ITM 734 - Human Factors in Information Systems (3). Current trends in system design towards development of systems which fit in better with what humans find natural and easy to do motivate this course. The course focuses on information about human behavior, cognition, abilities and limitations, and other characteristics that are relevant to interaction with information systems. Specific strategies which apply these concepts in order to improve usability will be explored. Benefits of the incorporation of human factors into information processing systems such as less training, fewer errors, increased ability to perform complex operations, less stress, and faster work will also be discussed. Students will have the opportunity to incorporate human factor principles in an information system in order to maximize human-computer cognitive compatibility. Prerequisites: Students must have completed ITM 731 or equivalent.

ITM 782 - Data Base Management Systems (3). Organizations must manage their data resources effectively in order to remain competitive. The efficient design, deployment, use and management of database systems requires an understanding of the fundamentals of database management systems, techniques for the design of databases and principles of database administration. This course emphasizes the fundamentals of database modeling, design and development, the languages and utilities provided by database management systems, and the techniques for implementing and managing database systems. Although primary emphasis will on relational database management systems, the object-oriented and distributed models will also be examined. Prerequisite: ITM 731 or consent of instructor. Note: The program director may waive ITM 782 and require an additional ITM elective for students who have successfully completed MIS 354 (Data Base Management) or an equivalent course.

ITM 788 - Business Information Analysis and Process Design (3). An applied study of the process of information systems development. Lectures, discussions, readings and exercises will address the areas of information analysis, requirement determination, detailed logical design, physical design, implementation planning, computer technology and organizational behavior. Through regular deliverables associated with the cumulative project file of a running case, students will follow a widely used structured development methodology (the data flow diagramming approach) in conducting team-oriented systems analysis and design projects. Prerequisite: ITM 731 and ITM 735.

Electives (21 Credit Hours)

Must take the following three courses as electives:

ITM 710 -Development Technologies for the Web (3). As the interest in web sites becomes more widespread, so have people's expectations. It is increasingly obvious that the functionality provided by HTML is insufficient. This is particularly true as more and more web sites are used to interact with databases. Many scripting and actual programming languages and environments such as CGI, JavaScript, and flash are being turned to as they can provide the added functionality demanded by today's commercial web sites. This course will explore these and other technologies and use them to create web sites. Prerequisites: ITM 734 or demonstrated experience with Dreamweaver and basic Javascript.

ITM 770 - Security in the Digital Age (3). This course will enable students to know, comprehend, and analyze concepts and applications in the area of planning, control, and security of e-commerce systems and applications, including a substantial emphasis on electronic payment systems. A spectrum of topics including risk management, control systems, security measures, encryption, performance evaluation, behavioral aspects, and assurance methods involved in e-commerce are covered. Prerequisite: ITM 710, and ITM 782.

ITM 790 - Information Technology Projects (3). In this course the student undertakes a significant research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The project will deal with topics in information technology that are of significant value to businesses. Established research methodologies will be used in identifying, examining, synthesizing, and disseminating information. Prerequisites: IC

ITM Electives

ITM 735 - Information Systems Project and Risk Management (3). The role of systems analysis, decision analysis, and risk analysis in the project management process: analytical techniques of project management including CPM/PERT; use of project management software; management of software development projects. Prerequisite: ITM 523 or equivalent.

MBA 772 - Business and Community Relations (2). This course is an application of basic concepts in the business, society relationship to the issues of poverty, joblessness, and economic justice. This course has a service-learning format.

MBA 773 - Business and Society (2). The world of business is viewed as the arena in which all systems of thought, value, and behavior converge. Structure and function are examined in contexts of operational, directional, and constitutional goals. Students are challenged to order these complexities into a moral frame of reference that will provide both individual and organizational guidance while contributing to social justice.

MBA 777 - Practical Ethics for Business Leaders (1). This course explores practical approaches business leaders can take for solving a current ethical issue in business. The specific ethical issues covered can change.

MBA 778 - Business, Technology and Ethics (1). This course explores ethical issues that arise from the use of technology in business. The specific ethical issues covered can change.

ITM 731 - Information Systems Management (3). This course provides an in-depth coverage of the role of information systems in business organizations, emphasizing applications of information systems and the current issues facing their managers and users. Lectures, discussions, presentations, and student project work will seek to foster an understanding of the strategic importance of information systems, their impacts on people and organizations, the many ways they can improve the work practices within firms, and the ways they can improve a firm's products. Note: The program director may waive ITM 731 and require an additional ITM elective for students who have successfully completed MIS 253 (Management Information Systems) or an equivalent course.

