Fast Track Information Systems (ISTM)

ISTM 671. Organizational Culture and Team Building. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides students an understanding of the impact information technology has made in defining an organization's culture and the processes that are used to support operational and strategic decision making. Groupware tools are used to simulate how organizations use computer-based collaboration software for sharing information, ideas and knowledge designed for improved productivity and decision making in order to enhance the organization's competitiveness strategically. Topics include: organizational culture and team building in the age of new business models, virtual work environments, privacy, telecommuting, monitoring Internet access and content, and communication etiquette, electronic teleconferencing, video, data and web conferencing.

ISTM 672. Information Systems Management. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Examines the information requirements of an organization. The difference in the kinds of information needed at operational, administrative, strategic and organizational levels are emphasized. Planning and implementing a comprehensive information system and methods to measure its effectiveness are discussed. Topics include Capability Maturity Models, managerial support systems and information resources planning.

ISTM 673. Analysis and Decisions. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Focuses on the analysis and decisions required for selecting new systems or technology. Specifically, the course covers business requirements analysis, system life-cycle models, Unified Process and other system development methodologies, structural and behavioral system models, CASE tools, decision analysis for vendor and technology selection, feasibility and risk analysis, and implementation and transition management.

ISTM 674. Emerging Technologies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Designed to identify emerging computer hardware, software and communication/network technologies that impact the design and implementation of new information systems. Topics will address emerging technologies that are changing data storage, modes of information processing and media for dissemination. Managerial challenges and issues, including new and existing technology compatibility, the return on new technology investments, and strategies for assessing and mitigating an organization's risk exposure are examined.

ISTM 675. IS Planning and Project Management. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides a basic framework for understanding IT project management, building on the skills needed to manage projects of all sizes. Topics include the project life cycle, project team, project selection, project organization, project planning, negotiation and conflict resolution, and resource management. The responsibility and authority of a program manager and the integration of program functions in a complex organizational structure will be addressed. Through a combination of simulation activities with formal presentations and experiential learning, the following concepts will be addressed: definition of budgets, allocation of resources, consideration of ROI, earned value, management consideration of metrics accumulation and assessment, and control of scope creep.

ISTM 676. Information Systems Assurance and Security Management. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides a fresh look at managing and protecting the information resources of a firm. While identifying issues, concerns and problems, the course takes students through various tools and techniques that are useful in interpreting information systems security concerns in organizations. In a final synthesis, principles and models are presented that help in proactively managing IS security.

ISTM 677. Structuring Information for Decision Making. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Presents an overview of information systems methods that are used to structure information for decision making. Following a review of the basics of data management, the course examines various database management systems. The course then continues with an investigation of data warehousing, data mining, XML, knowledge management and business intelligence. Students successfully completing the course will understand the range of potential data management options used to present information for decision making and their various strengths and weaknesses.

ISTM 678. IS in the Digital Economy. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Expounds on the innovative nature of the confluence of the Web and business. The notion of disruptive technologies is introduced and discussed. Further, the means by which the relative success and failure of IS in the digital economy can be assessed/measured are deliberated. A number of emergent issues related to the digital economy (viz. eTrust, eCRM, social responsibility, etc.) are discussed.

ISTM 679. Enterprise Information Systems. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Over the past decade, organizations have been relying more and more on enterprise-wide deployment of software applications (ERP) to solve their integration problems. This course begins by describing the true size and magnitude of the enterprise integration challenge, then it examines the general form of problem solution offered by these ERP packages. Since implementation of ERPs continues to be a major challenge, the course fully examines both the track record and successful approaches to enterprise information systems implementation. Finally, new developments in this area are explored.

ISTM 691. Topics in IT Management. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Study of current topics. Topics may vary from semester to semester.