PREREQUISITES:

All undergraduate prerequisite courses or permission of the instructor.

TEXT:

1.       O'Brien, James A., Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise (5^th edition), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. (MIS).

2.      The Portable MBA, 3^rd Edition, Bruner, et al, 1998.

PURPOSE:

This course establishes a foundation for understanding and analyzing information in organizations.

DESCRIPTION:

This course introduces basic management information systems concepts and examines the fundamental types of information systems. Personal, work groups, and enterprise information systems are discussed. The challenge and use of information to gain competitive advantage are also examined. Other topics to be discussed include: the economics of information, use of value added concepts to evaluate information system effectiveness, and the application of systems theory to information systems architecture. Through supplemental readings, students will also be introduced to pertinent business concepts that will be useful in making IS/IT decisions.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives are listed as "Learning Objectives" at the beginning of every chapter. At the end of the class, students should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the various roles information systems plays in organizations and how these roles are reflected in the organization's structure
• Identify the basic concepts that will be the foundation for subsequent courses regarding user requirements, information flows, and the nature of information systems
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic techniques and elementary skills in representing information systems structure and general purpose applications
• Analyze different organizational situations involving the use of information systems and/or the application of information technology and make recommendations for improvement
• Analyze and demonstrate the impact of advancement of information technology on organizational variables
• Demonstrate greater familiarity with the literature in information systems or a field of their own interest (e.g., medicine) with a focus on the use of information technology in that field
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the other functional areas of a business so that analysis of any organization can be performed in a more comprehensive fashion

GRADING:

Grades for this class will be based on...

Portable MBA…………...10%

Class Participation……..10%

Project……………………30%

Mid-term Exam………….25%

Final Exam………………25%

And will be awarded as follows:

90 – 100%……………….A

80 – 89%…………………B

70 – 79%…………………C

Less than 70%…………..F

ASSIGNMENTS:

Each student is to work independently on all assignments. While interaction with fellow students is part of the educational process, submitting common work and plagiarism is not. Any incidence of dishonesty will result in a failing grade on the assignment or exam for all parties involved. (See the European Division Catalog for the UMUC Policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism.)

Portable MBA: Each person will make one 10 minute presentation on a chapter from the book The Portable MBA, the instructor will assign chapters. Visual aids and class participation are highly encouraged. The chapter review needs to meet the following minimum conditions:

• The review is due as per the schedule (see below).
• The chapter review must include a summary and at least five (5) major points.
• You will be asked to share with the class the summary and five (5) major points of the chapter. So, please have your summary and 5 points typed up (one page only in bullet format).

 Project: Each student will be expected to describe an organization or company and elaborate on how it manages its information system and the ability of these information systems to allow th company to grow and remain competitive in the future.

• Submit by the end of class 3 (week 2) a written proposal identifying the organization, the industry in which the organization operates, and a summary of the students desire to study this organization.
• Once approved, perform the analysis of the organization. This should consist of an in-depth study that provides a brief overview of the organization, identifying the appropriateness of their current systems, and assessing the future potential of these systems to yield growth, reduce costs, and maintain competitive advantages. The focus should be on recommending an improved system concept to the company’s board of directors, which outlines a go-forward systems approach for the next decade and beyond. Include financial (cost to implement) and Return on Investment (ROI) data.
• Documentation should consist of a minimum 8 page and maximum 10 page report, double-spaced, with standard margins and type font/pitch. This is due Saturday, class 7 (week 4).
• Prepare a minimum 15- and maximum 20-minute presentation with visual aids for the class.

INCOMPLETES:

Incompletes are only given in dire circumstances with proper supporting documentation. An incomplete grade must be replaced by a failing grade (F), if class requirements are not satisfied within 60 days of the original completion date of the course.

OTHER:

If you miss the exam for duty reasons, you must provide documentary proof to be permitted to make-up the exam. Final exams and projects will only be returned if you provide a self addressed stamped-envelope by the last class date. All non-returned course work will be kept on file for a period not exceeding 60 days. Thereafter, the course work will be destroyed.

Sess

Dates

Chapters

Topic

Assignments

1

24 – 25 Aug

1 - 4

• Introductions
• Syllabus Review
• Foundations Concepts
• Business Applications Part 1

• Read Chapters
• Start reading the Portable MBA

2

14 – 15 Sep

5 - 8

• Business Applications Part 2
• Development Process
• Mid Term Review
• Mid Term Exam, Ch- 1 - 6

• Chapter Review of The Portable MBA, chapters 1, 2, and 6
• Mid Term Exam, Ch. 1 – 6
• Written Project Proposal Due (Saturday)

3

28 – 29 Sep

9 - 14

• Mid Term Results Review
• Management Challenges
• Hardware & Software
• Data Resource Management and Networks

• Chapter Review of The Portable MBA, chapters 9, 13, and 14

4

13 Oct

N/A

• Presentations
• Final Review
• Final Exam, Ch. 7 - 14

• Project Papers Due
• Presentations Due
• Final Exam, Ch. 7 - 14