ITM 710 -Development Technologies for the Web (3). As the interest in web sites becomes more widespread, so have people's expectations. It is increasingly obvious that the functionality provided by HTML is insufficient. This is particularly true as more and more web sites are used to interact with databases. Many scripting and actual programming languages and environments such as CGI, JavaScript, and flash are being turned to as they can provide the added functionality demanded by today's commercial web sites. This course will explore these and other technologies and use them to create web sites. Prerequisites: MIS 375 or equivalent or programming experience.

ITM 732 - Decision Technologies (3). This course focuses on various technologies used to support decision making in business, government, and service environments. Topics include data envelopment analysis, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, geographic information systems, and knowledge-based systems such as genetic algorithms and artificial neural networks. The conceptual basis and real world applications of the various technologies are examined, as are software implementations of selected technologies. P: ITM 523 or equivalent.

ITM 733 - Systems Integration (3). This course will address the circumstances surrounding the reliance of most organizations on information technology products and resources from many different sources, both internal and external to the organization. The concepts and methods associated with coordinating an infrastructure of hardware, software, networks, services, and training resources will be discussed and applied. Issues concerning the preparation, distribution, and evaluation of requests for proposal (RFP), contracting and acquisition of information technology products, and managing a team of vendors and contractors, will be considered and illustrated with case studies. Exercises will offer students an insight into the complexities of such topics as outsourcing, integrating legacy systems with current applications, and managing system evolution. Prerequisites: IC.

ITM 736 - Managing Information Resources (3). Rapid advance information technology (IT) is leading to improvements in information handling. These advances, in turn, are leading to the rapid diffusion of IT throughout the industrialized world. The complexity of this technology and its potential for generating value is altering the nature of conducting business in many firms. It is management's responsibility to capitalize on the wide array of opportunities and to anticipate the areas of potential pitfalls this technology brings. This course is directly concerned with the management issues surrounding IT. It presents fundamental knowledge essential to managing an information technology function successfully within a larger organization. It considers strategic and operational issues, the significance of rapidly advancing technology, and human organizational issues related to technology introduction and use. Management systems and models of successful behavior that capitalize on the opportunities and minimize the effects of the inevitable pitfalls will be presented. Furthermore, frameworks and management principles which current or aspiring managers can employ to cope with the challenges inherent to the implementation of rapidly advancing technology will also be examined. This course views information technology from the perspective of managers at several levels - from the CIO to the first line managers. P: ITM 731 and all foundation requirements.

ITM 738 - Emerging Technologies (3). According to Moore's law, the amount of information storable in one square inch of silicon has roughly doubled yearly every year since the technology was invented. This phenomenon is causing numerous new and promising advances in information technology. Businesses capitalizing early on the adoption of some of these key technologies stand to gain significant competitive advantage. Unfortunately, organizations are in a quandary with respect to the identification, use and management of these emerging technologies. The primary focus of this course will be on the identification, acquisition, management and use of emerging technologies. P: ITM 731 and ITM 782.

ITM 740 - Data Mining Techniques for Business (3). Advances in information and data capture technologies had accelerated the rate at which organizations are able to gather large volumes of data pertaining to customers, suppliers, competitors, and other entities of interest. These databases are rarely tapped for the wealth of information they may hide. The purpose of this course is to deal with the issue of extracting information and knowledge from large databases. The extracted knowledge is subsequently used to support human decision-making with respect to summarization, prediction, and the explanation of observed phenomena (e.g. patterns, trends, and customer behavior). Techniques such as visualization, statistical analysis, decision trees, and neural networks can be used to discover relationships and patterns that shed light on business problems. This course will examine methods for transforming massive amounts of data into new and useful information, uncovering factors that affect purchasing patterns, and identifying potential profitable investments and opportunities. P: Statistical Analysis.

ITM 760 - E-commerce and Marketing (3). This course addresses the ways in which electronic commerce is changing the way firms market their products and services. Topics which will be addressed include advertising and selling on the Internet, the use of web sites to provide service and support to customers, consumer decision making when shopping on the Internet, and the development of databases which allow customization of products and services to specific customer segments. We will additionally address strategic issues such as how communication and distribution strategies are changing due to the Internet. The course will consider examples of using e-commerce to market to both business to business customers as well as to final consumers. While the primary emphasis will be on the Internet, we will additionally consider related information systems and communications technologies which support marketing on the Internet (e.g., telemarketing, database marketing). Prerequisite: IC.

ITM 770 - Security in the Digital Age (3). This course will enable students to know, comprehend, and analyze concepts and applications in the area of planning, control, and security of e-commerce systems and applications, including a substantial emphasis on electronic payment systems. A spectrum of topics including risk management, control systems, security measures, encryption, performance evaluation, behavioral aspects, and assurance methods involved in e-commerce are covered. Prerequisite: ITM 710, and ITM 782.

