A TALE OF TWO COURSES: PLACEMENT OF MIS IN THE BUSINESS CORE

Abstract

How does the MIS course fit in the typical business school curriculum? The authors examined the MIS service course at 59 AACSB-accredited business schools to determine the current state of delivery. Data were collected concerning number of hours required, common course titles, departmental responsibility, level of course offering, and required prerequisites. Implications of the profile for designing the MIS course are discussed as well as considerations for distance delivery. The authors have responsibility for delivering the MIS course at their institution. The course is under constant review as part of the curriculum assessment process. Currently, the course is offered early in the business program and many of the students enrolled are first or second semester freshmen. Is this the best placement of the MIS course? As part of the assessment process, the authors compared the current structure of their MIS course with similar AACSB- accredited institutions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and describe how the MIS course fits in the typical business school curriculum. The authors examined business programs at 59 AACSB-accredited schools categorized as Master's Colleges and Universities I. Using program Web pages or on- line catalogs, data were gathered regarding who is responsible for the course, its position in the business curriculum, course title, number of credit hours, and course prerequisites. The profile of MIS courses that was compiled is presented and discussed.