The Major in Information Systems
Faculty Program Director: Randy S. Weinberg
Office: Porter Hall 222
http://www.cmu.edu/information-systems/
Information Systems (IS), found within the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is an internationally recognized undergraduate major for students who want to design and implement effective solutions to meet organizational, societal and management needs for information and decision support.
In today's complex, interconnected world, the effective creation, distribution, and use of information via technology is central to daily life. Computer based information systems facilitate, enable and often define the relationships between corporations and consumers, buyers and suppliers, businesses of all sizes, social networks, and citizens and their governments. Understanding these relationships and effectively addressing the collection, flow, and distribution of information is vital to running a modern organization, enterprise or government agency.
Information Systems involves the effective design, delivery, use and impact of information and communications technologies in organizations and society. The importance of information technology and information systems to organizations and the need for well-educated professionals in the field is the basis for the Information Systems curriculum at Carnegie Mellon. Whether implementing applications, providing management or decision support, managing complex systems projects, or helping organizations design business processes or cope with rapid change, IS professionals fill an essential need across all sectors of society.
Information systems students at Carnegie Mellon learn to use, manage and deploy information technologies to address real problems or opportunities. They develop a solid foundation in computing, communications, and software development principles, languages, methods. Since Information Systems generally operate within organizations, IS students study social sciences and organizational theory. IS students learn how to right-size information technology enabled solutions to meet real-world economic and organizational constraints. Information Systems students also learn, through hands-on experience, the critical importance of professional communications, problem analysis, critical thinking and teamwork. Building on the multi-disciplinary strengths of the university and the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, graduates in Information Systems are ideally suited to take a leading role in shaping our information-based future.
The flexible nature of the program encourages students to explore their own interests through program electives, study in a contemporary content area or through optional second majors and minors.
IS students are well prepared to pursue graduate work in a wide range of fields. For students interested in master's degree-level graduate work at Carnegie Mellon, there are many possibilities, including accelerated Masters degree programs in Information Systems Management, Human Computer Interaction, Information Security Policy and Management, Engineering Technology and Innovation Management, and Business Administration.
IS graduates continue to be in high demand in the information-age workplace. There has been a strong job market for IS students in recent years, and national trends indicate that this is likely to continue. IS majors often take jobs in consulting companies, major software firms, large corporations, and start-up companies. Internship opportunities closely parallel the job market.
In addition to the Dietrich College General Education Requirements and basic prerequisites in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, IS students must complete the Professional Core, the Disciplinary Core and a focused Content Area. In the Professional Core (consisting of six courses), students learn the basic skills necessary to analyze, design, implement and test high-quality, cost effective information systems. Two of the Professional Core courses are project-based experiences in which small teams of students develop and deliver solutions to real information problems.
In the Disciplinary Core (consisting of three courses), students study key areas fundamental to understanding and solving problems in information systems: professional communications; quantitative analysis and research methods; and organizations, policy, and social science.
IS students also complete three courses within one Content Area. The content areas are designed to provide students an opportunity to gain additional depth in a focused area. Currently, four content areas are available: (1) Business / Enterprise Systems, (2) Computing and Information Systems & Technology, (3) Social and Global Systems, (4) Quantitative Analysis and Research Methods.
Study Abroad Options in Information Systems
Given the rise of globalization and its effect on information systems development, we encourage students to consider expanding their international experience by spending a semester studying abroad. The IS program is very flexible in allowing students to pursue these opportunities, and we have a number of strategic alliances with overseas universities to make it easy for students to find courses that will count towards major requirements. With careful planning, study abroad is possible during most semesters. Students interested in study abroad should talk with the IS academic advisor to help plan an appropriate course of study. With prior approval, study abroad courses may be applied to major requirements.
Information Systems as Additional Major or Minor
Information Systems is not available as either an additional major or minor.
Transfer into Information Systems
Most IS students are admitted directly into Information Systems as incoming freshmen. Only Information Systems major students are permitted to enroll in the Professional Core courses (67-272 and above), and IS students have enrollment priority in IS electives.
Students in good academic standing may apply to be admitted to the Information Systems major as transfer students. Students accepted as transfers to the IS program would normally be expected to complete the usual prerequisites and begin the Professional Core courses during the next available semester. Applications for admission to the major are considered at mid-semester and at the end of each semester.
Undergraduate students in other Carnegie Mellon colleges who wish to transfer to the Dietrich College and then into Information Systems should apply through the Dietrich College Academic Advisory Center, Baker Hall A57. Students must be approved for admission to both the Dietrich College and Information Systems. Decisions regarding transfer requests will be based on evidence of adequate prior academic performance and on the applicant's prospects for success in the Information Systems major.
