Task force report and recommendations

This report presents a model curriculum for a masteris program in information systems (MSIS). Although based on degree programs in the United States and Canada, the report can be useful input for curriculum development worldwide. This program is the result of two years of effort of a joint committee

WHY AN MS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS?

Over the last four decades, the field of information systems grew at what can only be described as an amazing rate. Starting from a forecast of a commercial market for at most five computers by Thomas J. Watson, then head of IBM, mainframes, PCs, and built-in computers became ubiquitous. More than half the households in the United States and most businesses use them. A very large industry, both inside and outside organizations, creates, manages, programs, and operates these information systems. Although the higher education system produces large numbers of highly educated people in both information systems (IS) and computer science (CS), skilled information systems people are in short supply in industry. Even scarcer are talented people with advanced knowledge for managing information systems. It is the objective of the MS programs to fill this gap by providing the needed education.

That MS programs can do the job is evidenced by the existence of over 80 MSIS programs in the United States and over a 100 worldwide (Appendix 5). Their graduates are In high demand. Their audience includes people with previous degrees in IS, people with degrees In related fields and considerable experience, and people who seek to enter the field without previous knowledge about information systems. These various streams of students find highly remunerative jobs upon graduation from the MS programs.

WHY A MODEL CURRICULUM?

At present, the MS programs in the United States vary considerably in what they require for entrance and what they teach. The organizations that hire these graduates know little about what a person with an MSIS degree knows since each school is different. The last model curriculum is over 17 years old. The objective of this model curriculum Is to specify a common minimum body of knowledge that all MSIS graduates know.

Furthermore, the model curriculum recognizes that, to be employable, students should know some area of IS in detail. The MSIS curriculum is a lumping off point for a career.

CONTENTS OF THE REPORT

This report begins with a description of the objectives of the MSIS program. It then focuses on input6the range of students who can be expected to undertake the degreeoand the output6 employer expectations.

Given knowledge about the Input and output, the report presents a set of principles that were followed in creating the curriculum. Because of the varying institutional requirements for MS degrees among universities, the program must accommodate degree programs ranging in length from 10 to 20 courses. As a result, the model curriculum allows students with adequate background to complete the degree in 10 courses. The shortness of the MS degree Implies that students should enter the program with prerequisite skills In both information systems and business. If they do not have all these skills, their program will need to extend beyond the 10 course minimum. Other principles Include the need to add value, the creation of a core of knowledge shared by all graduates, and the integration of non-IS skills. The principles also include the need for students to understand systems integration and to be prepared for a career.

It is recognized that schools will vary in the specializations they offer in preparations for a career, with each school offering its own unique alternative, determined by faculty skills and local needs.

The principles lead to the specification of a curriculum that includes four components: foundations, a core, systems integration, and a career track. The courses required, their rationale, and their interrelations are discussed in the text. Appendix 1 describes the individual courses in detail. Other appendices describe the prerequisite structure, course sequence schedules, staffing requirements, resources (faculty, computing, physical space, and library) required, background, process followed, existing MSIS programs, and a summary of curriculum course requirements.

OBJECTIVES OF THE MSIS PROGRAM

Students graduating from the MSIS program should be prepared to provide leadership in the Information Systems field.

Graduates will have the following skills, knowledge, and values (Figure 1):

* A core of IS 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

STUDENT BACKGROUNDS

For the foreseeable future, it is anticipated that MS programs will continue to attract students with a wide range of backgrounds. In traditional graduate programs, it is assumed that entering students have a common background obtained through an undergraduate degree in that field. For students entering the MSIS program, this is often not the case. Although students entering directly from undergraduate programs may have a BS degree in IS, often their degree is in computer science, business, or some other field. The MSIS program may also attract experienced individuals including IS professionals and people seeking career changes. Often this experienced group will be part-time evening students or will access the courses through a remote learning environment. The architecture of the MSIS program accommodates this wide diversity of backgrounds and learning environments. Specifically, the MSIS program is appropriate for

* New graduates with degrees in a variety of fields from business students with an IS concentration, computer science, general business degrees, and bachelor degrees in a range of fields including the humanities, social science, engineering, and physical science.

* New graduates with a BS degree in IS.

* Experienced IS professionals seeking to upgrade skills and to understand management issues.

* Professionals from many fields seeking a change in careers.

* International students.

