Why choose VT-MIT? Q and A with Yiyang Ma

Yiyang Ma, a spring 2020 graduate of the Virginia Tech Master of Information Technology (VT-MIT) program, recently participated in an interview regarding his participation in the aforementioned program. Ma currently works as a managing consultant with IBM, specializing in healthcare supply chain management and information technology.

Why did you choose to pursue a degree from VT-MIT?

I pursued VT-MIT degree to broaden my vision as a strategy consultant and improve skillsets as a technological leader.  

What skills and knowledge have you gained or polished?

The most valuable knowledge gain is the intuition of applying technology to solve health care and business problems. I also appreciate the relationships built with professors, researchers, and other students.

Specific skills learned include software engineering and development, as well as health care technology. For the former, I completed four programming courses, which made up the software development graduate certificate, as well as a database class, and a security class. For the latter, I took two artificial intelligence classes, two health care technology courses, and one technology leadership course.

How do you think the degree has served you in your career development? 

I feel more confident about advising my clients on technological strategies. I also feel empowered to solve engineering and programming tasks independently as well as through the management of a team.

The VT-MIT program offers students great flexibility. To what extent has this been important to you in managing your work-life balance?

The flexibility is much appreciated. As a busy professional who works a full-time job and sets aside 10 hours a week for fitness training, I cannot find a program that fits my schedule better. In short, VT-MIT delivers flexibility without sacrificing quality. I attribute this to the strong and responsive staff and faculty members.