Undergraduate
Elective Courses
Information and Operations
Management Department
IOM Undergraduate
Course Descriptions
I N F O R M AT I O N A N D O P E R AT I O N S
IOM 401 Business Information Systems – Spreadsheet
Applications (2 units, Fall and Spring)
This course is designed to provide students with an applied
understanding of how “spreadsheet applications” are used to
analyze business information. This course provides an opportunity
for students to master the use and design of ”Microsoft Excel” for
business information analysis in the areas of Finance, Information
Systems, Marketing and Operations. This course will also enhance
students’ understanding of the core business disciplines by providing
them with the skills and experience to develop, test and analyze
business cases, to increase the effectiveness in the corporate
decision making processes. This course is a hands-on course and it is
a must have course for internships and jobs.
M A N A G E M E N T D E PA R T M E N T
Managing
World-Class
Operations and
Information
Systems
T
he teaching and research of the Information
and Operations Management Department
is composed primarily of three disciplines:
information systems, operations management, and
statistics. While there is some overlap across the
three groups in research and teaching programs, we
offer elective courses in each area separately. There
are about 30 faculty members in the department
who are very active in teaching, research and
various professional organizations. Several of the
department faculty have received research awards
and honors, serve on editorial boards of major
journals, and have won a range of teaching awards.
IOM 402 Business Information Systems – Database
Applications (2 units, Fall)
Through lectures and labs, students will learn how to design,
develop, and utilize the desktop databases that businesses
employ in their reporting and decision making endeavors. Using
Microsoft Access, students will learn hands-on the basics of
normalizing a database, creating and relating tables, creating user
interfaces through the use of forms and macros, extracting and
mathematically manipulating information through queries, and
creating business reports. The course consists of weekly instructor
led database assignments and a final database projected developed
by the student.
IOM 424 Business Forecasting (4 units, Spring)
Forecasting in today’s business world is becoming increasingly
important as firms focus on increasing customer satisfaction while
reducing the cost of providing products and services. Business
decisions almost always depend on forecasts about the course of
events. Virtually every area of business makes use of some type of
forecast. In business forecasting, time series models are used to
analyze data that are collected sequentially over time. A primary
goal of these models is to exploit the correlation structure of the
observations in order to predict future values. This course is intended
for students working in the field of economics, business, marketing,
production, operations research, international trade, accounting,
etc., who want a non-technical introduction to applied time series
econometrics and forecasting.
IOM 427 Designing Spreadsheet Based Business Models
(4 units, Fall)
As a manager, you make a lot of business decisions – creating a
financial portfolio, working capital management, media planning,
sales territory planning, company growth planning, logistics
planning, etc. Most of these decisions are fundamentally about
resource allocation. In this fast moving market, you have to make
these decisions in the face of uncertainty. The goal of this course
is to become an effective Excel modeler who can solve resource
allocation problems, incorporate uncertainties in Excel models to
gain insights into future risks, and model more complicated longterm decision-making processes to evaluate contingent decisions.
IOM 431 Managing the Digital Revolution for Your Business
(4 units, Fall and Spring)
With this course, you will actually create and upload your own
website using technologies companies use, go to Labs where you
use software that businesses use, attend Guest Speakers from
well known companies using digital technologies, class can be
used toward a number of different minors and majors, it helps
you prepare for any job in consulting or business where you care
about how new digital technologies can be strategically used by
organizations.
IOM 433 Business Information Systems Analysis and Design
(4 units, Fall)
Business process analysts (BPA) are a growing occupation. They
help companies to identify ways for businesses to improve their
competitiveness with information systems. They are the liaison
between the business unit and the programmers. They prepare
business cases for changing the business, elicit requirements and
then manage outsourcers to meet reqs, they manage the project,
reduce project risks, and meet business client expectations. You will
be a trained BPA with the course completion.
IOM 435 Business Database Systems (4 units, Spring)
This course teaches key concepts and tools in order to provide
the prospective business or information systems professional with
fundamental concepts and skills in data modeling (conceptual,
logical and physical), as well as in designing, building and
managing the data layer to support business applications.
In addition to data modeling, considerable proficiency with
Structured Query Language (SQL) will be obtained. Although
object-oriented, and other database approaches will be
discussed, the course focuses primarily on the use of state-of-theart relational and object-relational databases.
IOM 441 Service Management: Economics and Operations
(4 units, Irregular)
Today’s economy is dominated by the service sector, which
accounts for more than three-fourths of the economic activity
in the United States. In such an environment, it is essential to
understand what makes service firms tick! This course provides
a general manager’s perspective addressing both strategic
analysis and operational decision making. We will examine
settings in healthcare, financial services, retail environments, and
transportation services among others.
IOM 443 Business of Interactive Digital Media (4 units, Fall)
This course is designed for undergrads interested in a business
career in this new emerging digital media and entertainment
industry. Interactive Digital Media includes the traditional
entertainment and media industries as well as new players from
the online world, mobile and landline telecom service providers.
The course will explore how new players are developing
innovative business models to challenge the traditional media
industries. We will focus on how the entertainment and
media industries operate, and how IT, the Internet, and mobile
technologies are changing the economics and management of
entertainment and media industries. This course will employ
lectures, case studies, guest speakers from entertainment and
new media companies, such as Electronic Arts, Disney and
Warner Brothers and site-visits to “Digital Hollywood” and other
entertainment companies.
