Management Information Systems

Business Applications of Blockchain Technology provides students with a foundation of blockchain technology examining its applications across various disciplines such as engineering, law, and economics. Throughout the course, students will delve into diverse blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and the implementation and security concerns surrounding them. Students will learn how these systems work, explore the regulatory challenges associated with blockchain technology, and assess its impact on financial services and other industries. The course will also provide students with the component and structures of blockchain business networks, such as smart contracts, consensus, certificate authorities, security protocols, role of nodes, transaction processes, participants, and underlying frameworks. Furthermore, the course will examine the Bitcoin (BTC) ecosystem, Ripple (XRP), Ethereum (ETH), tokens (e.g., NFT’s), Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC). Students will also gain hands-on experience, such as creating basic Blockchain contracts, enabling them to discuss the practical capabilities and limitations of blockchain technology.

This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the recent developments in AI, with a focus on their current and potential practical applications in business. The course covers fundamental AI concepts such as search methods, logic, knowledge representation, and natural language processing in sufficient detail to understand how these concepts and associated tools can be applied to solve practical business problems in ways that create fair and ethical solutions. Students will learn about bias in data, algorithms, and human decision making, and methods of avoiding the transfer of those biases to AI-based solutions. They will gain practical experience though a project about the opportunities of AI-based solutions to assist with making decisions and predictions and transforming business and work, as well as the challenges of doing so in a fair and ethical manner that benefits individuals, the environment, and society at large.

This course introduces students to the concepts and principles of systems analysis and design. It covers all aspects of the systems development life cycle from project identification through project planning and management, requirements identification and specification, process and data modeling, system architecture and security, interface design, and implementation and change management. Object-oriented analysis techniques are introduced. Students will learn to use an upper level CASE (computer-aided software engineering) tool, which will be employed in completing a real-world systems analysis and design project.

This course focuses on the core IT capabilities that IT executives and managers must consider when creating strategy and policy for the deployment and use of information technologies, AI tools and techniques, and data within an organization. Those IT capabilities include both operational uses of such technologies, tools, and data, as well as strategic decision making for deploying advanced AI and Analytics capabilities. The expanding role of IT executives to encompass AI and Analytics capabilities as well as the fast-paced changes in technology require IT executives and managers to quickly understand, adapt, and apply technology that can provide value to organizations. Successful organizations are those that can react quickly by introducing innovative technologies and respond to market demands using data driven solutions produced by the ethical use of AI and Analytics models and tools. Students will learn how IT managers engage data and AI tools ethically to develop and enhance their departments’ strategies.

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to design, develop, and use business dashboards for monitoring organizational performance and making data-driven decisions. On the technical side, students will learn and apply business intelligence software to organize, represent, and analyze data about customers, products, sales, marketing, operations, and financials. They will learn to create strategic, operational, and analytical dashboards displaying key performance indicators (KPIs) for managerial decision-making. On the business side, students will learn the connections between business strategy and plans, the KPIs that measure performance compared to those plans, and how to use dashboards to manage organizational performance. Students will also learn the technical and managerial challenges of creating and deploying these business intelligence best practices so that organizations gain value from their data. The course includes business cases and hands-on analyses of business data. It is designed for any student interested in learning about data-driven business performance management, including students whose primary focus is Business Management, Data Science, IT, Marketing, or Operations.

Creating value through designing positive user experiences is increasingly important for staying competitive in the marketplace. This course covers best practices for designing innovative user-centered product and service experiences that resonate with users. Through a series of hands-on projects, students will develop practical skills in showcasing the inherent value of their user-centered designs to stakeholders. Emphasis will be placed on constructing portfolios that effectively demonstrate the value of their designs and translate their design outcomes into tangible business results.

In today’s digital economy, understanding how people use and experience technology is crucial to designing successful technological products and services. This course covers the methodologies and tools for conducting research in the User Experience (UX) field. The course covers both qualitative and quantitative methods for conducting UX research in academia and industry, including surveys, persona development, customer journey maps, and other industry-standard tools for studying user experience. Both cutting-edge theoretical concepts and proven practical skills will be addressed within the scope of the class through hands-on projects, class exercises, and assignments.