CAREER PATHS

The MSIS program is designed to support both traditional and emerging career opportunities. The number of available career paths for IS professionals increased significantly during the 1990s. Rather than being concentrated almost exclusively In large information systems groups in major and mid-sized corporations, job opportunities now also exist in virtually all organizations and in all industries. Career paths now include

* consulting and systems integration

* software development

* networking, telecommunications, and computing infrastructure

* electronic commerce

* consumer products and services

To exploit these expanding opportunities, students must know not only the technology but also the business and environment in which they will work. The career paths are more varied and hence the preparation required is both broader and deeper than a traditional undergraduate IS program. Table 1 shows typical job objectives of MSIS graduates.

THE EMPLOYERiS VIEW

Because of the wide variety of MS programs offered by universities and colleges and the wide variety of student backgrounds (see above), employers are uncertain about the knowledge, skills, and values that newly minted MSIS graduates bring to the job. One objective of the model curricu

lum, therefore, is to remove employer uncertainty by providing all MS degree holders with a core set of knowledge. Furthermore, to make students more employable, students take a related set of courses (reinforced with practical experience) in a particular field within information systems.

A second objective is to help overcome the skill shortage that exists and is expected to continue in the years ahead. Students graduating with an MS degree should possess enough skills that they can take on responsible rather than entry-level positions and can serve as mentors to people with lower levels of education.

PRINCIPLES OF THE MSIS DEGREE

The following underlying principles and philosophy were used to guide the development of the MSIS curriculum.

* Professional Degree. The MSIS is a professional degree that integrates the information and organizational cultures. We recognize the difficulties that people trained purely in one professional culture have in communicating with each other. We believe that MS graduates should have the knowledge and sophistication to bridge the existing chasm.

* Value Added. The degree adds value to students studying beyond the bachelor degree. Students invest a year or more of their lives and organizations often sponsor the student financially. Both are entitled to a return on their investment.

* Core. The degree includes a consistent set of information systems core courses that are offered by all institutions. As a result, employers are assured that MS graduates are competent in a fundamental set of professional knowledge.

* Flexibility. The curriculum is flexible to accommodate students with differing backgrounds, skills, and career objectives. Full-time students with a specific background in IS should be able to complete the program in a year. Students lacking prerequisite knowledge should expect to take at most one additional year to complete the MS degree. This model (based on the curriculum architecture used by many MBA programs) allows all students to graduate with a specified level of competence.

* Career Tracks. The program focuses on current and emerging concepts through ]career tracks.1 These tracks should allow students (within the competency of the faculty) to imajori in a specific subject area for which there is demand and to achieve breadth across a topic area.

Integration of Non-technical Skills. Oral, written, and graphic presentation skills; promoting ideas and negotiating; people skills; business skills; team skills; customer orientation; real-world focus; and ethics and professionalism are integrated throughout the program. Each topic is Important and, some might argue, each is worth a course of its own. However, given the limited time available for MS work, we believe that the appropriate way for these topics to be presented is by integrating them tightly into the courses. Furthermore, despite their importance, these topics are exceedingly difficult to teach in the abstract.

* Unit Requirements. The program architecture is flexible and compatible with institutional unit requirements for an MS degree. These requirements range from 30 to 60 units, depending on the individual school. Schools with long programs are able to extend their offerings beyond the 30 unit minimum to go into greater depth in the prerequisites, the core, and the career tracks.

* Practicum. A practicum is recommended as an integrating mechanism to provide real-world experience for the student. A practicum is a term-long project solving a real problem for a real client against a time deadline. For full-time students, it is recommended that they work in teams and that industry supports the project by providing stipends to the students for their work because the financial incentive has been shown to improve the relevance of the project topic and the quality of the student output. For part-time, working students, a project for their employer is usually appropriate as a practicum. At some universities, the practicum also fulfills graduation requirements in that the practicum provides a iculminating experience? in lieu of a masteris thesis.

* Integrating Capstone Course. The program includes an integrating capstone component. Masteris courses are typically treated as independent entities. As a result, students are not able to see or understand how the pieces integrate into a whole. Some schools have created capstone courses, usually built around policy and strategy. However, such a course focuses only on the integration of information systems with the business enterprise and on the role of the CIO. Systems integration is also an Important aspect of information systems work that most students will be involved with during their professional careers.