Students interested in applying for transfer to the Information Systems major should contact the IS academic advisor for information regarding availability, application procedures and deadlines. Potential applicants to the IS major should be working toward a sensible alternative major, so that their success at Carnegie Mellon is not predicated on admission to the IS program.
Curriculum
The Information Systems major is offered only as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. In addition to major requirements outlined below, all Information Systems students must fulfill the General Education requirements for the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. A total of 360 units is required for the degree.
Requirements are subject to revision. Advisor approval is required for each student's major curriculum plan. Any proposed course substitutions to courses required for the IS major must be approved in advance by the IS academic advisor.
Prerequisites
Information Systems requires completion of prerequisite courses in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science. All prerequisites must be successfully completed prior to the start of Fall semester, junior year.
Mathematics and Statistics
Complete one of the following calculus sequences:
| Units | ||
| 21-111 | Calculus I | 10 |
| 21-112 | Calculus II | 10 |
OR
| Units | ||
| 21-120 | Differential and Integral Calculus | 10 |
| 21-256 | Multivariate Analysis (Required for advanced business courses) | 9 |
OR
| Units | ||
| 21-120 | Differential and Integral Calculus | 10 |
| 21-122 | Integration, Differential Equations and Approximation (Required for advanced computer science courses) | 10 |
AND also complete:
| Units | ||
| 36-201 | Statistical Reasoning and Practice | 9 |
Computer Science
Three Computer Science courses are required. To maintain normal progress toward the Information Systems degree, students must complete 15-121 Introduction to Data Structures prior to the start of Spring Semester, sophomore year. Students entering the program as freshmen will complete a Computer Science Placement Test. Depending on appropriate Advanced Placement credit and results of the Computer Science Placement Test, entering students may place directly into 15-112 or 15-121. Most students entering the program will begin the sequence with 15-110.
| Units | ||
| 15-110 | Principles of Computing | 10 |
| 15-112 | Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science | 12 |
| 15-121 | Introduction to Data Structures | 10 |
Professional Core
The Professional Core consists of six courses.
Complete all five of these courses:
| Units | ||
| 67-250 | The Information Systems Milieux (Fall Semester Only) | 9 |
| 67-272 | Application Design and Development (Spring Semester Only) | 9 |
| 67-371 | Fundamentals of System Development I (Fall Semester Only) | 9 |
| 67-373 | Software Development Project (Spring Semester Only) | 12 |
| 67-475 | Information Systems Applications (Fall Semester Only) | 12 |
Core courses are only offered once per academic year.
Note: Students transferring into Information Systems may substitute 67-344 Organizational Intelligence in the Information Age for 67-250 Information Systems Milieux.
Plus, complete one course (6 to 12 units) chosen from one of the following options:
| 19-402 | Telecommunications, Technology Policy & Management | 12 |
| 19-601 | Information Warfare | 12 |
| 67-306 | Special Topics: Management of Computer and Information Systems | 6 |
| 67-309 | Special Topics | 6 |
| 67-311 | Database Design and Implementation | 9 |
| 67-327 | Web Application Security | 6 |
| 67-328 | Mobile to Cloud: Developing Distributed Applications | 9 |
| 67-329 | Contemporary Themes in Global Systems | 9 |
| 67-330 | Technology Consulting in the Community | 9 |
| 67-331 | Technology Consulting in the Global Community | 3 |
| 67-344 | Organizational Intelligence in the Information Age | 9 |
| 67-370 | Intelligent Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 88-223 | Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems | 9 |
OR Any Computer Science course above 15-121 with prerequisite of 15-112 or higher.
OR Any Human-Computer Interaction course (05-xxx).
OR other pre-approved 67-3xx or 67-4xx which may be offered from time to time. Students wishing to apply such courses to their Professional Core requirement must complete a course substitution application through the IS academic advisor.
OR other pre-approved courses offered by the Engineering & Public Policy Department (19-xxx).
NOTE: 67-1xx and 67-2xx courses may not be applied to this requirement.
Disciplinary Core
Complete one course from each of the three Disciplinary Core categories.
Professional Communications
Information systems professionals communicate with a wide range of people in most organizations and often facilitate communications between diverse groups of stakeholders. Consequently, the most successful professionals typically are those with strong communication skills. These courses help students see that the structure and presentation of information affects how well (and how easily) it can be understood and used.
Complete one course (it is recommended that this requirement be completed by the end of junior year):
| 15-221 | Technical Communication for Computer Scientists | 9 |
| 36-315 | Statistical Graphics and Visualization | 9 |
| 51-261 | Communication Design Fundamentals | 9 |
| or 51-262 | Communication Design Fundamentals | |
| 70-321 | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | 9 |
| 70-340 | Business Communications | 9 |
| 70-342 | Managing Across Cultures | 9 |
| 76-270 | Writing for the Professions | 9 |
| 80-291 | Issues in Multimedia Authoring | 9 |
| 88-341 | Organizational Communication | 9 |
| or 70-341 | Organizational Communication | |
Quantitative Analysis and Research Methods
This area focuses on decision making and data analysis - essential to development of useful information systems. this area exposes students to analytic methods in the social sciences and quantitative methods for approaching complex methods.
