Although many of us came into the ecommerce industry by chance thanks to skills we’ve acquired in other areas, the rapid growth and all-around coolness factor in online retail has made it a high-demand career for new job seekers and experienced businesspeople. With that high demand, colleges and universities have honed their offerings to create ecommerce-specific programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Here, we’ll offer up a few programs we know about that could come in handy if you want to work in ecommerce!
Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT)
Carnegie Mellon University sets up its ecommerce program like a real-life business, placing students on teams to solve business challenges and foster leadership. Although various skills are honed during this graduate program, the focus lies on understanding and leveraging technology to create an efficient, financially stable retail business.
Master of Electronic Commerce (MEC)
Besides traditional technology and management courses, this graduate degree from Dalhousie University also explores the legal implications of working and running a business online. Best of all, students can complete it in as little as a year and a half.
MBA (eBusiness Major)
This program aims at preparing students for leadership roles in the ecommerce industry. Because it’s an advanced degree, students focus on understanding the logistical and technical aspects of ecommerce, such as web programming and supply chain management. Colleges such as Temple, Purdue, DePaul, and McMaster universities offer this graduate-level program with an online concentration.
Master of Science in Information Architecture
Network administrators, programmers, designers, and other ‘back end’ architects are some of the most critical people in ecommerce. This degree program from the Illinois Institute of Technology gives techies the tools and skills they’ll need in visual design, database management, user experience, and more.
Bachelor of Business Administration in E-Commerce
As with most traditional bachelor degrees, students can pick electives to help them concentrate on the areas of ecommerce that interest them most (marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, etc.). The University of Toledo and the University of New Brunswick are just two schools that offer an undergrad degree focused on ecommerce.