The objective of this major is to train students in the development and use of business information systems. Graduates will be strong in the traditional functional areas of business (accounting, marketing, finance, and management) and will have a solid understanding of the development of business information systems and information technology. Fundamental OPIM courses are listed below, followed by degree requirements for a major in MIS.

3103C. Business Information Systems

(203C) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: ACCT 2001. Open only to School of Business students; others with the consent of the Operations and Information Management Department Head; open to juniors or higher. Not open to students who have passed or are taking BADM 3760. Information needs of managers, the structure of the information systems required to fill these needs, systems development, business computing technology, and management applications within major business functional subsystems.

3104. Operations Management

(204) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Introduction to concepts, models, and information systems applicable to the planning, design, operation and control of systems which produce goods and services. Topics include process design, facility locations, aggregate planning, inventory control, and scheduling.

3211. Systems Analysis and Design

(211) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: OPIM 3103C, 3220, 3221, 3222; open to MIS majors only. System development methodologies for business information systems. Project management concepts, hardware and software technology, and organizational considerations are explored. Students participate in a system development project.

3220. Business Software Development

(220) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. The development of computer software for business information processing. Topics include flowcharting, pseudocode, programming with a business oriented computer language, file processing concepts, and on-line and batch processing.

3221. Business Database Systems

(221) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Introduces market-leading techniques for transaction processes as well as decision making and business intelligence that help to identify and manage key data from business processes. Provides the essential tools required for further data mining applications. Combines lecture, class discussion and hands-on computer work in a business-oriented environment.

3222. Network Design and Applications

(222) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Principles and applications of business telecommunications emphasized. Course covers important network systems as well as crucial techniques in building these systems. Students participate in network design and implementation project.

3212. Advanced Information Technologies

(212) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: OPIM 3103C, 3220, 3221, 3222; open to MIS majors only. Deepens knowledge of application development tools for the design of decision oriented information systems. Emphasis will be placed on emerging tools and techniques relevant for modern organizational information needs.

3223. Advanced Business Application Development

(223) Three credits. Prerequisite: OPIM 3103C. Open to MIS majors only. Course designed to cover structured and object-oriented programming methodologies for developing business applications. Program design techniques and logic emphasized. Students participate in a business application design and implementation project.

4895. Special Topics

(298) Either semester. Credits and hours by arrangement. Prerequisite: OPIM 3103C and others as announced separately for each offering. With a change in content, may be repeated for credit. For Fall 2009, the topics include:

• Spreadsheet Modeling for Business Management. 12:30:00 PM-01:45:00 PM / TuTh / BUSN204. Professor Cuihong Li. Take your Excel spreadsheet modeling skills to the next level. Learn to use Excel productively for applications in Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations
• IT Security, Governance, and Audit. 11:00:00 AM-12:15:00 PM / MW / BUSN215. Professor Dmitry Zhdanov. Why are CEOs worried about Sarbanes-Oxley? Why do Chief Financial Officers worry about their data security? How should corporate information be secured and governed? How can companies detect and protect against corporate fraud and white-collar crime? This course takes you through the nuts and bolts of ensuring the security of corporate data including finance/accounting data, customer data, and employee data.
• Project Management. 12:30:00 PM-01:45:00 PM / MW / BUSN127. Professor Marc Degnan. Learn to manage projects – set goals and deadlines, assign responsibilities, monitor progress. Learn to use critical project management software like Microsoft Project. Passing this course qualifies you to take the PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) Exam

Degree Requirements for MIS Major

All Business School students must complete OPIM 3103C and 3104. All students majoring in MIS must also complete OPIM 3211, 3220, 3221 and 3222. In addition, two more MIS electives are required (choose from OPIM 3212, 3223 and 4885).

Management Information Systems students must complete six elective credits in one of the following Applications Areas: MIS Internship, Accounting, Finance, Health Systems Management, Management, Marketing, Management and Engineering for Manufacturing, Operations and Information Management, Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies, Risk Management and Insurance; or from other subject areas approved by their faculty advisor and department head.

Many students who major in Management Information Systems take part in an internship, usually during the summer following their junior year. During the internship, the students work in various organizations and learn to develop information systems that aid business processes and work with various technologies. This experience provides them with real world knowledge of applications of information systems in business settings, and contributes to their development and growth in their chosen field. The credits from the internship may be used to fulfill the Applications Area requirement. For more details, please see Internships in MIS