The MS in Management and Systems Systems Management Concentration provides students with an enhanced knowledge of information systems design, development, and maintenance. As a student enrolled in this concentration, you will gain a deep understanding of systems development, systems administration, and systems architecture, as well as the ways in which each of these plays a critical role within the larger framework of organizational technology management. You also will explore application design and application development—two areas that afford a wealth of new and exciting career opportunities such as computer network architect, computer systems analyst, and computer hardware engineer.
Systems Management Concentration
CORE REQUIREMENTS
Requirements
Risk Analytics
*Not all concentration courses are offered each semester. Please contact your advisor for proper sequence planning.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How Does This Concentration Differ From a Master’s Degree in Information Systems?
The Systems Management concentration provides students with an enhanced knowledge of information systems design, development, and maintenance. It prepares graduates to support the work of the chief technology officer in organizations. The emphasis in our program is much more on the management issues involved with applying technology rather than just managing the operation of technology. The proper acquisition of the right technology to solve organizational problems helps organizations take advantage of emerging technologies and requires a different skill set than an MIS program provides. Our program is focused on the strategic management of technological innovation, which is not the focus of a masters in MIS.
What is the Systems Development Life Cycle, and How is it Addressed in This Concentration?
The MS in management and systems program teaches the traditional waterfall model for systems development as a foundation and dives deep into more modern techniques such as Agile and Scrum.
What Types of Jobs are Available in Systems Management?
Graduates from our program often fill jobs as systems analysts. But we go beyond that and provide preparation for students to take on jobs as consultants to major consulting firms such as McKenzie, BCG, and E & E&Y, for example. Our students are prepared to take on positions as business analysts who can translate organizational needs for information and technology systems into requirement specifications for technologists to implement. Our students also are prepared to assist in analysis and design, and they deploy enterprise applications such as ERPs (enterprise resource planning systems).
What are Enterprise Applications and How do They Relate to Systems Management?
Enterprise applications include systems that are deployed for the benefit of large portions of an organization. Some of these systems are termed ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems. They include the functions needed by the chief financial officer to manage the finances of the organization; human resources systems needed by the vice president of HR to manage personnel; manufacturing systems for manufacturing departments; and sales management systems such as order processing, inventory control, and CRM (customer relationship management systems).