Many of the dot-coms that sprung up and then failed didn't have a real business model, Haseman says. And in the real world economy, if you're not making a profit, you go out of business. Only about a dozen business schools in the country offer such a program. Launched in September 2000, the 34-credit program combines studies in information systems and technology, marketing, accounting and operations management. Students must complete 25 credits of core courses, and at least nine elective credits in a business or technical track.
Many companies now see it as a way to operate their businesses more efficiently.
UWM's master's program remains popular despite the recent dot-com doldrums. The program quickly filled to its 35-student maximum and created a waiting list when enrollment opened last fall. Few of the program's students enrolled with the expectation that the degree would give them the background necessary to open their own dot-com businesses, but the majority had different goals, Haseman says. UWM has also integrated e-business options into other undergraduate business and MBA programs. The impact of the Internet and e-commerce on business practices and consumer behavior poses new challenges for all types of companies.