Information Systems Management

Program Description

Information systems management (ISM), a major administered by the Department of Computer Science and sponsored jointly by the Computer Science and Economics Departments, is the application of information technology to support the major functions and activities of a private sector business or a public sector institution. In the past, organizations recognized the importance of managing resources such as labor, capital, and raw materials. Today, it is widely accepted that managing information resources is very often equally important. Information systems management supports the process of collection, manipulation, storage, distribution, and utilization of an organization’s information resources.

The majority of information systems are developed for and used by people in functional areas (e.g., manufacturing, human resources, accounting, finance, and marketing). To develop information systems that address the needs of the organization, information systems management professionals must possess a solid mix of business and technical knowledge. They must understand organizational structures, objectives, operations (including processes and the flows of data between processes), and the financial implications related to these factors. Moreover, they must be well versed in topics such as systems development tools and techniques, information architecture, network configurations, databases, and systems integration.

The information systems management major at UC Santa Cruz combines the fundamental intellectual content of the computer science and business management economics majors. It is a rigorous, challenging major for those students wanting to pursue a career in solving business problems through the use of information technology. To accomplish this, students must gain the mathematics and science fundamentals of computer science, as well as an understanding of the environment in which information technology (IT) solutions will be applied through economics and business courses. This duality also adds to the challenge of successfully completing the requirements of the major. The essence of the information systems management program is the integration of the two disciplines of computer science and business management economics.

The information systems management program of study at UCSC leads to a B.S. degree. The curriculum is designed to provide a balance of courses in computer programming, systems analysis and design, database systems, and telecommunications with courses in economics and business. Students gain a solid background in mathematics, economics and business, and computer science.

Information Systems Management Policies

Admissions Policy

Admission to majors in the Computer Science Department is selective. First-year applicants may receive direct admission at the time they apply to UCSC based on their high school record and test scores. Admission to the major after a student has entered UCSC is based on performance in the foundation courses: Computer Science 12A (or 13H), Computer Engineering 16 or 16H, Mathematics 19A-B (or Economics 11A and 11B), and Information Systems Management 50. Please refer to the School of Engineering section of the catalog for the full admissions policy.

Disqualification and Satisfactory Progress in the Major

Students who do not make adequate progress in the information systems management major may be disqualified from the major. Adequate progress normally means passing a minimum of three courses required for the major over every three consecutive quarters. (For part-time students, 15 credits attempted equals one full term.) Students who do not expect to meet this requirement should consult their faculty adviser and/or the undergraduate director for their major beforehand.

The department may, at its sole discretion, disqualify from the major any student making two unsuccessful attempts in any one of the following principle courses commonly used to satisfy degree requirements:

Each grade of D, F, or No Pass counts as one unsuccessful attempt; each grade of W counts as one-half of an unsuccessful attempt.

The Engineering section contains additional disqualification policies, such as maintaining a 2.0 GPA in the major and the ethics requirement, that apply to information systems management majors.

Students at risk of disqualification must meet with the undergraduate director to discuss their options for continuing in the major.

Letter Grade Policy

Effective fall 2001, the Computer Science Department requires letter grading for all courses applied toward the B.S. in information systems management, with the exception of two lower-division courses which students may elect to take Pass/No Pass. This policy includes courses required for the information systems management major but sponsored by other departments.

Transfer Students

Articulation agreements with other California institutions are in place for some courses required for the ISM major; it is important for students to inquire whether specific courses meet the requirements of this major. Articulation information is available on ASSIST at http://www.assist.org. Courses taken at other institutions which emphasize applications of programming languages often do not count toward the information systems management major at UCSC. Please refer to the School of Engineering section of the catalog for the policy regarding transfer students.

School of Engineering Policies

Please refer to the School of Engineering section of the catalog for additional policies that apply to all School of Engineering programs. These policies include admission to the major, limits on the number of times courses can be attempted, and the need for UCSC students to obtain preapproval before taking courses elsewhere.

Preparation for the Major

The information systems management major is intended for students with an interest in both computer technology and business. It is recommended that students intending to declare this major have completed four years of mathematics (through advanced algebra and trigonometry) and three years of science in high school. Completion of business-oriented computer literacy and basic programming courses is of benefit to students entering this major. Completion of any economics and/or business-related courses in high school is also beneficial, but the faculty realizes that these may not be available at many high schools. Completion of comparable college courses at other institutions serves to strengthen the preparation of a student for the information systems management major.

Information Systems Management Major Requirements

In addition to completing UCSC’s general education requirements, students must complete 19 required courses (with one laboratory, totalling 96 quarter credits) plus four elective courses (20 quarter credits) for the information systems management major program. To plan for completion of these course requirements within the normative time, students should consult with a School of Engineering adviser as early as possible. These 23 courses include the following:

Mathematics
(three 5-credit courses)

Economics
(five required and two elective 5-credit courses)

Any two of the following:

Computer Engineering
(three 5-credit courses and a 1-credit lab)

Computer Science
(five 5-credit courses)

Information Systems Management
(three 5-credit courses)

Elective Courses
(two 5-credit courses)

Effective fall 2002, students select two upper-division School of Engineering electives on the basis of their particular interests. These may be any 5-credit upper- division School of Engineering courses, with the following limitations:

Optional Elective
An individual field study, Economics 193, is recommended but not required.

Information Systems Management Major Planners

The following are three sample academic plans for students to complete during their first two years as preparation for the information systems management major. Plan One A and B are suggested guidelines for students who are committed to the major early in their academic career. Plan Two is for students who are considering the major.

 

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