Job Baskets for
Undergraduate Electives
IOM Undergraduate
Course Descriptions
Marshall School of Business
Information and Operations Management Department
Bridge Hall 401 Los Angeles, CA 90089-0809
Phone: 213-740-0172
Fax: 213-740-7313
http://www.marshall.usc.edu/faculty/iom
Yehuda Bassok, Chair
bassok@marshall.usc.edu
Deborah Taylor, Administrative Services Manager
deborah.taylor@marshall.usc.edu
IOM 455 Project Management (4 units, Fall)
This course begins with organizational issues in project
management and focuses on skills and roles of project leaders
and structure of project teams. Then the course moves on to more
technical areas and covers project integration, scope, time, and
cost management. It will also cover project resource, risk, and
procurement management. It will be finalized with controlling,
monitoring and terminating projects. Throughout the course
students will learn how to use MS Project, Monte Carlo simulation
for project risk management, and spreadsheet models for various
optimization problems within the project management context.
IOM 462 Managing a Small Business on the Internet
(2 units, Fall and Spring)
Understanding the current and future uses of the internet for
business is essential and empowering for any student. This
introductory course summarizes the foundational knowledge and
hands-on skills that any student needs to know about effective
use of the internet for managing a small business, enabling
global business visibility, and improving business growth. Students
will apply the internet skills they learn in class in a project that
uses commercial tools to customize a pre-configured system for
internet-based small businesses. This two-unit course is open to
all USC students from all schools and all majors, and there are no
prerequisites.
IOM 482 Supply Chain Management (4 units, Fall)
This course focuses on management and improvement of supply
chain processes and performance. It will be valuable for students
who would like to pursue a career in consulting or take a position
in operations, marketing or finance functions in a manufacturing
or distribution firm. We explore important supply chain metrics,
primary tradeoffs in making supply chain decisions, and basic tools
for effective and efficient supply chain management, production
planning and inventory control, order fulfillment and supply chain
coordination. We will also investigate topics such as global supply
chain design, logistics, and outsourcing, several other recent
supply chain innovations. The content covers both quantitative
and qualitative materials. Cases will feature high-tech companies
as well as firms in more traditional industries such as apparel and
manufacturing.
IOM 483 - Operations Consulting (4 units, Spring)
This course covers concepts, frameworks, analytical and managerial
skills for leading and adding value in management consulting
projects with a focus on operations. We will concentrate on
operational issues and decisions including developing competitive
advantage through operations, strategic planning, collaborative
supply chain planning, and six-sigma. The class format includes
hands on student consulting projects with a well-known client
companies, lectures, case discussions, and guest speakers.
1. Supply Chain Management Basket:
These courses are good for students who plan to work as
procurement/manufacturing/demand/sales planners in large
manufacturing and logistics companies, or who want to pursue a
career as a consultant focusing on these issues.
a. Supply Chain Management (IOM 482, 4 units)
b. Either one from the following list:
i. Designing Spreadsheet-Based Business Models (IOM 427, 4
units)
ii. Business Information Systems – Spreadsheet Applications
(IOM 401, 2 units) and Business Information Systems –
Database Applications (IOM 402, 2 units)
c. Any one from the following list:
i. Operations Consulting (IOM 483, 4 units)
ii. Managing the Digital Revolution for your Business (IOM 431,
4 units)
iii. Project Management (IOM 455, 4 units)
iv. Management of Service Operations (4 units)
2. Consulting Basket
These courses are good for students who plan to work as a
consultant/business analyst/associate in management consulting
companies or internal consulting groups of large companies.
a. Operations Consulting (IOM 483, 4 units)
b. Any two from the following list:
i. Designing Spreadsheet-Based Business Models (IOM 427,
4 units)
ii. Business Information Systems – Spreadsheet Applications
(IOM 401, 2 units) and Business Information Systems –
Database Applications (IOM 402, 2 units)
iii. Business Database Systems (IOM 435, 4 units)
iv. Business Information Systems Analysis and Design (IOM 433,
4 units)
v. Managing the Digital Revolution for your Business (IOM 431,
4 units)
vi. Business Forecasting (IOM 424, 4 units)
vii. Project Management (IOM 455, 4 units)
3. Digital Transformation Basket
These courses are good for students who plan to have a career in
business development, information systems, digital technologies in
all industries.
a. Any three from the following list:
i. Project Management (IOM 455, 4 units)
ii. Business Information Systems Analysis and Design (IOM 433,
4 units)
iii. Business Database Systems (IOM 435, 4 units)
iv. Business of Interactive Digital Media (IOM 443, 4 Units)
v. Managing a Small Business on the Internet (IOM 462, 2 units)
and Business Information Systems – Spreadsheet Applications
(IOM 401, 2 units)
4. Project and Program Management Basket
These courses are good for students who plan to work as a
project/program manager in all industries including aerospace,
construction, IT.
a. Project Management (IOM 455, 4 units)
b. Any two from the following list
i. Designing Spreadsheet-based Business Models (IOM 427, 4
units)
ii. Operations Consulting (IOM 483, 4 units)
iii. Business Information Systems – Spreadsheet Applications
(IOM 401, 2 units) and Business Information Systems –
Database Applications (IOM 402, 2 units)