These general principles lead to the idea that programs should ensure that students have solid foundations in information systems and business either before they enter or through a specific set of courses. Furthermore, programs should provide students with a common body of knowledge (i.e., a core) yet be sufficiently flexible to meet both institutional and student needs and objectives. From an operational point of view, flexibility implies that students may gain advanced standing credit and/or substitute other courses for material they already know, thus enabling them to take electives both inside and outside IS. Students should also have the opportunity to obtain practical experience through practicums in industry.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROGRAM

The MS program is designed around the set of five building blocks shown in Figure 2. The courses in the IS Foundations and Business Foundations blocks are prerequisites for the program. Students with inadequate backgrounds in these areas are required to take additional courses and will, therefore, require additional units to complete their degrees.

The IS Core block defines the minimal knowledge required of all MSIS students. This knowledge is both technical and managerial in flavor. The core represents a standard that defines the MSIS program and differentiates it from both computer science programs and IS concentrations within MBA programs. The Integration block addresses the need for organizations to integrate disparate internal systems and to communicate with external parties such as suppliers and customers.

The Career Tracks block consists of elective courses organized around careers such as electronic commerce or management consulting. Many such career tracks are possible and it is anticipated that different schools will offer one or more tracks that are consistent with the competence of their faculty and the needs of their students and local industry.

Information Systems and Business Foundations Courses

A minimum foundation of essential prerequisite knowledge is needed to prepare students for the remainder of the curriculum. Many students will enter the Masteris program with some or all of this knowledge. This material is typically found in undergraduate degree programs. An institution may, of course, require more than this minimum in each of the foundation areas. In addition, an institution may elect to allow a student to substitute professional experience for certain foundation courses. Foundation courses may be offered at the graduate level. Similar to the MBA common body of knowledge, such graduate foundation courses cover more material at a more conceptual level than comparable undergraduate courses.

Information Systems Foundations

Students entering the MSIS program need the content of the following courses (or their equivalent) to be able to undertake the MSIS core described below. The required IS foundations include the content found in "IS'97 Model Curriculum Guidelines" Davis et al. 1997).

* Fundamentals of IS (IS'97.1)

* Information Technology Hardware and Software (IS'97.4)

* Programming, Data and Object Structures (IS'97.5 - one or two semesters)

This requirement normally consists of nine to 12 units.

The IS foundations are required to prepare students for the IS core and reflect a minimum level of prerequisite IS knowledge. Note that the IS foundations include at least one programming course. The amount of programming required depends in part on the nature of the MS program being offered at a particular school. For example, a more technical MS program might require two advanced programming courses, whereas for a school focusing on electronic commerce and organizational issues, the ability to program in a simple language might be sufficient. Also, each school determines its required level of competence on IS foundation prerequisites. If a student took a course on an IS foundation topic as an undergraduate with an acceptable grade from an accredited school, some schools will allow transfer whereas others may require competence testing. This is an issue for individual schools, rather than a policy matter to be specified here.

Business Foundations

The minimum area requirements are three courses on the basics of business: one on internal organizational considerations, one on external organizational considerations, and a third course in one area of business. For example, a student may take:

* Financial Accounting

* Marketing

* Organizational Behavior

This requirement normally consists of nine units.

A graduate with an MS in IS needs to know a number of business-related topics if he/she is to function well in an IS job, particularly if that job involves managing in a private or a public organization. Students can sometimes satisfy the business foundation courses by taking equivalent courses in departments other than business. For example, Industrial Engineering sometimes teaches accounting and Psychology or Sociology teaches organizational behavior. Furthermore, foundation courses can be taken at a senior undergraduate level.

Three business courses are a minimal set of knowledge for MSIS graduates. The program is conceived as being a two cultures program, including both the IS and business cultures. Given that IS graduates will work in firms and will interact with business-educated people, they will need to be able to communicate with many people who have a business background. Since many of these people are not likely to know the IS field, it becomes the responsibility of IS people to become culturally bilingual in computing and business. The ability to understand financial accounting, particularly costs, and the ability to understand how companies are organized and how people behave in organizations are required of all IS people. The third business prerequisite course can be tailored by the student and the faculty advisor to what is available in a particular school and is compatible with the career track chosen by the student. Schools that wish to increase business content through formal graduate business course work can do so. Of course, such a policy will result in a longer program. It is also feasible for a school to create a business track for students who want a pure managerial orientation. However, in that case, students may be better off taking an MBA with a concentration in 18. The present curriculum is not oriented toward the IS concentration within the MBA.

