Dr. David Paradice

Call it immediate application.

Dr. David Paradice leads the online Management Information Systems master's degree that gives students new tools while they're still on the job.

"They don't have to quit working," said Paradice, MIS chairman. "It's truly, I think, a curriculum that adds value to anyone's current situation."

On the advice of industry leaders, FSU's graduate degree provides a managerial track that focuses on understanding how technology affects business processes and how to leverage technology to build customer and industry relationships, he said. FSU also offers a second track for those wanting to bolster their technical skills with advanced knowledge in systems analysis and database management.

"We don't teach fundamentals," Paradice said. "It is in every sense a high-quality graduate program of Florida State University, only delivered differently in an online format."

Paradice started his career with a computer science degree but quickly learned he didn't want to spend all his time programming. He earned a master's degree in industrial management then did consulting work in Atlanta. He ultimately decided to pursue a Ph.D. in business administration so he could pursue research.

Paradice's research work focuses on how technology systems can help managers formulate and work through business problems. His new interest is how virtual environments such as Second Life could be used in decision-making.