Management Information Systems

1
ManagementInformation Systems

• A Career Perspective

2
MIS Graduates

• Are considered Information Technology
  Professionals
• Unique combination
• Understanding of Business
• Understanding of Information Technology
• Able to combine these to gain competitive
  advantage for the organization

3
MIS Graduates

• Develop and maintain information systems as
  solutions to business problems
• Work with other IT professionals in a team
  environment
• Often serve team/project leadership roles
• Come from a accredited business program (AACSB)

4
MIS Courses Stress Real World

• Students learn cutting-edge technologies and
  practice their understanding
• Project assignments reflect actual work
  assignments
• Teams often work with campus and community
  organizations to develop information systems
• My job is my MIS 420 course MIS graduate

5
MIS Career Tracks

• Based on solid feedback from industry via
  corporate advisory board
• Employers expect MIS grads to have solid
  communication, analytical, and managerial skills
• Generally pursue applied problem-solving
• Prepare for future project leadership/managerial
  roles within the firm

6
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Systems Analyst premier position for MIS
• Investigates business processes key is
  understanding the business needs
• Determine user needs related to information-based
  problems
• Output is a detailed set of system specifications
  for a new or improved system
• Often works in team environment

7
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Programmer
• Write business computer programs according to
  specifications prepared by systems analyst
• May work individually or in teams
• Web development has become popular especially in
  e-commerce environment
• Most companies plan to train the new hire in
  their programming environment

8
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Programmer/Analyst
• Combines systems analysis and programming
• Serves first as systems analyst to determine
  needs
• Then modifies programs as needed
• Communication skills are crucial must work with
  user base and with IT
• This has been the most frequent 1st job area for
  ISU grads

9
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Database Administrator
• Responsible for designing, implementing, and
  maintain database systems
• Establish policies and procedures for security,
  management, and maintenance
• Works with end users and with IS programmers and
  system administrators

10
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Network/LAN Administrator
• Designs network architecture
• Wires network ports
• Installs and configures file/web servers
• Maintains user names and passwords, permissions
• Troubleshoots networking problems

11
Entry Level MIS Career Tracks

• Consultant/Business Analyst
• Combines highest business understanding with
  technical expertise to solve problems
• May work for a consulting company and be assigned
  to different client companies
• Frequently serve as trainers, user support
  specialists, technical support specialists, or
  project group experts

12
MIS Curriculum

• Business Core (44 credit hours)
• So Economics I/II, Accounting I/II, Statistics
  I/II, BLaw
• Jr/Sr Management, Marketing, MIS, Finance,
  Operations, Business Report Writing
• Sr Business Strategy
• Every business major takes same core

13
MIS Major Curriculum (Present)

• Required MIS Courses (21 hours)
• 310 COBOL I
• 376 Business Computer Systems (Project)
• 300 Systems Analysis (Project)
• 430 Data Communications/Networking (Project)
• 420 Database Management (Project)
• 476 Management of Information Systems
• Additional communications course (215 or 305)

14
MIS Major Curriculum (Present)

• Electives (pick any 9 hours)
• COBOL II (employers want same language)
• E-Commerce Programming (Project)
• Business Web Development
• Advanced Web Development
• Managing LANs I (Windows 2000 Hands-on)
• Decision Support Systems/Oracle (Project)
• C Programming (CS 256 or MIS 355)
• MIS Internship (MIS 339)
• Accounting Systems (Acct 313)

15
MIS Minor Curriculum

• Required Courses (9 hours)
• MIS 310 COBOL I
• MIS 376 Business Computer Systems
• MIS 300 Systems Analysis
• Electives (pick 6 hours from MIS courses)

16
MIS Curriculum (Proposed)

• Business Core (44 hours)
• MIS Required (18 hours)
• Intro to Programming Concepts, Systems Analysis,
  COBOL I, Knowledge Management, Project
  Management, MIS Capstone
• MIS Electives (3 or 6 hours)
• Pick from existing list
• We recommend that students take more electives

17
MIS Facilities

• School of Business Computer Labs
• SB 403 Software Lab
• SB 304 Server Lab (students build Windows 2000
  servers)
• SB 807 Production Servers (Windows NT, Windows
  2000, Linux)
• Microsoft Academic Alliance member free latest
  systems software for staff/students

18
Student Organizations - Key

• MISA Management Information Systems Association
• Active membership with biweekly meetings
• Guest speakers, field trips and tours
• Networking opportunities, service learning, fun
• http//misnt.indstate.edu/misa

19
Student Organizations - Key

• AIM Alpha Iota Mu
• National MIS honor society
• Founded at ISU as the Alpha chapter
• Selected based on academic record and character
• http//misnt.indstate.edu/aim.

20
Corporate Advisory Board

• More than a dozen companies to provide advice,
  sponsor internships, hire students, support the
  MIS program at ISU
• Meets on campus twice a year
• Most of the companies are our primary partners
  for recruiting win-win-win!

21
MIS Faculty

• Dr. Jeff Harper PhD Auburn program coord.
• Dr. Ayman Abuhamdieh PhD Rutgers
• Dr. Dennis Bialaszewski PhD SUNY
• Dr. Jim Buffington PhD Nebraska
• Dr. Joe Harder PhD Southern Illinois
• Dr. Billy Moates PhD Alabama
• Dr. Bruce McLaren PhD Purdue dept chair
• Andy Cooper MS
• Mike Frame MS

22
For More Information

• School of Business Web Site www.indstate.edu/schbu
  s
• MIS Web Site http//misnt.indstate.edu/mis
• Program Coordinator Jeff Harper
• 237-2279
• JeffHarper_at_indstate.edu
• This file http//misnt.indstate.edu/bjm/careers.pp
  t