Information Systems Core

The IS core consists of five courses:

* Data management

* Analysis, modeling, and design

* Data communications and networking

* Project and change management

* IS policy and strategy

This requirement normally consists of 15 units.

The topics of the first three courses were included in the ACMi82 curriculum and still remain the foundations of the field. However, in the intervening years, the contents of these courses altered drastically as new technologies and new software became available. Thus, for example, such topics as data warehousing and data mining, object-oriented systems, and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) were not even known. The intent is to offer courses in these areas suitable for the start of the new millennium.

At the MS level, students should also be knowledgeable in the managerial aspects of information systems. The next two courses (Project and Change Management and IS Policy and Strategy) are designed to accomplish that goal. The Project and Change Management course looks at how systems and technologies are implemented. It includes consideration of project planning, scheduling, and budgeting as well as consideration of the change management required to implement projects.

Project management is an Important topic for the IS core because it is essential for success in all IS endeavors and is critically lacking in many IS organizations. Similarly, most IS projects involve transforming an organization from its existing ways of doing things. Such changes are often radical and traumatic to the people involved. Although change management may or may not be included in the business foundations organizational behavior course, students should understand and be able to implement the changes that an IS project creates. The goal of this core course is to reinforce the ideas of the organizational behavior course and make the relation between the technical and organizational aspects of projects more concrete for students, particularly those who come from technical backgrounds.

In the past, IS Policy and Strategy was the capstone course. Given the increasing role that information technology (11) is playing in the success of modem organizations, the time has come to make this course part of the core knowledge for MS degree holders. This course, which typically is case-based, looks at the IS project portfolio from the view of the senior IS executive and from the view of the business executive. It shows students how policy and strategy considerations affect every aspect of IS and, conversely, how IT transforms organizations and, indeed, the very nature of business.

Final Thoughts on the Core

An objective of the curriculum guidelines is to provide a curriculum that can range from 30 to 60 units (10 to 20 courses) to accommodate the different requirements for MS degrees among universities. It is recommended that core courses should not be waived by presenting undergraduate equivalents. However, in the case of short (10 course) MS programs for students entering with thorough technical preparation (IS'97 or an undergraduate Computer Science degree), the value-added considerations change. Thus, for example, for a CS student with thorough grounding in database and tele communications, it is more Important that the student learn the fundamentals of IS and of business rather than repeating material that may have been covered in an undergraduate CS degree.

Integration

After students complete the core, they need to synthesize what they have learned. Furthermore, system integration Is a pervasive aspect of IS practice. In the past, neither synthesis nor integration were included in the curriculum. The present curriculum calls for such an integration component.

Integration can be viewed from three perspectives:

* Integrating the Enterprise

* Integrating the IS Function

* Integrating IS Technologies

Each perspective could merit a course of its own. The curriculum recommends that schools offer one of these courses (described below) or create a course that looks at all three perspectives. The choice depends on the capabilities of the schoolis faculty, the needs of regional industry, and the objectives of the students.

Each of these courses is described in Appendix 1.

Integrating the Enterprise. This course is oriented toward what to build, not how to build it. It focuses on organizational and managerial Issues at the level of the enterprise as a whole. Its objectives are to

* provide an integrated view of the firm and its relations with suppliers and customers

* demonstrate an integrated set of business processes and functional applications that meet business needs

Integrating the IS Function. This course focuses on managing IS functions on a day-to-day basis. Its objectives are to

* design effective/efficient IS organizational processes

* assess the impact of emerging technologies

* define human resource needs and management methods

* IS governance alternatives

* define the role of the CIO

* apply methods to measure and demonstrate the value of IS

Integrating IS Technologies. This course is concerned with how to develop an integrated IS enterprise architecture including

* evaluate and select from architectural and platform choices, priorities, and policies

* assessment of the Impact of emerging technologies

* evaluate the role of standards

* evaluate effect of vendor strategies

Career Tracks

The career paths for IS professionals are more varied and dynamic than in the past. To take advantage of the available career opportunities, the advanced student must understand not only technology but also the business and environment in which it is deployed. The recommended curriculum is broader in scope and sufficiently flexible to allow institutions to provide a more focused, professional education meeting student career objectives and organizational needs.

