Learning Objectives

Bachelor's in Management Information Systems Learning Goals

Undergraduate teaching and learning goals for undergraduate MIS students are designed to provide students with sufficient technical and professional knowledge as well as skills to form the foundation for a successful MIS career. The Department of Management Information Systems considers several characteristics of the IS profession which have been relatively constant over time and have been integrated into the curriculum. These are: (1) business fundamentals; (2) analytical and critical thinking; (3) ethical, interpersonal, communication, and team skills; (4) and technology skills. Within each of these four areas, key competencies have been identified and specific learning goals established.

These characteristics evolve around four major areas of the IS profession and, therefore, must be integrated into any IS curriculum:

1- Business Fundamentals: IS professionals must have a broad business perspective. Students must therefore understand:

  • Management information systems professionals help organizations perform and succeed.
  • Management information systems professionals span and integrate all organizational levels and business functions.
  • The influence of management information systems professionals is increasing in strategic significance because of the scope of the organizational systems involved and the role systems play in enabling organizational strategy.

2- Analytical and Critical Thinking: Management information system professionals must have strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Students must therefore:

  • Be problem solvers and critical thinkers.
  • Use systems concepts for understanding and framing problems.
  • Be capable of applying both traditional and new concepts and skills.
  • Understand that a system consists of people, procedures, hardware, software, and data.

3- Ethical, Interpersonal, Communication, and Team Skills: Information system professionals must exhibit strong ethical principles and have good interpersonal communication and team skills. Students must understand that management information system professionals:

  • Require the application of professional codes of conduct.
  • Require collaboration as well as successful individual effort.
  • Need excellent communication abilities such as oral, written, and listening skills.
  • Require persistence, curiosity, creativity, risk taking, and a tolerance of these abilities in others.

4- Technology: Information system professionals must design and implement solutions that enhance organizational performance. Students must therefore:

  • Possess skills in understanding and modeling organizational processes and data; defining and implementing technical and process solutions; managing projects; and integrating systems.
  • Be fluent in techniques for acquiring, converting, transmitting, and storing data and information.
  • Focus on the application of information technology in helping individuals, groups, and organizations achieve their goals.

Graduate Programs in Management Information Systems Learning Goals

Our MSMIS program has recently been streamlined and extensively reviewed based on feedback from our advisory council, industry feedback and the recent MSIS 2006: Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems, by John T. Gorgone, Paul Gray, Edward A. Stohr, Joseph S. Valacich and Rolf T. Wigand. Existing courses have been mapped to the MSIS 2006 model, but movement to the ideal will occur over the next two years with changes to current courses and addition of new course materials. The curriculum committee is addressing these remaining issues during the 2007-2008 academic year. The Master of Science in MIS builds upon the technical framework of the bachelors program to instill professional skills, attitudes, and values. While additional technical content continues to be introduced at the graduate level, the graduate program will focuses primarily on providing students with the ability to research, analyze, communicate, and apply new methods in a changing information systems environment.

Seven departments throughout different colleges at Utah State University cooperate to provide comprehensive doctoral-level education. The Interdepartmental Doctoral Program (IDP) offers Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees to graduate students interested in higher education, public education, or research-related careers.

The Department of Management Information Systems cooperates with other departments in offering the interdepartmental Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). The degree is awarded by the College of Education and Human Services.

In the past this program offered specialization in a number of business education related subjects, but due to recent departmental changes it currently only offers specialization in management information systems.

The Ph.D. is a research-based degree. The Ed.D. is a practitioner's degree. Both degrees require dissertations.

Students graduating from the MSMIS program are prepared to provide leadership in the information systems field. Students graduating from the IDP Program are further prepared to expand the universe of knowledge in the information systems field. Beyond the knowledge and skills of a bachelor's degree in business, graduates of the Ph.D. and MS programs additionally have the following skills, knowledge, and values (see Figure below):

  • A core of IS management and technology knowledge
  • Integration of IS and business foundations
  • Broad business and real world perspective
  • Communication, interpersonal, and team skills
  • Analytical and critical thinking skills
  • Specific skills leading to a career
  • Create new information systems knowledge (Ph.D. students). Prepare an original analysis of a current IS question. The analysis must represent a unique and original contribution to the body of IS knowledge with respect to theory and/or methodology.
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