Project-Based Learning: MITS Students Apply Technology Strategies

In today's dynamic technological landscape, organizations seek leaders with a broad skill set needed to tackle emerging challenges and drive innovation. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) offers the Master in Information Technology Strategy (MITS) program, which equips students to become leaders in the IT strategy space. A cooperative endeavor administered by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology and in partnership with the College of Engineering and the School of Computer Science, MITS students can customize their degree with four areas of concentration: data analytics, information security, technology strategy & governance, or software and networked systems. As a professional degree designed to help graduates advance quickly in their careers, MITS students spend their summers engaged in project-based learning. We connected with MITS students on both the Applied Study (16-month) and Standard (12-month) tracks to find out more about their experiences. 

A central feature of the MITS program is the capstone project. Over a period of 14 weeks, students work in groups to apply the knowledge gained through their coursework to solve real-world problems for a sponsoring organization. Students following the Standard track complete the capstone in the summer, while those following the Applied Study track do so during their final fall semester. 

Students find the “learning by doing” approach of the capstone project invaluable. “It provides hands-on experience in applying technical knowledge, offers mentorship from experts in the field, and facilitates teamwork on an interesting project,” explained Pablo Marín Vicuña, a 2024 MITS alumnus who pursued a concentration in Data Analytics.

Marín Vicuña was one of four MITS students who worked on the "Cross-Event Analysis of Multilingual Telegram Data During the Russia-Ukraine War" project, co-sponsored by the Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems (CASOS Center) and the Center for Informed Democracy & Social-cybersecurity (IDeaS). This analysis focused on understanding and describing the evolving information landscape on Telegram, a cloud-based messaging app, as it relates to Ukraine and Russia since the Russian invasion. For their capstone project, the MITS group identified narratives from key media outlets, actors, and bots, recognized major trends in disinformation, and uncovered which individuals and organizations were promoting this disinformation over social media.

While all MITS students complete a capstone project, students on the Applied Study track also complete an internship, further honing their skills at companies like Amazon, PNC, and ByteDance. 

Students frequently report that their internships provide them an opportunity to put what they have learned in their concentration coursework into practice. For example, Shihan Zhang, whose MITS concentration is in Software and Networked Systems, completed an internship this summer at Bytedance, where she focused on advertisement launch strategy. “Since this field focuses on recommending the most suitable advertisements to certain users, it is highly related to the ‘Search Engines' course I took at CMU,” said Zhang. 

Similarly, PJ Roach, a MITS student with a concentration in Information Security, explored how his background in information security and cyber operations is applicable to the private sector during his internship at PNC. “Through various projects related to phishing, I’ve problem solved ways to protect customers and their information. I’ve developed technical skills critical to the industry and have witnessed firsthand how the content from my IT strategy courses at CMU is used in everyday life,” Roach shared.

The capstone project and the summer internship both build upon the advanced, project-based classes that MITS students complete at CMU. “Students’ curricular experiences are further enhanced through the capstone and internship experiences where they get to move away from simulated environments and into actual applications of technology strategies for clients in the real world," said Mark Gardner, graduate program manager.

In addition to leveraging knowledge from her concentration courses and skills developed during course projects, Aubrey Zheng, whose MITS concentration is in Software and Networked Systems, said she appreciated how her internship at Amazon this summer has helped her continue planning her career trajectory. "Beyond experiencing the daily tasks of a software engineer, I have gained insights into the roles of software and product managers. This exposure is invaluable for contemplating my future career path," Zheng shared. 

Image 1: MITS students give their capstone presentation in August 2024. From left to right: Ashley Chung, Pablo Marin Vicuña, and Katsuya Nakano. Not pictured: Seth Bolden; Image 2: PJ Roach (second-from-left) and other interns with Louis Cestello, Head of Regional Presidents at PNC.

For more information about the Master of Information Technology Strategy, or if your organization is interested in becoming a MITS Capstone Project sponsor, please contact Dr. Mark Gardner, Graduate Program Manager.