The management of information systems emphasis at UMKC is part of a comprehensive M.B.A. degree, providing general knowledge of business functions (such as accounting, finance, production, and marketing) and stressing leadership and the social and public responsibilities of those in business. Designed in conjunction with our MIS Advisory Board, the emphasis serves people who plan information technology-related careers with courses that include hands-on use of client-based tools, that emphasize management options and contingencies, and that provide a managerial background for MIS functional processes. The emphasis differs from typical MIS degrees in that it focuses upon requirements determination, business processes, decision-making, and leadership within the MIS functional area. This emphasis provides less content on software design, coding, and testing that you may find at many other MIS degree programs.
The emphasis stresses managing information technology for business advantage. Click here for a website that explains the differences among various types of information technology degrees and discusses current career opportunities in the field.
Program RequirementsIf you are thinking about double-majoring, we recommend a second major in Operations Management. The Operations Management emphasis includes courses on ERP systems and project management that could be very useful to people planning careers in information systems.
Is MIS for me?Maybe not.
Our MIS curriculum is best suited for people who already possess entry-level computing skills. The curriculum was designed to build upon a solid foundation of skills or experience with information technology. If your undergraduate major was Computer Science or Computer Information Systems, our Management of Information Systems emphasis should help you move your career into management ranks. Similarly, if you have gained computer skills via on-the-job training or some other informal method, the Management of Information Systems emphasis will give you management skills to assist your move up your career track.
If you do not have extensive formal coursework involving computers nor commercial computer-related experience, you can still do well in our courses and learn a great deal from them, but you may have trouble being placed in a job. Most jobs in this field, especially at the entry level, require specific technical skills. The courses that include a significant hands-on computing component are MIS 5552 and MIS 5529. The remaining classes are more managerial and conceptual than technical.
This degree is less technical than the typical MIS degree
and far less technical than most Computer Science or CIS degrees.
See Professor Pick before
you take your first MIS course if you have any doubts about how the
MIS emphasis fits with your career path.
Return to ContentsCourse Scheduling
Course scheduling for the 2008-2009 year and beyond will be in some flux due to a confluence of approvals of faculty leaves and subsequent faculty turnover. What happened: Professor Pick was granted a development leave for the academic year 2008-2009. Professor Cao has resigned in order to accept a position at Texas Tech University. Professor Ward has been named a Fulbright Scholar for spring and summer of 2009. In the table below, I'll post our long-term plans in the columns labeled "Fall" and "Spring." Plans for 2008-2009 will appear in the column labeled "Notes." If the Notes column is blank, we will continue to follow our long-range plans. Again, this is all in flux. You should check this table every month or two to see the latest updates on our plans.
(D represents courses
generally offered before 5:30 p.m., and
E represents courses generally offered at or after 5:30 p.m.
Sections of 203 and 402 are occasionally offered in the evening on an irregular basis.
All offerings, especially summer, are contingent upon sufficient enrollments.)
| Course Number | Course Title | Fall | Spring (aka Winter) | Summer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIS 203 | Computer Applications in Businesss | D | D | D | |
| MIS 302 | Introduction to MIS | D | D | This course will be phased out as the new BBA program is phased in. Last offering is scheduled for spring, 2008. | |
| MIS 402 | IT Impacts and Business Processes | This course will be phased in starting in fall, 2008 as the new BBA program is phased in. | |||
| MIS 415 | Management of Information Systems | This course will be phased in starting in 2009. | |||
| MIS 469 | Information Systems Consulting | irregular: | |||
| MIS 5502 | Management Information Systems | E | Although this course is ordinarily offered in the fall, we do not expect to offer it in the fall of 2008. | ||
| MIS 5529 | Decision Support Systems | E | |||
| MIS 5552 | Data Base Management | E | |||
| MIS 5554 | Systems Analysis, Design, and Engineering | E | |||
| MIS 5556 | Distributed Information Systems | suppressed; it is unlikely we will offer this course again. | |||
| MIS 5558 | Management and Economics of Computers | E | Although this course is ordinarily offered in the fall, we do not expect to offer it in the fall of 2008. | ||
| MIS 5569 | Information Systems Consulting | irregular: | |||
| MIS 5580 | Seminar in Information Systems | irregular: We expect to offer this course in the fall of 2008 under the title of "Real World Information Technology." | |||
| AC 5565 | Advanced Accounting Systems | We believe the Accounting Department plans on offering this course annually in the spring, but it is not under our control. Ignore the official prerequisites; the professor of the course (Dr. Smedley) welcomes MIS students who have taken at least one financial accounting course. | |||
| AC 5567 | Information Systems Audit and Control | irregular |
Due to declining enrollments, we will not be able to
offer courses as often as has been the practice in the
recent past.
