MIS 790 Directed Readings in Management Information Systems
Department of Management Information Systems
Spring 2016
Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. John Penrose
Class Days: Mondays and as arranged
Class Times: M 9-11:40 a.m., Classroom: SSW 3620
Phone: 619-594-4759
Office Hours Location: SSE 3126
Office hours: T/Th 2:15-3:45
Email: John.penrose@sdsu.edu
Course Overview
Catalog Description: Preparation for the comprehensive examination for students.
Overview: California sets the minimum requirements for the Master's Degree. This
class is an assessment of the student's ability to integrate the knowledge of the area,
show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject
matter. Passing this course also meets the graduation writing requirement.
MSIS Program Goals
MSIS students will graduate with the ability to:
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Analyze organizational data, information, and knowledge requirements
for the design and implementation of information systems.
•
Understand business implications of enterprise information systems
infrastructure and architecture in a global environment.
•
Align information systems strategies with organizational business
strategies.
•
Understand threats, challenges, and trends of information systems in the
global environment and develop adequate solutions.
Student Learning Outcomes
MSIS students will graduate being able to:
•
Analyze organizational data, information, and knowledge requirements for
the design and implementation of information systems
•
•
•
Understand business implications of enterprise information systems
infrastructure and architecture in a global environment
Align information systems strategies with organizational business strategies.
Understand threats, challenges, and trends of information systems in the
global environment and develop adequate solutions
At the end of this course students should also be able to:
•
•
•
Analyze complex organizational information systems issues presented in
case studies or for actual business organizations.
Synthesize information from the major areas of the information systems
field and use this as basis for making appropriate recommendations to
organizations.
Organize and present, in written form, complex information technology (IT)
related information to both academic and practitioner audiences.
Enrollment Information
Pre-requisites: Advancement to candidacy.
Course Structure and Conduct
Course Grading / Deliverables
MIS 790 consists of a comprehensive report, oral presentation of this report, and a
comprehensive exam. Each of these activities is designed to create a meaningful
culminating experience for the student completing an MSIS degree. These three
activities are described below. The course is graded on a credit/no credit basis.
Comprehensive Report
There are three options to choose from for your report. You will need to meet with
your instructor to select and agree upon one that best serves your educational
goals. These three options are briefly discussed below. You need to develop the
structure, timeline, and specific deliverables for the project. The writing should be
at a professional level; use APA format for citations. The scope of the project will
need to be determined with the instructor:
1.
Systems Development Project: This option could include managing a
project. This project should begin by preparing a problem statement, feasibility
study, and proposed outcome. It would then lead to the development of a logical
and physical design. Depending on the size of the project, it could include
implementation.
2.
Emerging Technology in Practice: This option would examine an emerging
technology (for example, cloud computing, tools for web analytics, big data, etc.)
and its potential influence on business today. This report would likely include a
technological overview (e.g., historical perspective, underlying theories,
capabilities, and so on), a discussion of current applications (e.g., impact on
industry structure, examples of use, cost/benefit analysis, security implications),
and future applications.
3.
Literature Review of Research Topic: This option will include an in-depth
literature review on a research topic of interest to the student. This might be a topic
that you would like to research further in a Ph.D. program. This project would
begin with a statement of the phenomenon of interest and why it is important to
business today. You will need to meet with your instructor to determine the scope
of the project and the types of sources that you would consult in your investigation.
Oral Presentation
Completion of the MSIS degree should not be the end of your education. Rather, it
should be a point of departure where you become a lifelong learner who actively
seeks new knowledge and disseminates it to others, including through oral
presentations. Each student will create and deliver an oral presentation
summarizing the major outcomes of the Comprehensive Report.
Your presentation should be a maximum of 10 minutes in length and will be
followed by discussion and questions. Your presentation should be professional
and include an objective presentation of the work you completed as well as your
own interpretation of the significance of the work. Support the presentation with
appropriate visual aids.
Comprehensive Examination
There will be a comprehensive exam given near the end of the semester designed
to test your ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge and experience you have
gained from the MSIS program. This is an individual exam and you are restricted
to using resources indicated by the instructor. Portions of the exam may need to be
completed on a specified class period, while other portions may be completed as a
take-home exam. The deadline for course grades to be submitted is May 4.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for
this class, your responsibility is to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 5946473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should
contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon
disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an
accommodation letter from Student Disability Services.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These
activities will not be tolerated in this class. Become familiar with the policy
(http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any cheating or plagiarism will result
in failing this course.
Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to:
•
Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution
(this can include phrases, sentences, paragraphs and/or pages of work)
•
•
•
•
Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and
calling it your own
Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving
the author credit
Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own
words or phrases
Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class’
Tentative schedule
January 25
Initial class meeting, instructions
February 8
1-page project proposal due
February 15
Timeline for major elements of project due
February 22
Detailed outline for project paper due
February 29
Take-home exam distributed
March 7
Class meeting: take-home exam due; report writing and
formatting lecture session
March 14
Project sample pages due
March 21
<or April 11>
In-class examination
April 11
Project paper due
April 25
Oral presentations (meet in Electronic Boardroom)
May 2
Oral presentations (meet in Electronic Boardroom)
May 4
Course grade due to Division of Graduate Affairs