Bachelor of Science in Information Systems

As of Fall 2012, we are no longer accepting applications for the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems.

Department Chair:
Art Karshmer, Ph.D.

The Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS) program equips students with critical skills and knowledge required to direct and to control computerized information resources within diverse organizational settings. The study of Information Systems provides professionals with the expertise and knowledge to support innovation, planning, and management of information infrastructures as well as the coordination of information resources. The curriculum is designed to respond to the need for information systems professionals with systems management and development expertise. The BSIS program, based upon nationally approved curriculum recommendations from the Association for Information Systems (AIS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), continuously updates its curriculum. The program is taught within an Ignatian framework fostering ethical and social awareness and is designed to be completed in 23 months.

Program Objectives

The BSIS program is designed to shape IS leaders who are capable of developing a personal IS vision and a critical understanding of the IS role and operation in modern organizations. Such vision and understanding rest upon certain foundational elements that the program seeks to foster: sound technical skills; effective project management skills; critical decision-making skills; and a professional code of ethics.

Program Requirements

Students are expected to have basic Microsoft desktop skills in MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel. If prospective students are uncomfortable doing basic manipulations in these desktop software packages, they will need to obtain such skills elsewhere. The reason for the requirement is that many of our courses require writing (Word), making presentations (Powerpoint), and formulating decisions using spreadsheet calculations (Excel). As the BSIS program is quite demanding, taking time out of our required courses to include basic skills development is not possible. Students are required to have these desktop skills before being accepted into the program.

Students are required to complete the 37 credits included in the undergraduate Information Systems program. Required courses are usually sequenced as follows:

• INTD 307 - Experience and Critical Writing
• INTD 308 - Advanced Expository Writing
• BSIS 310 - Information Systems Theory and Practice
• BSIS 312 - Managing and Leading the Information Technology Organization
• INTD 300 - The Critical Thinking Seminar
• BSIS 320 - Systems Analysis and Design
• INTD 304 - Social Ethics
• BSIS 315 - Software Programming Concepts
• BSIS 400 - Information Technology Hardware and Systems Software
• BSIS 405 - Database Concepts
• BSIS 340 - Telecommunications
• BSIS 430 - Project Planning and Development
• BSIS 330 - Electronic Commerce Strategy, Architecture and Design

Degree Requirements

• Complete 128 semester credits.
• Complete the Information Systems Management major requirements.
• Satisfy the 44 credits of Core Curriculum requirements.
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems, a graduate will:

• Understand the components of information systems infrastructures, computing platforms, software architectures, and telecommunications networks.
• Appreciate the growth and importance of the digital economy and its socioeconomic implications on information technology, electronic commerce, and consumer behavior.
• Use methods, techniques, and models for planning, analyzing, and designing information systems.
• Understand and experience the principles of software design, development, testing, and maintenance using a popular programming language.
• Define and model database systems and understand data administration, data warehousing, and data mining issues relevant to today's interconnected organizations.
• Understand the fundamentals of all aspects of tele-communications, including data, voice, image, and video, and the critical need for security of networks and data inside and outside of the organization.