Complete one course (it is recommended that this requirement be completed in the sophomore year):
| Units | ||
| 21-257 | Models and Methods for Optimization | 9 |
| 36-202 | Statistical Methods | 9 |
| 36-208 | Regression Analysis | 9 |
| or 70-208 | Regression Analysis | |
| 36-303 | Sampling, Survey and Society | 9 |
| 36-309 | Experimental Design for Behavioral and Social Sciences | 9 |
| 67-360 | Applied Analytics | 9 |
| 67-370 | Intelligent Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 80-305 | Rational Choice | 9 |
| 80-405 | Game Theory | 9 |
| 88-223 | Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 88-251 | Empirical Research Methods | 9 |
Organizations, Policy, and Social Science
The focus of this area is on how organizations function in modern social and economic environments. Students will develop a greater understanding of how social policy and technology influence organizations and how they operate.
Complete one course:
| Units | ||
| 15-390 | Entrepreneurship for Computer Science | 9 |
| 19-402 | Telecommunications, Technology Policy & Management | 12 |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems and the Internet | 12 |
| 19-411 | Global Competitiveness: Firms, Nations and Technological Change | 9 |
| 19-601 | Information Warfare | 12 |
| 67-344 | Organizational Intelligence in the Information Age | 9 |
| 70-311 | Organizational Behavior | 9 |
| 70-332 | Business, Society and Ethics | 9 |
| 70-341 | Organizational Communication | 9 |
| or 88-341 | Organizational Communication | |
| 70-342 | Managing Across Cultures | 9 |
| 70-414 | Technology Based Entrepreneurship for CIT | 9 |
| 70-415 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 9 |
| 70-421 | Entrepreneurship for Computer Scientists | 9 |
| 80-341 | Computers, Society and Ethics | 9 |
| 88-220 | Policy Analysis I | 9 |
| 88-223 | Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 88-260 | Organizations | 9 |
Content Area
Complete a minimum of 27 units from one of the four Content Areas below. No Content Area course may also be used to fulfill a Disciplinary Core or Professional Core requirement.
Business/Enterprise Systems
This content area broadens a student's knowledge in the business, economics and policy aspects of large scale information systems.
| 19-402 | Telecommunications, Technology Policy & Management | 12 |
| 19-411 | Global Competitiveness: Firms, Nations and Technological Change | 9 |
| 19-601 | Information Warfare | 12 |
| 67-260 | Visualizing Complex Information | 6 |
| 67-301 | Networks and Telecommunications | 6 |
| 67-306 | Special Topics: Management of Computer and Information Systems | 6 |
| 67-309 | Special Topics | 6 |
| 67-311 | Database Design and Implementation | 9 |
| 67-328 | Mobile to Cloud: Developing Distributed Applications | 9 |
| 67-330 | Technology Consulting in the Community | 9 |
| 67-331 | Technology Consulting in the Global Community | 3 |
| 67-344 | Organizational Intelligence in the Information Age | 9 |
| 67-370 | Intelligent Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 70-332 | Business, Society and Ethics | 9 |
| 70-366 | Intellectual Property and E-Commerce | 6 |
| 70-371 | Production/Operations Management | 9 |
| 70-414 | Technology Based Entrepreneurship for CIT | 9 |
| 70-415 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 9 |
| 70-421 | Entrepreneurship for Computer Scientists | 9 |
| 70-455 | Information Resource Management | 9 |
| 70-460 | Mathematical Models for Consulting | 9 |
| 70-465 | Technology Strategy | 9 |
| 70-471 | Logistics and Supply Chain Management | 9 |
| 73-359 | Benefit-Cost Analysis | 9 |
| 73-469 | Global Electronic Markets: Economics and the Internet | 9 |
| 76-391 | Document Design | 12 |
| 76-487 | Web Design | 9 |
Computing and Information Systems & Technology
This content area allows students to focus on current and emerging technologies.
| 05-391 | Designing Human Centered Software | 12 |
| 05-410 | User-Centered Research and Evaluation | 12 |
| 05-430 | Programming Usable Interfaces | 6 |
| 05-431 | Software Structures for User Interfaces | 6 |
| 16-311 | Introduction to Robotics | 12 |
| 16-362 | Mobile Robot Programming Laboratory | 12 |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems and the Internet | 12 |
| 19-411 | Global Competitiveness: Firms, Nations and Technological Change | 9 |
| 60-415 | Advanced ETB: Animation | 10 |
| 67-311 | Database Design and Implementation | 9 |
| 67-327 | Web Application Security | 6 |
| 67-328 | Mobile to Cloud: Developing Distributed Applications | 9 |
| Any 15-xxx course above 15-121 with prerequisite of 15-112 or higher | ||
Social and Global Systems
This content area exposes students to key themes in globalization and global systems . management, policy, international business, and technology.