Schedule your courses carefully.
Most courses are only offered once per year.
Courses marked as irregular will only be offered once
every few years.
If you are interested
in a course that is offered irregularly and it happens
to be offered, chances are that semester will be your
only chance to take it during your career as a student
at UMKC.
Return to Contents Faculty
Cao holds a Ph.D. from the College of Business Administration at the University of
Nebraska and he also obtained an MBA and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
His research interests include object-oriented systems analysis and design,
supply chain information management, and e-commerce. His research has been
published in referred journals such as Journal of Database Management,
International Journal of Production Economics, and International Journal of
Physical Distribution and Logistics. He also co-authored a textbook titled
E-commerce Operations and Information Systems Management that will be
published early next year. He is currently teaching Management Information
Systems (BIS 502) and Systems Analysis, Design and Engineering (BIS 554).
Professor Cao will leave UMKC during the summer of 2008 in order
to accept a position at Texas Tech University.
Pick earned his Ph.D. from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in 1984. His research interests are in computer economics and model management as well as web-based support of decision making. His writings on these subjects have appeared in Communications of the ACM, Management Science, Journal of MIS, and numerous other outlets. He teaches courses on computer applications, data management, and management and economics of computers.
Ward received a Ph.D. in Information Systems from UCLA and an M.B.A. and B.A. from the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include decision support systems, multi-attribute decision making, coordination technology for geographically-dispersed groups, and information retrieval strategies. Her work on these subjects has appeared in Management Science and other outlets. She teaches courses on the management of information systems, decision support and expert systems, and data base management.
Return to
Contents Our Research ProgramAlthough each of our faculty has unique interests, the thread that is common among all members of our faculty is an interest in decision making in the context of using information technology. Pick has an interest in building decision support systems to support unique modeling needs. He is also interested in supporting the modeling process in order to better facilitate informed decisions in the corporate world. Ward is interested in decision-making behavior and in the impact of system design and information display upon how decisions are made. See faculty members' websites for more details.
Return to
Contents FacilitiesNamed for Henry W. Bloch, co-founder of H & R Block, the world's largest tax preparation firm, the school is housed in a renovated and expanded facility designed to serve the needs of a modern, urban school of management. In addition to classroom and office space, the building includes computer and research laboratories, a student lounge, and two executive education classrooms. The building is a blend of one of Kansas City's historic mansions and a modern addition completed in 1988. The UMKC campus is located just southeast of Kansas City's historic and vibrant Country Club Plaza.
The Bloch School has an open computer lab and two computer-equipped classrooms providing students with access to nearly 100 Intel/Windows workstations and several laser printers. Virtually all computers in the Bloch School are connected to the Internet. Besides the computer lab, the school provides Wi-Fi access, and provides a variety of software and databases including Compustat, CRSP, Eventus, Economagic, ABI/INFORM, Lexis Nexis, Academic Search Premier, EconLit, EDGAR, JSTOR, PAIS International, Sage Public Administration Abstracts, Sage Urban Studies Abstracts, MS Office, MS Visual Studio, MS Visio, MS Project, Palisade Decision Tools, and SIMUL8. Plus, Bloch students may use a number of other open computer labs on campus.
Return to Contents Financial Aid and
Scholarships Return to ContentsAdvisory Board Return to ContentsHow to Reach UsFor application forms and information about enrolling in the M.B.A. program, contact:
Office of Student Services Return to Contents
ISWorld Net Home
Page Teaching and Learning
Graduate
IS Programs
UMKC Bloch School MBA in MIS Return to
Contents
Last revised: 12 March 2008.