About Business Information Systems in University of Pittsburgh

Information technology (IT) has revolutionized the way consumers and businesses relate and interact. For consumers, online retailing has become the dominant distribution channel for a wide variety of products and services, with massive shifts underway from brick and mortar to e-commerce and the Web, and now into social media. Not only has technology changed consumer habits, it has also dramatically changed the workplace.

Technological innovations enable new strategies, products, and distribution channels while increasing efficiency and productivity in all industries. Success in the 21st century requires that business managers and analysts understand what technologies are available in the marketplace and how these technologies can lead to competitive advantage, staying competitive, and to new business products, services, and models. Therefore, it is necessary that managers understand how IT interacts with business strategies, organizations, and customers, and it is essential that businesses manage their portfolios of IT investments accordingly.

Through the Pitt Business Business Information Systems (BIS) major, students will develop the abilities to partner with, or contribute to, IT-enabled business strategy, operations and projects in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:

• Evaluating new information technologies, business models, and their implications
• Understanding the relationships between competitive advantage and information technologies
• Assessing a business or business area to recognize where process improvements can be made
• Eliciting and identifying requirements
• Communicating effectively with consumers, managers, analysts, business partners, and IT professionals
• Modeling needs, processes, and data
• Managing data as an asset
• Managing processes

The Pitt Business BIS major meets the qualifications of a STEM-designated degree program, as set forth by the federal government. International students may receive an extension in the United States for the program.

Skills Needed

• Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Types of Jobs

• Business Technology Analysis
• Consulting
• IT Management
• Operations
• Customer Service/Sales

Types of Industries

• Medium to Large Corporations
• Government
• Start-up Organizations
• Retail
• Consulting Firms

• Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). We encourage you to complete the SRAR rather than sending a transcript to improve application processing time. Please note that we will compare your SRAR to your official high school transcript if you enroll at Pitt. Accuracy in completing the SRAR is very important. Discrepancies and misrepresentations could result in the Admissions Committee revoking your admissions decision.
• Original or certified, official secondary school records from grades 9-11 (transcripts, marksheets, certificates, examination results, etc.) and any national/state examination results required in your country. You will also need to send literal translations of your records if they are not in English. If your secondary record only includes grades 10-12, please submit the third year of your middle school transcript. Note: Students may be required to complete a transcript evaluation.
  • If you have a General Education Diploma (GED) email the Admissions Office pitt.admissions@pitt.edu about your options. In some cases the GED is not accepted.

English Language Requirements

• For the Pittsburgh campus, a 100 or higher TOEFL composite score with subscores of 21 or higher is considered competitive, a 7.0 IELTS with subscores of 6.0 or higher, or a 120 or higher Duolingo score.

  Applicants are reviewed holistically, however, and those with a 95-99 TOEFL and a solid academic record will be given strong consideration in the admissions process for the Pittsburgh campus. Applicants with TOEFL scores between 80-94 (6.5 IELTS) will most often be considered for admission to a regional campus at Bradford, Greensburg or Johnstown. We recommend that students rank the campuses on their admission application in order of preference.

University of Pittsburgh Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance varies depending on whether the candidate has applied to graduate or undergraduate programmes, as well as the necessary fees that must be paid. The tuition charge varies according to the programme to which one has applied. The following is a breakdown of expenses in the form of an expected budget for international students interested in studying in the United States.

Undergraduate Cost of living (Per year)

Graduate students Cost of Attendance (Per year)