| 19-402 | Telecommunications, Technology Policy & Management | 12 |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems and the Internet | 12 |
| 19-411 | Global Competitiveness: Firms, Nations and Technological Change | 9 |
| 19-601 | Information Warfare | 12 |
| 67-260 | Visualizing Complex Information | 6 |
| 67-329 | Contemporary Themes in Global Systems | 9 |
| 67-330 | Technology Consulting in the Community | 9 |
| 67-331 | Technology Consulting in the Global Community | 3 |
| 70-342 | Managing Across Cultures | 9 |
| 70-365 | International Trade and International Law | 9 |
| 70-430 | International Management | 9 |
| 70-480 | International Marketing | 9 |
| 73-371 | International Trade and Economic Development | 9 |
| 73-372 | International Money and Finance | 9 |
| 76-318 | Communicating in the Global Marketplace | 9 |
| 76-386 | Language & Culture | 9 |
| 79-318 | Sustainable Social Change: History and Practice | 9 |
| 79-381 | Energy, Environment, Globalization in the Americas | 9 |
| 88-326 | Theories of International Relations | 9 |
| 88-359 | Globalization | 9 |
| 88-371 | Entrepreneurship, Regulation and Technological Change | 9 |
| 88-378 | International Economics | 9 |
| 88-384 | Conflict and Conflict Resolution in International Relations | 9 |
| 88-391 | Technology and Economic Growth | 9 |
| 88-410 | The Global Economy: A User's Guide | 9 |
| 88-411 | The Rise of the Asian Economies | 9 |
Additionally, other pre-approved courses offered by the Engineering & Public Policy Department (19-xxx) may be used to fulfill the Social and Global Systems Content Area.
Quantitative Analysis and Research Methods
Students will learn to apply analytic and quantitative methods for approaching complex, ambiguous problems.
| Units | ||
| 21-257 | Models and Methods for Optimization | 9 |
| 21-292 | Operations Research I | 9 |
| 36-208 | Regression Analysis | 9 |
| or 70-208 | Regression Analysis | |
| 36-303 | Sampling, Survey and Society | 9 |
| 36-309 | Experimental Design for Behavioral and Social Sciences | 9 |
| 36-350 | Statistical Computing | 9 |
| 36-401 | Modern Regression | 9 |
| 36-410 | Introduction to Probability Modeling | 9 |
or 36-46x Topics in Statistics | ||
| 67-360 | Applied Analytics | 9 |
| 67-370 | Intelligent Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 70-460 | Mathematical Models for Consulting | 9 |
| 70-462 | Stochastic Modeling and Simulations | 9 |
| 73-363 | Econometrics | 9 |
| 88-223 | Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems | 9 |
| 88-251 | Empirical Research Methods | 9 |
DOUBLE COUNTING OF COURSES
"Double Counting" refers to instances when a course taken to fulfill one requirement counts simultaneously toward a requirement in another major or minor program. Double Counting is permitted in the Dietrich College on a very limited basis. Information Systems students may double count no more than two courses used to fulfill any Information Systems major requirement (beyond the Dietrich College General Education requirements and Prerequisite courses) with any combination of additional majors, minors or graduate degree programs. Only one course may double count with any minor. No course can count for more than one requirement within the major. Students must also adhere to any policy restrictions on double counting enforced by the academic department of the student's additional major or minor.
Information Systems Sample Curriculum
| Freshman | Sophomore | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring |
| 15-110 Principles of Computing | 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science | 15-121 Introduction to Data Structures | 67-272 Application Design and Development |
| 21-111 Calculus I | 21-112 Calculus II | 67-250 The Information Systems Milieux | Disciplinary Core Course |
| 67-100 Information Systems Freshman Workshop | 67-101 Concepts of Information Systems | Disciplinary Core Course | Elective Course |
| 36-201 Statistical Reasoning and Practice | 76-101 Interpretation and Argument | Elective Course | Elective Course |
| Freshman Seminar | 79-104 Global Histories | Elective Course | Elective Course |
| 99-101 Computing @ Carnegie Mellon | |||
| Elective Course | |||
| Junior | Senior | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring |
| 67-371 Fundamentals of System Development I | 67-373 Software Development Project | 67-475 Information Systems Applications | Content Area Course |
| Disciplinary Core Course | Content Area Course | Content Area Course | Elective Course |
| Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course |
| Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course |
| Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course | Elective Course |