The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme has proliferated our higher education to a point that it is the butt of all jokes. The principal criticism of BBA programmes that provide choice of majors in the final year is that they develop jacks of all trades, masters of none. Amidst this clutter of generalists who are still going toe to toe with graduates from finance, Accounting Information System (AIS) or Management Information System (MIS), and more, the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) has introduced a pragmatic specialisation – Technology Management. The vision, simply put, is to develop business leaders who are data-driven, tech-savvy and innovation oriented – ones who can both talk the talk and walk the walk. With this end in view, they have formulated a curriculum that attempts to take the best of both business and technology.
How is it balanced?
An obvious question that comes to mind is, “How do they cover both business and technology courses within one undergraduate programme? Is it compromising any while trying to fit in both?”
Assistant Professor Mohammad Shamsu Uddin of the department clarifies: Most traditional business schools home and abroad offer approximately 120 credit hours. However, IUT offers a BBA in Technology Management programme consisting of 155.25 credit hours. Thus, BTM offers 10 extra technological courses without compromising the core business courses.
These courses include core business, core technology, allied and GED courses of 3 credit hours as well as business and technology lab courses of 0.75 credit hours. The technology courses range from Computer Programming and Business Data Analysis to Mechanical and Production Engineering.
“These technology courses basically taught us about the fundamentals of the technologies that are being used in these fields while making us acquainted with various softwares and applications used in these fields,” mentions Azraf Iqbal, a BTM alumnus, currently working in Berger Paints.
In the final year, it is mandatory for the students to take “Technology Management” as their major course. Students can choose their minor course from an elective pool of Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, Marketing and Information System. The curriculum can be accessed from this link: https://btm.iutoic-dhaka.edu/students/curriculum
How is the academic pressure?
Diversified courses and more lab work indicates a rigorous academic life. Azraf further states, “The students even have to learn SQL and coding languages such as C, C++, Python and get a chance to practise them in the labs which is also a part of the course and mandatory for all the students.”
A few current students mentioned adaptability issues with their lab courses, but also admitted to it being a general issue for anyone pursuing a CSE major.
Khadija Khanom, a lecturer of the department, thinks it is not rigorous because the marks are divided between theoretical and practical.
She explains, “After the theory, you just need one or two more classes to grasp the practicals. It clears your concepts as well. You don’t need to know how the algorithm really works, but you need to know what algorithms are needed for your business. So, I think it will be more enjoyable to catch up with the market.”
How does it compare to an Engineering+MBA combination?
The popular Engineering+MBA combination is a coveted credential in some industries. At first glance, it may seem like BTM is emulating that concept in one programme. However, they are quite different from one another. Unlike in engineering, BTM does not go in depth into a specific technology. Rather it imparts knowledge and develops skills that can be adjusted to a wide range of roles, sectors and industries. Particularly in the Tech and Software industries, BTM will get an edge, Azraf believes. Generally, with the advent of Big Data, other industries have also started seeking business leaders with data analytics skills set.
What is the next academic step?
IUT is currently the only institute that offers this specialisation. As unique a feat as it is, there is no scope for a technology management MBA in Bangladesh. But not many of the alumni settle for a status quo Finance or Marketing MBA. Rather, their acquired expertise in various analysis and visualisation softwares make for a smooth transition to MSc programmes abroad.
Assistant Professor Mohammad Shamsu Uddin named USA, UK, Canada and Australia as a few destinations for higher studies that BTM graduates branch out to. Azraf mentioned his peers having an affinity towards programmes such as Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Data Science, Supply Chain Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning etc.
What are the career prospects?
Just as there are graduates who pursue higher education, there are also those who seek jobs immediately after graduation. Nazmus Sakib Rumman, a final year student, added that corporate employers typically seek BBA graduates with strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills. Hence, BTM students can be valuable for roles involving technology integration in business processes.
Industry
There are promising prospects for BTM graduates in the technology and software industries, as previously stated. Lecturer Khadija Khanom brought up an optimistic trend in the corporate hierarchy. “In British American Tobacco, Coca-Cola and telecoms, there are new positions titled ‘Tech Leader’ and such. I think BTM will be useful in this sector,” she said. She is also optimistic about new prospects opening up when the manufacturing sector starts adapting Smart Factories.
Academia
A considerable number of students get into academia and research. “Our faculties from very early years of universities help and guide the students to develop various research skills that help them in pursuing a research career,” Azraf added.
There are currently 60 seats in the BBA-TM programme. In the admission test for the academic year 2022-2023, merit positions ranging from around 1,600 to 2,800 reportedly secured their seats in this programme.
Since only two batches have graduated so far, it is too early to conclude that the end goal for a BTM graduate will be chief technology officer (CTO) positions. A status quo has not yet been created. It may be restrictive to think in terms of the technology pipeline in corporations since, alternatively, there is still the ocean of BBA to dive into.