MBA + Tech Skills = Job

MBA graduates with technology training will find a much more receptive job market than their classmates with no special computer skills, according to a recent survey conducted by UC Irvine’s Graduate School of Management.

Companies will be hiring 17% more MBAs with technology skills in 1997 than in 1995, while the projected hiring of traditional MBAs will be down 13%, according to the survey. UC Irvine, which emphasizes computer skills in its MBA program, said it received responses from 93 companies nationwide, including Andersen Consulting and Deloitte & Touche, for its survey.

MBAs with technology training can expect to earn salaries between $50,000 and $70,000 a year, higher than starting salaries for traditional MBAs, according to the survey. Computer skills and understanding of information technology “is essential to success in our digital economy,” said Randy Williams, director of placement at Irvine’s Graduate School of Management.