The mixture of courses for graduate degrees in electronic business is reminiscent of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial where a person carrying peanut butter collides with someone holding chocolate. After haranguing each other, the two savor the new blend. A similar mixture is found in e-business graduate programs and classes.

Courses in business and technology are the framework for a degree in e-business, the process of selling or doing business over the Internet or World Wide Web. Students learn to draw up a business plan along with a Web site. They earn a Master of Science in Electronic Commerce or Information Technology or the degree known as the "techno-MBA."

For local business people, university courses in e-business are as close as a computer monitor, as far away as Buenos Aires, and at campuses in San Diego County and Irvine. National University, the University of Phoenix and the University of California, Irvine offer master's degree programs that combine business and technology. The University of San Diego, which is offering the e-commerce course in Buenos Aires, is likely to be the next campus to offer an MS in electronic commerce.

Furthermore, San Diego State University, California State University, San Marcos and United States International University each offer one e-business class.

Up at UC Irvine, laptop computers are issued to students entering the Graduate School of Management. That sets the stage for the school's Information Technology for Management focus that integrates technology into business courses. Faculty approved that focus in 1994, the first classes were held in 1996, and UCI's techno-MBA program was ranked fifth in the nation last year by ComputerWorld magazine.

Information technology management is the strength of the graduate school program, says Anne Ambrose, UCI's communications director. Students use laptops to download lectures. Hands-on assignments demonstrate how businesses currently use technology. For example, students use software in the marketing lab for an assignment to develop a national chain of stores. E-business courses for the current school year include "The Network Economy," "Critical Issues in Management and E-Commerce" and "IS (Information Systems) and E-Commerce Security."

National University began offering an MS in electronic commerce in July 1998. A year later, the university went online with the 60 quarter-unit program. The university awarded 16 e-commerce degrees last July and about 20 more in December, says Peter Buletza, a professor in the School of Business and Technology.

National's "on-ground" instruction is offered at education centers in Mission Valley, Chula Vista, La Mesa and Vista. Courses include "Graphic Design for Electronic Commerce," "Information as a Corporate Resource" and "Database Management for Electronic Commerce." If a business student balks that managers don’t have to know about databases, Buletza explains that managers need to understand the tasks of people who work with them. "They have to know to ask the right questions," he says.

NU's e-commerce program is so new that graduate student Anita Talone of Carlsbad says she feels like a pioneer. It’s been 15 years since Talone graduated with a bachelor's degree in theater design from the University of California, San Diego. She teaches computer-assisted design at Palomar College, but Talone wanted to explore "wave of the future" career options.

Talone attends classes in Vista and belongs to the class studying to earn MS degrees in July. She hasn't decided whether to start a business or which area of e-commerce she plans to pursue. "The beauty of electronic commerce is there's a niche for everyone. Some are Web designers. You can be an artistic person, you can be a techie, you can be a people person," says Talone. "I’m more (inclined) toward the people person."

Talone is two classes away from the capstone project, a team effort that spans two courses and covers skills learned in the 10 preceding classes. Buletza says students in a previous class developed a prototype Web site to buy and sell intellectual content such as stories and poetry. "They're still working on it," he says.

National University also offers an MS in Technology Management, and students can earn an MBA with a specialization in electronic commerce.

At the University of Phoenix, going online is the only way to earn an MBA in Technology Management or an MS in Computer Information Systems. The university's online campus has offered that MBA for at least four years, and "it’s one of the most popular programs," says Larry Etherington, online campus regional marketing manager. Courses in the 51-credit program range from "Financial Accounting" to "Information Technology and Decision Science."

University of Phoenix's MS degree track is a 45-credit program with courses that include "CIS (Computer Information Systems) Business Communications" and "CIS Financial Management." Legal and ethical issues facing information managers also are addressed.

USD trustees just approved an MS program in electronic commerce, says Gary Schneider, a professor in the School of Business, that could be offered in the fall. The 30-unit, 10-course program is a "balance of half-business and half-technology," says Schneider.

Courses in the program would include an introduction to electronic commerce, Web site design and management and information system design. USD drew up the program in response to requests from the business community. "Companies wanted to send students for an MBA that gave expertise in planning and marketing in information technology," says Schneider, who wrote an e-business textbook with USD colleague James T. Perry.

Their book, "Electronic Commerce," was published in November. It includes case studies, analysis of implementation strategies and chapter topics such as "Electronic Commerce Software," "Security Issues in Electronic Commerce" and "Electronic Payment Systems."

At USD, some students aspiring to MBA degrees this semester are learning e-commerce through independent study courses. Furthermore, this summer, 25 to 30 students will travel to Buenos Aires for six-week courses in "E-commerce" and "International Marketing." Both Chile and Argentina provide examples of e-commerce successes, says Schneider.

California State University, San Marcos has been offering a class in the management of information systems since fall 1998. The course reflects "today’s business environment" and "gives exposure to the technical side, " says Jack Leu, Ph.D., the university's MBA program director. When asked about student reaction to the course, Leu replies, "So far, so great."

For those who wonder if too many campuses are jumping on the e-business course bandwagon, consider what happened when San Diego State University offered its first e-business class this semester. Enrollment in the "Seminar on E-Commerce" closed two days after registration opened. "They thought it was a computer error," says Bongsik Shin, who teaches the seminar through SDSU's Department of Information and Decision Systems.

With enrollment set at 30, Shin faced 30 more students who wanted to register. "So many students have a business idea," says Shin. "Some have business knowledge, but they don’t know where to start."

Some students had more knowledge of business than technology, so Shin gave a technology readiness test the first day. "They have to have a basic idea about telecommunications and data communications," he says.

The students' first project was to develop an e-commerce site that was "as sophisticated as possible" and not just a "Web page." Shin also will assign projects that have students working with businesses.

At United States International University, "E-Commerce IS Marketing" is a required undergraduate course for several majors. That course starts this month and will be taught by Dennis Harlow. He's an adjunct professor, doctoral student and the assistant vice president of wireless operations and business development for IBM Wireless in Encinitas. When asked about e-commerce accomplishments, Harlow speaks of work done at Qualcomm that allowed mobile truck drivers to send e-mail messages through a satellite.

USIU recruited Harlow to teach the e-commerce class and its graduate-level elective counterpart this summer. "This is going to be e-commerce for marketing and business people," says Harlow. "I’m going to ask the students to create an e-business and create a Web site. The graduate course will be more in-depth and lots more work."

Harlow says one e-commerce course is "a good start. You couldn’t cover e-commerce with one course." He and Shin of SDSU say additional classes or a graduate program could be offered through one or more departments or a new hybrid program.

USIU also recently launched an online master's program in education, which will concentrate on technology and learning. Presented with support from eCollege.com, the program is geared to teachers and other educational professionals interested in better integrating technology into the classroom.

No matter how technical the program, Harlow counsels, business fundamentals still apply. "Irrespective of the vehicle, you still need PR, good products, pricing and quality. You have to be careful that you can compete," he says. "Jack Welch, (the CEO of General Electric) said, 'If you’re not competitive, don’t compete.'"