Management Information Systems
Department of Information Technology and Operations Management
Imagination, Creativity, Leadership, and Technology
MIS@FAU:
Technology + Business = Your Career
What is Management Information Systems (MIS)?
- MIS is a discipline and a profession that brings information and communication technologies to businesses and society.
- By applying information and communications technologies and systems, MIS solves real business problems and gives competitive advantage to firms.
- MIS focuses on the concepts and tools necessary for analyzing, designing, planning, developing, and managing organizational information resources.
Go Directly to the MIS Degree Program and Curriculum Information
What is an Information System?
It is a system that gathers, processes, and manages data, information, and knowledge.
“Planes don’t fly and trucks don’t roll without IT services,”
Robert Carter, FedEx Chief Information Officer
You Use a Management Information System When You:
- Use Facebook or Twitter
- Place a call with your cell phone
- Make online purchases
- Order airline tickets online
- Reserve a hotel or car rental online
- Plan your vacation online
- Make an in-store purchase with your credit card
- Use an ATM machine
For organizations to operate smoothly, efficiently, and competitively, all their functions have to glued by well designed, well implemented, and well maintained Information Systems. MIS professionals makes this happen.
What Do MIS Professionals Do in an Organization?
- Analyze, design, implement and administer Information Technology (IT)
- Deliver IT to businesses
- Apply IT to business goals
- Understand IT capabilities to provide value-added business solutions
- Communicate with customers and managers to understand their IT needs
- Over 90% of MIS professionals work outside of IT Industries (Information Technology Association of America study)
MIS Professionals:
- Are business oriented, problem-solvers, analyzers, innovators, and communicators.
- Work across silos and have a wholesome, horizontal understanding of the organization.
- Are technically competent
- Are excellent Communicators
- Work in many industries: Health-care, banking, broadcasting, education, high tech, music, media, gaming, government, retail, surveillance - just about every industry today depends on MIS
- Bridge the IT staff and business clients, relying on strong communication, business understanding, and technical skills
- Sometimes perform technical functions like networking, security, or development
- Sometimes deal with less technical functions such as IT audit, business analysis, or consulting
Top 10 Reasons to Major in MIS:
- Plentiful and well-paid jobs - High demand for IT workers and High Salaries
- Rewarding – find solutions, help people and businesses with their IT needs
- Versatile and Mobile – work anywhere, in any industry
- Creative and innovative – DO THINGS! CREATE STUFF!
- Solve real problems in business—build bridges between technology, businesses, and people
- Growth and leadership – move quickly up the ladder to leadership positions
- Fun – dynamic, fast, never boring
- Communicate with many people, work in team, build connections
- Broaden perspective – MIS professionals are uniquely capable to think sideways, horizontally, across business functions and silos.
- Enjoy working with greatest and latest technologies
MIS = JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
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America continues to suffer from a shortage of qualified and versatile IT workers with flexible and portable skills who can adapt and respond to ever-changing IT demands and processes
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An MIS major builds a great foundation for a long-term, prosperous business career. From the basic entry level positions to Chief Information Officers, there are almost limitless possibilities in IT.
- MIS graduates build successful careers from consulting to systems development to project management to general management.
- The Careers in MIS are among the most versatile and mobile, transferrable among industries and locations.
- With ever-changing technology and business environment, careers in MIS are never dull! They provide an exciting opportunity to work in the vibrant service-oriented economy of South Florida.
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Employment of computer systems analysts is expected to grow by 20 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for these workers will increase as organizations continue to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated technologies and as the need for information security grows."
As information technology becomes an increasingly important aspect of the business environment, the demand for computer networking, Internet, and intranet functions will drive demand for computer systems analysts.
Typical MIS careers (the links provide the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Occupational Employment Statistics about the job)
- Systems / business analyst - analyze clients, specify needs, integrate applications, and manage projects.
- Database administrator / manager ("Excellent job prospects are expected", BLS)
- Information systems / project manager ("Excellent job prospects are expected", BLS)
- Information Technology (IT) manager
- IT consultant - analyze problems and change business processes
- Computer Support Specialist
- Network manager
- Application developer / web developer
- Systems architect
- System integrator
- Information Security analysts , see also here
- Business Intelligence and data analysts
- Social media analyst
- Digital products specialist - analyze and design innovative digital products and services
- Digital marketing specialist
- Solution developer - organize a team of analysts, programmers and others to create an innovative solution
- Systems trainer – educate people to use systems effectively
- Change agent - initiate and lead technology enabled change
Exciting Statistics
- Over the next seven years, the number of jobs in the information technology sector is expected to swell 24% –more than twice the overall job-growth rate. Time Magazine, May 25, 2009
- $46,000 – Average starting salary for 2007 IT graduates (NACE/CNN) – higher than other business majors
- $76,446 - Average salary for people with a four-year IT degree in 2009 (2009 IT Salary Report)
- #6 of top 10 hardest jobs to fill (Robert Half Technology, 2011)
- 5 of the 12 fastest growing occupations relate to information systems, with a reported growth in new jobs of more than 49,000 through 2018 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- 94% increase in demand for social media experience since August 2010 (September 2011, wantedanalytics.com)
How Do We Develop MIS Leaders?
- The AACSB Accredited BBA/BS Major in Management Information Systems (MIS) produces leaders who initiate, design, and apply technology to transform business functions and produce innovative products and services.
- We accomplish that by strengthening the skills that are critical to success in the information systems field: systems development, critical thinking, leadership, oral, written, and interpersonal communication
- MIS majors are active participants in their learning experience. Through simulations, group projects, and other hands-on assignments, they apply what they learn to real world situations. Internships are plentiful.
MIS vs. Computer Science*
MIS and CS may sound similar but they are very different in content and goals. Neither one is better than the other – they’re just different. Companies need both professionals.
| MIS Majors | CS Majors |
|---|---|
| Take courses to understand business problems, like accounting and marketing | Take technical and science courses like math, engineering, and physics |
| Apply technology to business needs | Focus more on the technology itself and less on its use in business |
| Acquire business applications by building, integrating or purchasing systems | Build the applications and algorithms |
| Use the computer and software as tools to solve business problems | Build the computers and program complex software |
| Plan and deploy networks | Create protocols for networks |
| Design and implement corporate databases | Write database software and drivers |
*Adapted from Fox School of Business, Temple University, http://community.mis.temple.edu/programs/bba-in-mis
Rewarding and Stimulating Classes
- ISM 3230 - Introduction to Computer Systems and Software Development
- ISM 4212 - Database Management Systems
- ISM 4220 - Business Data Communications
- ISM 4133 - Advanced Systems Analysis and Design
- ISM 4054 - Social Media and Web Technologies
- ISM 3007 - Social Media Innovation
- ISM 4420 – Social media and Web Analytics
- ISM 4940 - Information Technology and Operations Management Internships
- MAN 4583 - Project Management
- ISM 3116 - Introduction to Business Intelligence
- ISM 4117 - Data Mining and Data Warehousing
- ISM 4403 - Advanced Business Intelligence
- ISM 4320 - Information System Security
- ISM 4323 - Information Security Management
- ISM 4324 - Computer Forensics
- ISM 4041– Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues of Digital Data
- ISM 4930 – Special Topics on Information Systems
- ISM 4053 – Mobile Apps for Business
- ISM 4052 – Internet Application Programming
- ISM 4381 - Healthcare Information Systems