they’re not campus-bound, they are time-bound, which can limit how well they can really balance a job, child care, or other responsibilities with their academic duties.
Fortunately, this isn’t the case with the Collat School of Business. The courses for our online business degree programs are asynchronous, which means learning materials are available 24/7. Students can access and watch lectures any time of the day. Even though there may be some assignments and exams to be completed within a given window of time, these are still generally very flexible, allowing students to complete them as their schedules allow.
Since all relevant class materials can be accessed any time of day, students are also able to go back to previous lectures or other notes they may want to review. Additionally, because there are few time constraints, students are able to study and learn at their own pace.
Experienced faculty
Whether a student is choosing between an online or on-campus curriculum, the faculty’s expertise should be one key consideration. At UAB, students have the benefit of being taught by top-notch professors. More than 90% have either an academic or professional doctorate degree.
The faculty at the Collat School of Business are also respected in their fields. Many of them consult for Fortune 500 companies and the Big 4 accounting firms — organizations where UAB students might hope to one day work. Having a connection to these companies may prove beneficial.
In addition to having highly trained and respected faculty members, the courses offered through the business degree programs are informed by industry professionals. By bringing in such expertise, we help students feel confident that they are being taught relevant, useful information that they can apply once they begin their careers.
Accreditation
Just like having experienced and educated faculty members, learning about an institution’s accreditation status is something students should always consider, regardless of whether they’re reviewing an online or on-campus program.
The Collat School of Business’s programs have earned accreditation through two distinguished bodies:
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
The AACSB accreditation isn’t easy to earn. Only 176 universities in the world — or 5% of all business programs — have been awarded this distinction. UAB has proudly maintained this mark of excellence since 1982.
SACSCOC’s goal is to set and maintain common standards among institutions of higher learning in 11 Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) and in Latin America.
Experiential opportunities
In our business-focused Bachelor of Science in Information Systems program, we offer a capstone seminar that can provide students valuable experience they may not be able to get from the classroom. The capstone gives people a chance to flex their skills and knowledge in a hands-on way.
Through the capstone experience, students will have the opportunity to integrate what they’ve learned across accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, production policy and decision-making into a cohesive display of information systems mastery.
Earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
The online bachelor’s degree program from the Collat School of Business offers many advantages to students. UAB’s positive reputation, the high-quality curricula, and the opportunities for networking and experiential learning are only some of the many benefits that students may enjoy when pursuing one of our online degrees.
To learn more about the online bachelor’s degree programs available, connect with an enrollment advisor today.
Sources:
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business