BSMIS Courses

REQUIRED CORE COURSES

MGT300 Management

This course provides an overview of current management theories and an opportunity for students to preview emerging management strategies, particularly those in information systems departments.

CIS310 Computer Networks

Local area, wide area, and inter-networking concepts; an introduction to TCP/IP. Students will learn concepts, terminology, and platform basics.

CIS320 Web Infrastructures

This course focuses on the protocols and components of the Internet, centered on the World Wide Web. The basic workings of web servers, browsers, HTTP, email, and DNS are discussed.

CIS330 Introduction to Relational Databases

An introduction to the relational model, basic relational database design, and some RDBMS operation. Includes an introduction to data modeling practices and some SQL.

MGT310 Project Management I

Following PMBOK (R) (Project Management Book of Knowledge) guidelines, this course will introduce students to the essential tools and techniques for managing technology projects.

FIN300 Finance

Students will analyze and evaluate an organization's financial strength. The class will then examine sources and uses of capital. Finally, we will examine the behavior of U.S. capital markets with a focus on evaluating investments in publicly traded debt and equity.

COM300 Business Writing

Effective writing skills are extremely valuable to managers, particularly information systems managers, whose communications must be clear and concise. This course provides students with advanced business writing skills in memo, letter, report, analysis, and technical writing formats.

MKT300 Marketing

Marketing Management is the practice of planning and implementing the development, pricing, promotion, and distribution of goods and services to facilitate marketplace exchanges in support of organizational objectives. This course examines the marketing process from the strategic perspective of organizational management, with emphasis on the three-step process of analyzing the market, developing marketing strategies, and planning marketing programs. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of current trends in marketing—driven by Internet technologies and the globalization of commerce—into the traditional marketing framework.

MGT410 Project Management II

Managing IT projects requires an in-depth examination of several core areas outlined in the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Students in this course will manage an IT project as a case study in best practices focused on the execution, control and close-out processes. Prerequisite: MGT310

CIS360 Human-Computer Interaction

As computing technologies become increasingly powerful and complex, the need for well designed interfaces is now greater than ever. This course introduces the issues, theories, techniques, and tradeoffs of trying to design good user interfaces for a variety of system and user types.

MGT420 Strategic Planning

This course provides an opportunity for students to integrate lessons from the disciplines of the program in an experience of organizational strategy and planning. The curriculum draws on an understanding of business, marketing, communication and persuasion, project management and technology as students examine the planning process through readings and a series of experiential projects. Exercises require students to develop a mission statement for an organization and communicate their vision to classmates and peers. The class will consider the traditional planning process of visioning, market analysis, capacity assessment, data gathering, dialogue, synthesis and assessment. For a final project, students will author a persuasive strategic plan document that includes mission, vision, values, long term objectives with supporting tactical plans, and a system for measuring success and periodic reassessment.

MIS490 Independent Capstone Project

Capstone Projects are the culminating experience of the MIS program. They demonstrate mastery of the interdisciplinary curriculum and the implementation of a unique MIS strategic plan in an organizational setting. All projects must be sponsored by a real-world organization, preferably the student's employer or prospective employer. Marlboro College Graduate School will frequently receive project sponsorships from real-world organizations, and will make these opportunities available to MIS students prior to their enrollment in the six-credit Capstone Project course work.

MANAGEMENT ELECTIVES

MGT320 Negotiations

Students in this course will study negotiations theories from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including psychology, management, and rhetoric. Students will frequently engage in simulated negotiations, honing their skills in a variety of settings.

MGT400 Managing with Technology

This course explores the issues and opportunities facing managers today. Students will survey the multiple expectations of IT managers and the skills required to manage an organization's software and technical infrastructure. Focusing on information architecture and systems integration, e-commerce initiatives, technology procurement, software development and data security.
Prerequisite: MGT300

MGT350 IT Contracts

Information managers handle a variety of contracts in their daily responsibilities. This course provides an overview of the various kinds of contracts MIS professionals encounter, and allows students an opportunity to analyze their significance. Particular emphasis is placed on vendor/outsource contract management techniques.

CIS355 Systems Analysis

One of the first steps in implementing a functional information system is to perform a thorough, usable systems analysis, leading the way to a sound 'systems' design. In this course, students will learn how to determine and define business processes, gather and synthesize requirements, analyze data flows, and evaluate the feasibililty of implementation options.

MKT400 Marketing and the Internet

Marketing and the Internet explores new trends and opportunities in marketing and emerging opportunities in SEM (Search Engine Marketing) PPC (Pay Per Click) and social networking / web 2.0 tools. Newsletters, e-mail marketing, web press releases, blog and viral marketing will be reviewed and assessed.
Prerequisite: MKT300

MGT430 IT Leadership

This course examines the distinction between the science of management and the art of leadership. Leadership involves the ability to unite people around a shared vision, and facilitate the discovery of true internal motivation to think creatively and take considered risks in the quest for superior value and distinction. Students will read the current literature on leadership, review case studies of recognized business leaders and examine their own experiences of leadership in their professional and personal lives.

COM400 Persuasive Communication

This course presents an overview of effective public speaking skills, useful in practical situations such as moderating a meeting, presenting a new idea to senior management, and conducting training sessions in a group setting. Persuasive communication skills allow managers to achieve their goals more effectively.

WEB APPLICATION ELECTIVES

CIS326 Website Design I

An introduction to the conceptual aspects of effective website design. Organization and presentation of information, navigation, site maps, and initial planning strategies are discussed in the context of designing a usable site. Includes basic XHTML and image manipulation.

CIS327 Website Design II

A hands-on course expanding on CIS326 Website Design I, focusing primarily on the effective use of graphics and media on the World Wide Web. File formats and creation/editing tools are discussed, as well as elementary design concepts. Prerequisite: CIS326

CIS328 Website Design III

The third course in a series introducing the principles of website design, focusing on the actual assembly of simple sites. Open source content management systems (CMS) are widely used by small businesses, non-profits, and other organizations. This course will teach you how to use an open source content management system such as Joomla! to build a complete website, including content, navigation, polls, calendars, and customized templates.
Prerequisite: CIS327

CIS350 Systems Design

Whereas CIS355 Systems Analysis deals with determining the business processes that an information system must support, this course focuses on the practical details of designing a solution. Students will gain a clear understanding of the system's development lifecycle, and will be introduced to object oriented design and UML.

CIS340 Web Application Development

Dynamically generated, data-driven web sites realize the tremendous potential of the Internet for client interaction with information stored at the server. This course introduces students to planning the design of web applications. Students will also work with an open source web application such as Joomla! to understand file and database structures, as well as the functioning of a content management system.
Prerequisites: CIS328, CIS330

CIS430 Database Administration

A course covering the details of supporting relational database management systems (RDBMS) for enterprise applications. Physical database design, performance tuning, basic query optimization, backups and restorations, and user management are covered. Prerequisite: CIS330

CIS400 Information Security

A survey of security issues encountered when dealing with information systems, focusing primarily on Internet technologies. Topics such as encryption technologies, firewall abilities, and security policies are discussed.
Prerequisite: CIS320

  1. Academics
    1. Bachelor of Science in Managing Information Systems
      1. Courses
      2. Faculty