E-commerce shapes how people shop for products or services online, becoming an essential tool for small and large businesses worldwide.  The E-Commerce degree program developed at Albany Technical College is designed for students who are interested in entry-level employment in the Internet field. Albany Tech will feature the new degree as part of a Marketing Management Refresh on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 10 a.m., Freedom Hall, Room 101.

Mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing and electronic data interchange: these are buzz words that are now becoming part of daily business conversations. Many companies are considering E-commerce as a part of their marketing plans when the brick and mortar environment is shifting to more online. Online sales have increased tremendously. It is becoming evident that it would be beneficial for most businesses to change to an online presence in addition to brick and mortar. With this shift, jobs are expected to increase.

“There is a trend in the business world today to make sure that E-commerce is included as part of the overall marketing plan. We see more and more online sales opportunities and this competition becomes a factor that can’t be ignored,” stated O’Brien Arnett, Marketing Management Program Albany Tech Chair/Instructor.

This new E-commerce degree is a blend of business, management, marketing, and information technology courses. Individuals seeking initial employment in the electronic commerce field or already employed in a related area and seeking career advancement will benefit from this program.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of those workers is growing: From December 1997 to December 2016, employment in electronic shopping and mail-order houses increased by nearly 80 percent. BLS projects that jobs in this industry will continue to rise, reaching almost 450,000 jobs by 2026.