For Information Systems Professor Daniel Soper, the journey to teaching in the nationally acclaimed fully online M.S. in Information Technology program at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics began as a first-generation college student at the “other CSU” – the Colorado State University system. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees there, he went to Arizona State University to earn his Ph.D. before coming to Cal State Fullerton in fall 2008.

“I taught in what was at the time a new M.S. in Information Technology program that was very unique for being fully online,” says Soper. “Years later, the fully online structure of this program would enable the M.S. in IT to become Cal State Fullerton’s best-performing academic program during the COVID pandemic. By then, our professors were years ahead of their peers in teaching in a fully online format. Our online format provided us with a lot of advantages because there weren’t many players in the market at the time. Those students who were out there who wanted to continue their education at the graduate level but had real world responsibilities – it was a great match for them.”

Inside the World of Teaching a World-Class Online Master’s Program

In the M.S. in Information Technology, Soper primarily teaches the capstone seminar, ISDS 577, which students take in their last semester. This very nontraditional course involves no lectures or exams, but instead gives students the opportunity to demonstrate, through both individual and group work, that they have accumulated enough skills and merit to earn an information technology master’s of science degree.

The CSUF M.S. in IT is divided into two concentrations: information technology management and data science. “As the capstone professor, I provide different pathways for the capstone project,” explains Soper. “Students can choose a data science, business analytics type of capstone, or they may pursue something more aligned with IT management, design or development of some sort of novel information system.”

Since Soper also teaches courses in the more traditional M.S. in Information Systems at Cal State Fullerton, he has expertise in instructing both online and in-person coursework.

“It is designed for the students to consume the instructional materials in the class at a day and time throughout the week that is convenient to them,” he says. “Almost all of our students are working full time and many have family responsibilities, such as caring for children or parents. The design and structure of the program supports that. We record all of our lectures yet enable interactions among the students themselves and between students and professors in an online environment.”

Considering its consistently high ranking through U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online business graduate programs in the country of any kind, the program outdoes itself in terms of quality of instruction, the career advancement students can achieve, affordability, and accessibility.

No Need to Fear: Information Technology is More Attainable Than You Think

Feel intimidated by information technology? Soper encourages students not to fear. The cohort-based model eliminates concerns about what classes to take or if there will be space available. Almost every student Soper has taught has graduated.

“Whether you work in finance or accounting or research and development or management or marketing, you’ll be using IT for your jobs,” explains Soper. “Our students have undergrads in business, but also engineering, computer science, physics, biology or chemistry.”

“Our value proposition is delivering a high-quality program at an excellent price. You’ll get a nationally recognized M.S. in IT at a price that can’t be matched,” explains Soper. “This program truly transforms student lives and it is rewarding to see how students from this program go out into the world and do good.”

For more on the M.S. in Information Technology at Cal State Fullerton, read more of our articles on this fully online master’s program. Or learn more about the program or apply today!