Management Information Systems

The management information systems (MIS) program is designed for those students who wish to prepare themselves for professional careers in information processing or information systems in business and government. The program develops technical skills and administrative insights required for the design, development, implementation, maintenance and management of organizational information systems.

Background Information

Management information systems emphasize the collection, organization, analysis and dissemination of information for the planning and control of business or organizational operations. The program prepares graduates to build information systems for the present and the future. The student learns how to handle the complex problems of building a bridge between the computer science professional, who has a technical orientation, and the managerial individual, who has a functional perspective.

Another objective of the program is to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. The program requires a practicum. Practical experience enables graduates to become productive in any setting more quickly. Further, hands-on experience provides excellent motivation and concrete models for advanced course work. Graduates of the program find employment in a wide variety of settings.

The Program

North Dakota State University's MIS program is a unique collaborative effort by the faculty of two distinct disciplines: business administration and computer science. The B.S. degree provides sufficient background and skills to support a successful career in technical computing (programmer, systems analyst, systems design, etc.), systems or network administration, database administration, information technology management, sales or technical sales support. Students earning a grade of C or better in their computer science courses will be awarded a minor in computer science.

Selective Admission

Admission to the pre-MIS phase of the program is open to any student who is admitted to NDSU. During the pre-MIS phase, a set of rigorous courses are taken in business, computer science and mathematics designed to give the student the proper background for the core courses. In the second year, interested students apply for admission to the professional phase of the program. To be admitted into the professional program, students must have completed the pre-professional requirements, earned junior standing and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5.

Computing Facilities

The computer facilities at NDSU are among the best in the country. The Industrial Agriculture and Communication Center (IACC) houses the academic hosts for the North Dakota University System's 11 colleges and universities and their 39,000 students. Faculty, staff and students may use a variety of computing systems ranging from multi-user host systems to microcomputers, all connected on a 100 MB, full-duplex, fiber-optic high-speed campus network, a high-speed statewide network and then onto the Internet. The campus network is the largest network in the state, consisting of over 6,500 data ports in 35 buildings. A campus wireless network initiative is well underway with more than 35 buildings currently providing wireless access points.

Open access microcomputer clusters are located in 14 buildings on the campus. These clusters house 383 PCs and 77 Macintosh computers along with printers and scanners. Some of these clusters are open 24 hours a day. The computers are equipped with the most commonly used software, e.g., Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, AutoCad, SPSS, etc. Students can use these computers as stand-alone workstations, to access host systems, or to communicate via the Internet with other students and professionals throughout the world. These clusters are open to all students at NDSU. All residence halls are wired to the campus network, making it easy for students with computers to access remote information for course work and various investigations.

In addition to the open access microcomputer clusters, the MIS program and the computer science department maintain two special-purpose clusters housing approximately 50 computers for use by the students in their respective programs. These clusters include a computer structures and networking laboratory, and a network and server laboratory.

NDSU has assumed a leadership role in computer networking as part of a six-state consortium for extremely high-level networking in the Upper Midwest and connectivity to the National Science Foundation supercomputer centers. NDSU is a charter member of Internet 2 and has connectivity with the national VBNS research network.

NDSU also houses a Center for High Performance Computing (CHPC) that provides access to secure, advanced scientific computing resources. The CHPC is a member of the Coalition of Academic Scientific Computation, a nonprofit organization of supercomputing centers and research universities that offer leading edge hardware, software, and expertise in high performance computing resources.

Career Opportunities

As an MIS specialist you might choose a job in business, education, research, agriculture, government, etc. Your work might be in areas such as systems analysis, management information processing, database, telecommunications/ networks, software systems, simulation models, design and development of new computer systems or management. The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job opportunities in information systems to be a very attractive career path in the foreseeable future.

High School Preparation

It is recommended that high school students interested in studying MIS at the university level take the maximum amount of math courses offered at the high school level. High school electives in the social sciences and English or communication would also be a benefit.

Sample Curriculum

This sample curriculum is not intended to serve as a curriculum guide for current students, but rather an example of course offerings for prospective students. For the curriculum requirements in effect at the time of entrance into a program, consult with an academic adviser or with the Office of Registration and Records.

Contact Information

Department of Accounting and Information Systems

North Dakota State University
Minard 403
Fargo, ND 58105

Tel: (701) 231-5845
Fax: (701) 231-6545
E-mail: Karen.Johnson@ndsu.edu
Web:  http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/cba

or

Department of Computer Science

North Dakota State University
IACC 262
Fargo, ND 58105

Tel: (701) 231-8562
Fax: (701) 231-8255
Email: Kendall.Nygard@ndsu.edu
Web: http://www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu

Office of Admission

North Dakota State University
124 Ceres Hall
Fargo, ND 58105

Tel: (701) 231-8643
Fax: (701) 231-8802
Email: NDSU.Admission@ndsu.edu
Web: http://www.ndsu.edu/prospective/students/

(12/08)