<p>I graduated with a degree in Sport Management from York College of Pennsylvania with a GPA of 3.45/4.0.</p>
<p>I have done internships in the sporting industry and I have hated them all. I am currently looking to change careers and ultimately I want to work in Computer Networking or Database Administration. </p>
<p>Currently there are three different options that I am looking into and I was wondering what everyone thinks. </p>
<p>1.) Get a second bachelor's degree in Information Technology
2.) Get an MBA with a concentration in Information Technology
3.) Apply to the University of Pennsylvania's Master's in Computer and Information technology program which is designed for students who have an undergraduate degree in something other than computers.</p>
<p>If you all have some other ideas for me, please feel free to share.</p>
<p>Would a 3.45 GPA make you competitive in the Penn program’s applicant pool? Are there similar programs at Drexel or any of the other Philadelphia schools, for a fallback?</p>
<p>I know that a lot of Technology MBA programs expect you to have a background in technology. A friend of mine worked with computers and technology in the Army, then went and earned a BA in Business and went to work for an energy company where she worked with the IT guys, but not as one of them but more as an interface between management and IT. When she decided to apply to a MBA in IT, she realized she didn’t have the background to be competitive with her fellow applicants (albeit we live 15 minutes from Microsoft’s HQ, so her experience may not be typical for someone from PA).</p>
<p>Another way to look at it may be this:</p>
<p>If I were going to a state school here in WA State, the second Bachelor’s in IT would cost me roughly $8,000-10,000 and a year of my life, while the MS would cost me $28,000 and 2 years of my life. Considering the added expense of $18-20,000 (based upon my State’s tuition rates), as well as a year longer until entering the job market I would try to decide whether it was worth it to get BS #2 or the MS.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Penn is the only program that I have seen near the Philadelphia area that has a program like that. My GPA is one of my concerns, which is why I know I would have to do really well on the GRE’s. I do have a little over two years experience working as a computer technician (firedog) for Circuit City while they were still in business but I’m sure if employers would take that as real world experience.</p>
<p>You could take 9.0 graduate credits as a non-matriculated student at Temple University to build the background before going into the MS in IT or to get more technical coursework before an MBA in IT (both of which are available at TU). I imagine a similar strategy could be possible at Drexel, which has the strongest institutional focus on technology in Philadelphia.</p>