ITM 775 - Strategic Issues in E-commerce (3).This course focuses on the development of business strategies for using e-commerce within a firm. It will include a review of key foundational concepts in the field of strategic management and will then consider various strategies and business models for e-commerce. There will be an emphasis on alliances between organizations, value chain analysis, supply chain management, network organizational forms, and competing in rapidly changing environments. P: IC.

ITM 780 - Applications of Artificial Intelligence (3). This course will provide a survey of the theory and application of artificial intelligence in the business decision environment, with an emphasis on artificial neural networks. Students will engage in reviews of current expository and research literature in the area and will attain hands-on experience with computer packages supporting the creation of these types of systems. Neural network design projects will be required of all students. P: Calculus and programming.

ITM 781 - Computer Systems Architecture and Organization (3). This course examines the fundamental concepts and design alternatives associated with computer architectures. The computer is regarded as a hierarchy of levels of functional complexity. Each of these levels - the digital logic level, the microprogramming level, the conventional machine level, the operating system machine level, and the assembly language level - is studied in detail. P: Calculus and computer programming.

ITM 783 - Client/Server and Distributed Systems (3). This course will provide an introduction to and an applied engagement with the increasingly popular distributed database management architectures. Emphasis will be placed on the various client/server models and network protocols, with hands-on exercises in their application. The concepts and principles underlying these models will be investigated. P: ITM 782.

ITM 784 -User Interface Design for the Web (3). Interface design for web sites is essentially about providing meaning to a mass of visual information, while at the same time making it interesting. Ensuring the best possible experience for users who can easily and quickly leave a site is paramount. This, along with rapidly improving technologies which facilitate greater design expression, latitude, and interactivity, make meeting the ever increasing expectations of users central. A well-designed page must incorporate visual cues and navigation, as well as aesthetic appeal. This course discusses how to design effective visual interfaces suitable for web sites, and incorporates concepts from the fields of user interface design, graphic design, and programming to design and create compelling web sites. Prerequisite: ITM 734, ITM 788 and ITM 735.

ITM 785 - Wireless Technologies and mobile Commerce (3). The purpose of this course is to explore the impact of wireless and mobile e-commerce on the ways in which business is conducted in this electronic era, as well as the technologies involved in developing systems that will support this new way of doing business. This exploration is designed to give the student: a) an appreciation for the use of wireless technologies in achieving business objectives and changing the way business strategies are being implemented, b) an understanding of the various technologies used in mobile e-commerce, and c) technical skills for developing and deploying wireless and mobile e-commerce systems. This course aims to provide the student with a balanced coverage on both the managerial and technical issues relevant to wireless and mobile e-commerce. Upon finishing the course, the student is expected to have a good grasp on the strategic, managerial and technical issues in the design and implementation of wireless and mobile e-commerce systems. Prerequisite: Students must have completed one semester of a programming language or equivalent experience in C, C++, Java, Visual Basic, or some modern programming language.

ITM 786 - Telecommunications Infrastructure (3). This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the technical and managerial aspects of business data communications and networks. This course will prepare a student, by providing them with examples of network concepts, design and planning of networks to meet the enterprise needs. Prerequisite: ITM 731 or consent of instructor.

ITM 790 - Information Technology Projects (3). In this course the student undertakes a significant research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The project will deal with topics in information technology that are of significant value to businesses. Established research methodologies will be used in identifying, examining, synthesizing, and disseminating information. Prerequisite: All core courses

ITM 789 - Seminar: Advanced Topics in Information Technology Management (3). The content of this course will vary depending on the topic and instructor. With the permission of the instructor, the course can be repeated one time for credit, provided the course content is different. P: The prerequisites will depend on the course content. Past seminar topics include: Systems Integration, Advanced Data Mining, E-Business, and Wireless Technology and Mobile Commerce.

ITM 795 - Independent Study and Research (1-3). This course is for the study of topics that do not enjoy regular course offerings.

ITM 799 - Master's Thesis (1-3). Students wishing to pursue the thesis option for satisfaction of degree requirements are responsible for identifying an ITM faculty member who is willing to supervise the thesis. Acceptance of thesis supervision responsibility is at the sole discretion of the faculty member. Hence, the thesis option may not be available for all interested students. Prior to enrollment in the thesis course a written proposal for the thesis must be approved by a majority of the ITM program faculty. Pursuant to a defense of the thesis, the completed thesis must be approved by a majority of the ITM program faculty before a grade is assigned. Thesis students will be required to enroll in ITM 799 in two consecutive semesters, normally their final two semesters in the program. Only three of these hours may be used toward the fulfillment of elective course requirements.