Information Technology Management Curriculum

There is some great news for business students integrated in Information technology related specializations. Beginning Fall 2008, the entire CIS curriculum will be revamped and replaced by a new one in Information Technology Management. The following changes will take place from Fall 2008:

• The “CIS” prefix will be replaced by “ITM” (Information Technology Management) prefix. Therefore, CIS 1270 and 3060 will be renamed ITM 1270 and 3060 respectively.
  

• The CIS options in the BSBA (undergraduate) and MBA (graduate) degree programs will be replaced instead by new options, named ITM (Information Technology Management) at the BSBA and MBA levels respectively.
  

• The MSBA in CIS/QBM graduate degree program will be modified and replaced by an MSBA in Information technology Management.
  

• The TC (Telecommunication Management program) will be discontinued.

The new programs reflect an updated curriculum that teaches students how IT is integrated into different business disciplines such as Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Operations etc. Besides, the new curriculum is very flexible (fewer required courses, many electives from across the entire business curriculum) and represents a unique program among all the CSUs, especially in the Bay Area. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Department of Management at 510-885-3307.

To learn more about the new undergraduate option in Information Technology Management, click here:

 To learn more about the new MBA option in Information Technology Management, click here:

To learn more about the new MS in Information Technology Management, click here:

Some Frequently Asked Questions

(1) Why change the CIS curriculum ?

The field of IT management has seen rapid and groundbreaking changes in the past few years, especially with outsourcing of low-value-add IT jobs. Nonetheless, new types of jobs in the IT sector are growing and the overall IT industry is expected to have labor shortage well into the future. This has created the need for a new educational program that teaches students how IT applications are actually used and integrated in different business disciplines. In addition, the IT managers these days need skills in new areas such as Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, Negotiation Strategies, New Venture Financing etc. Our new program in ITM squarely addresses these needs at the undergraduate and the graduate levels and is unique among other CSU business schools in the Bay Area to do so.

(2) I am in the current CIS program. What options do I have ?

You have two choices. If you wish to remain under the old catalog and graduate with an option in CIS, you can still do so. You will have to take ITM courses that qualify as suitable substitutes for the older CIS courses. On the other hand, if you wish to get the new option in ITM, that is possible too – you will have to switch to the new catalog. Contact the Student Services Center of the College of Business and Economics at 510-885-3323 or cbe_ssc@csueastbay.edu or in person in Room VBT 129) to tell them your choice and find out what courses to take.

(3) What is distinctive about the new ITM option (undergraduate) ?

There are several things different about the new ITM option in the undergraduate program. For starters, the educational objective is to educate students on IT applications as embedded within different functional areas of business. Further, this new option in ITM requires 16 units only (as opposed to 24 units in the previous CIS option that it replaces). It includes only 2 required classes (as opposed to 4 in the previous CIS option that it replaces). Finally, the new ITM option includes 9 “IT application” focused courses from different functional areas of business (as opposed to none in the previous CIS option that it replaces).

(4) What is distinctive about the new ITM option (MBA) ?

To begin with, the educational objective of the new MBA option in ITM is to educate students on how to be effective IT managers in modern business organizations. Therefore, the courses in the ITM option balance IT content with managerial skills and knowledge and include Negotiation Strategies, High-Performance Management, New Venture Financing etc. New topical areas are co0verd such as Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, ERP applications, Project Management. In addition, the curriculum is very flexible. The new option in ITM has only 1 required course (as opposed to 4 in the previous CIS option that it replaces). The ITM option also includes 14 courses from different functional business disciplines (as opposed to none in the previous CIS option that it replaces).

(5) What is distinctive about the new MSBA program in ITM ?

The new MS program in ITM is targeted towards professionals seeking a one-year masters program that is focused heavily on Technology Management. It requires 45 units of coursework chosen entirely from our MBA curriculum, thus guaranteeing course availability for the students and enabling them to finish the degree within one year.

(6) What happens to CIS 1270 , CIS 3060 and CIS 6070 ?

These courses will now be called ITM 1270, 3060 and 6070 respectively. Other that that, this change will not affect any student. Finally, you may now get a detailed template of each of these courses with course topics etc, at the URL below:

http://www.cbe.csueastbay.edu/mgmt/course_templates.html

(7) Where can I get more information about this program ?

The ITM curriculum and faculty are a part of the Department of Management. Please contact the department at 510-885-3307 or by visiting the department office in Room VBT 336.