Policies

Information Systems

Faculty

Stephen Fyfe (director), Crystal Bruntz, Mark Johnson, Graham Lemke, Tuan Nguyen, George Nwaogu, Jaclyn Rundle, Maggie Schlerman, Julie Summers

 

Statement of philosophy

Are you interested in developing software systems or managing the information structure for an organization? Would you like to be a chief information officer someday? The information systems major at Central allows students to choose from an emphasis in accounting information systems (AIS), computer information systems (CIS), or management information systems (MIS). Graduates have entered graduate school and immediate employment as IT managers, web programmers, and information systems auditors.

Introductory courses for the information systems major introduce students to the fields of computer science and business management, which are the building blocks for the interdisciplinary field of information systems. The course, Introduction to Information Management, provides a foundation to the field. Upper-level courses allow students to select an area of focus (such as accounting information systems, computer information systems, or management information systems) and take courses related to that area.

Internships are strongly recommended. They may be obtained through locally or regionally located businesses and organizations, through one of Central’s international program sites or through the Chicago Metropolitan Center. This experience provides the student with rich learning opportunities and puts course work into practice.

 

Major Communication Skills

Students majoring in Information Systems develop their communications skills in different ways depending on their emphasis. Accounting and management information systems majors take either COMM-160 or COMM-270; computer information systems majors develop their communication skills within the various computer science classes taken to complete the emphasis.

 

Major/minor restrictions

Information systems majors cannot also declare a minor in either business management or computer science. Information systems majors with the AIS emphasis cannot also declare a major or minor in accounting. Information systems majors with the CIS emphasis cannot also declare a computer science major. Information systems majors with the MIS emphasis cannot also declare a business management major.

 

Information Systems Major Requirements (49-53 credit minimum)

  1. Complete all of the following:
    ACCT 241 Introduction to Financial Accounting (3)
    ACCT 242 Introduction to Management Accounting (3)
    BMGT 311 Principles of Management (3)
    COSC 109 Introduction to Information Management (3)
    COSC 110 Introduction to Computer Science (3)
    COSC 130 Data Structures (3)
    COSC 210 Database on the Web (4)
    ECON 112 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
    ECON 113 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
  2. Complete one of the following:
    COSC 255 Programming: "Language" (2)
    COSC 283/383 Service Learning Module (2)
  3.  Complete one of the following:
    MATH 105  Introduction to Statistics (4)
    MATH 215 Applied Statistics (4)
  4. Complete all requirements for one of the following emphases:

    Accounting information systems (AIS) emphasis:
    ACCT 341 Intermediate Financial Accounting I (3)
    ACCT 342 Intermediate Financial Accounting II (4)
    ACCT 343 Advanced Management Accounting (3)
    ACCT 347 Accounting Information Systems (3)
    ACCT 442 Fraud Examination and Auditing (4)
    COMM 160 Communication in Everyday Life (3) OR COMM 270 Public Speaking (4)

    Computer information systems (CIS) emphasis:
    COSC 345 Computer Systems (4)
    COSC 346 Cybersecurity (4)
    7 credits of elective COSC courses at the 200-level or higher, GEOG 320 Principles of GIS with Lab or DATA 440 Applied Machine Learning

    Management information systems (MIS) emphasis:
    BMGT 261 Principles of Finance (3)
    BMGT 271 Principles of Marketing (3)
    BMGT 381 Operations Management (3)
    ECON 281 Research Methods in Economics (4)
    COMM 160 Communication in Everyday Life (3) OR COMM 270 Public Speaking (4)