To be successful in our globally-networked business environment, contemporary management professionals must have a strong grounding in the principles of information and information technology. This course provides an introduction to the field of management information systems (MIS), including the tools and techniques for managing information and information technologies within organizations. We place a particular emphasis on the nature of systems, the role of information in business processes, the management of data, and the planning of MIS design projects.

Transforming data into information is critical for making business decisions. This course introduces students to the concepts of data, information and the business database management systems (DBMS) used by modern organizations. Exercises and hands-on projects are used to model the information needs of an organization and implement and query databases using applications such as Microsoft Access and SQL.

Successful organizations utilize a systematic approach to solve real-world business problems through the use of computing resources. Students who complete this course will be able to design and model business processes. They will learn how to conduct requirements analysis, approach the design or redesign of business processes, model system functions, effectively communicate systems designs to various levels of management, work in a project-based environment, and approach the implementation of a new organizational information system.

This course explores the role of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in organizations. Students analyze cross-functional business processes and ERP systems commonly used to support these processes. Students engage in a hands-on project using a current ERP system, such as SAP R/3, to demonstrate, analyze and design system structures, key data elements and process configurations that support cross-functional business processes, including accounting, sales, material management, production and distribution.

This course serves as an introduction to data analysis including both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Contemporary data analytics and business intelligence tools will be explored through realistic problem assignments.