Back to News 
MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan. 15, 2016) — Milligan College’s online Computer Information Systems (CIS-Mobile) program was ranked No. 16 in the nation by ComputerScienceOnline.org, a website devoted to help those seeking a future in the tech industry.
Milligan’s CIS-M program was evaluated on a number of criteria and metrics including online tuition cost compared to other programs, student-faculty ratio, six-year graduation rate, percentage of students receiving financial aid, academic and career counseling services, and the college’s number of online computer science-related bachelor’s programs.
The 42-hour CIS-M program is designed to accommodate working adults who either want to complete their degree, earn a certificate or get additional training in CIS. Often, students use the program to find jobs in business analysis, database and operations management, systems analysis or web design. The program is one of the most economical programs in our region and is even priced below the local state university rate.
“We are honored by this ranking,” said Dr. Carolyn Carter, associate dean of the William B. Greene Jr. School of Business and Technology and professor of computer information systems and business administration. “On top of being one of the most affordable and high quality programs in the region, Milligan’s CIS-M major is unique in the way it makes personal attention a priority for our students. We make a degree plan for each individual student and follow him or her until graduation in a very hands on way to make sure they are successful in the program.”
One recent CIS-M graduate, Matthew Clark, of Elizabethton, Tennessee, said the program’s personal attention made finishing his Bachelor of Science degree more manageable.
“The faculty were accessible all the time,” said Clark, 40, who completed the program while working fulltime as the executive chef at One Acre Café in Johnson City, Tennessee, on top of taking care of his family. “Any questions I had got answered quickly.”
Through the CIS-M program, Clark also was able to land two internships that he hopes, along with the CIS-M’s practice-based curriculum, will help prepare him for a job in the field. Currently, Clarks works part-time for a start-up software company, BlueTree Connections.
“In the world outside of college, what matters most is your ability to define a solution to a problem and then act accordingly,” said Clark. “Dr. Carter and her team at Milligan put the emphasis on being able to solve real-world problems, and they build the curriculum around that premise.”
Though he could complete his CIS-M work online at any time and at any pace, Clark said he was able to do most of it after he put his children to bed.
“That made it very convenient to be able to complete those classes at night,” added Clark, who first started his degree at Milligan in 1996 before taking a job in Knoxville. He was able to complete all of his outstanding credits online, except one general education class. “It was lot easier going back to school than I thought it would be.”
For more information and to view the complete ranking, visit www.computerscienceonline.org/degree-programs.
Milligan also offers adult degree completion programs in business administration, early childhood education and nursing (R.N. to B.S.N.). For more information about these and other programs, click here or contact Rebecca Banton, graduate and professional studies recruiter for business programs, at 423.461.8662 or RBBanton@milligan.edu.