A career track consists of four or more related electives that prepare a student for a specialization. It is anticipated that most schools will offer multiple tracks. The career track or tracks chosen by a particular school, similar to the choice of which integration course to offer, depends on the skills and interest of the faculty and student as well as industry needs. Where appropriate, especially for students with limited experience, a practicum (see below) can be used as a course within the career track.

As shown in Table 2, the curriculum identifies a broad range of career tracks, ranging from the very conventional (e.g., Systems Analysis and Design) to the leading edge (e.g., Knowledge Management) to functions (e.g., Consulting) and more. The tracks, listed in alphabetical order in Table 2, are indicative of the possibilities but are by no means an exhaustive list.

Table 3 shows typical sets of courses that may be associated with these representative career tracks. In each case, four courses are shown. Many Institutions will use three of these courses and make the fourth course a practicum.

Experimentation with tracks is recommended. The only certainty Is that some tracks will become obsolete over time while new ones will emerge as the IS field changes. The courses listed in Table 3 are an indication of the range of topics that tracks might cover. It is anticipated that schools will choose only a small number of tracks for their own curriculum, where the criteria for selection include

* local industry needs and

* the capabilities available within the school

In addition, tracks can (and should) be multidisciplinary, involving courses in two or more departments, depending on the nature of the track. For example, a student following an Electronic Commerce track might take e-commerce courses in IS, marketing, economics, and management. Some courses may be in a different department or school than IS. For example, the Teaching Skills course in the Academic track may be taken in a school or department of education or the Consulting in Business course in the Consulting track may be offered in a management department.

THE COMPLETE MSIS CURRICULUM

Figure 3 shows a schematic of the complete MSIS curriculum. It is designed to:

* achieve a high standard of quality across all schools that adopt the curriculum,

* provide commonality and uniformity of content in the core competencies achieved by students,

* accommodate students entering the MSIS with very different backgrounds, and

* encompass both one-year and two-year MSIS degree programs.

To achieve these goals, programs can range in size from a minimum of 30 units to a maximum of 60 units based on the "sliding window" concept described below.

As indicated In Figure 3, the MSIS program can be as small as 30 units for well-prepared students. Such students would take:

* 15 units of core courses

* 3 units of integration

* 12 units In a career track

For students with no preparation, a program as long as 60 units could be provided consisting of

* 12 units of IS foundations

* 9 units of business foundations

* 15 units of core courses

* 3 units of integration

* 12 units of career track

9 units of electives or additional requirements

Representative programs that range from 30 to 60 units and assume different student preparation are presented below and in Appendix 2.

THE SLIDING WINDOW CONCEPT

The "sliding window" approach is based on the approach used by most two-year MBA programs In business schools. That Is, year one of an MBA is devoted to learning the common business core that an undergraduate student would acquire in a business degree. The second year builds on the first. In some schools, a student with a previous business degree can skip over the first year and complete the MBA in one year.

The length of the MSIS program can islidei from 30 units to 60 units depending on the studentis background and institutional requirements. For example, a school may wish to offer the prerequisite courses at the graduate level. The sliding window concept will accommodate this approach by permitting the 18 to 21 units as part of the "first year." The total program would then consist of 48 to 51 units:

* 18 to 21 units of prerequisite graduate courses

* 15 units of IS core

* 3 units of integration

* 12 units of career track

The sliding window concept-sliding from a minimum of 30 units to a maximum of 60 units-allows schools to require additional prerequisites (in business and/or IS) or provide more advanced courses (in track options), or do a combination of both. For example, consider the five separate scenarios presented in Table 4, which contrast the differing backgrounds of students entering the MSIS program. The sliding window concept of the MISIS program allows a flexible curriculum architecture to meet unique needs of each representative scenario. This flexibility is summarized in Table 5.

UPDATING THIS MSIS CURRICULUM

The pace of advances in information systems and information technology is expected to accelerate. Because creating a new model curriculum is a lengthy and complex process, many years can be expected to pass before the present effort is replicated and the next curriculum is created. Thus, to keep the MSIS curriculum current, this model curriculum document will be placed on the Web. Processes that encourage discussion by faculty, IS practitioners, and students will be established. Individual schools will be encouraged to share course outlines, reference material, and innovative pedagogical approaches. The anticipated Web address is: www.bentley.edu/msis.