This degree opens doors to an integral part of every modern business. It covers design and management of Information Technology/Systems (IT/S) for a business which seeks to meet its business challenges and further its strategic objectives. The purpose is to craft and implement IT strategy that matches business strategy and solve business problems. In addition to mainstream hardware & software programming concepts, the degree plan includes how to budget, procure and manage IT/S e.g. computer databases, networks, information security. The focus is on IT enabled business processes and is ideally suited for those who like working with technology in business.
This program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
More Information
Information Systems and Information Technology have no value unless they serve a purpose and are used efficiently to fulfill that need. Businesses and managers use technology to improve their bottom line and to improve their employees' lives. They need employees to have state-of-the-art technical knowledge in combination with a solid foundation in general business concepts. With this degree plan, you will acquire both and be able to use this knowledge to help organizations implement information technology solutions that solve business problems for competitive advantage.
You will acquire analytical thinking and problem solving skills, written and spoken communication proficiency, and ability to work in teams. If you like advancements in and use technology and devices such as smartphones and social networking, you have what it takes to succeed in this area. You will learn to adapt to rapidly changing technologies throughout your career, while discovering the world of data communications and configuration of networks, network and information security, systems administration, electronic commerce strategy and web systems design & development.
You will develop skills in the configuration of enterprise systems and the developer's toolkit of enterprise systems while gaining hands-on practice in all these in both Unix and Windows environments using a variety of platforms e.g., (a) object oriented programming concepts and e-commerce application development in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and C# , (b) database and client-server design/development using Oracle, Access and SQL, (c) systems analysis and design using UML, (d) enterprise applications development and customization using SAP and the developer's toolkit of ABAP and (e) business analytics/intelligence using environments that may include SAP's BI module, and SAS Miner.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 121 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| Additional Fees/Program Fees | Required |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-B | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
The demand for business Information System (IS) skills currently seems to be undergoing a resurgence. While IS careers are expected to expand, the mix of skill requirements has changed considerably. With the explosive growth of technology accompanying the usage of the Internet in the late 1990s, the role of application development (programming) dominated the IS field. Since then, outsourcing moved many of the low level programming jobs overseas. However, the increased need for higher level technology jobs has become prevalent. As web, communication and database technologies are maturing and their usage has begun to extend throughout every area of business practices, these information technologies are being employed in expansive and creative ways. The result is that the need for IS professionals has increased -- but in a different way than decades past. IS is now a "people skill" rather than a purely "technical skill". IS programs now train "business analysts" rather than mere "programmers".
The "business analyst" (or "systems analyst" or "consultant") position has become critical in order to make information technology available to more users and solve more business problems. This requires skills in identifying user and consumer problems and translating these needs into technology solutions. The analyst provides this critical connection. This role is not subject to outsourcing because the analyst must be embedded in the organization in order to understand the business user and their needs and be able to design and implement the solution within the confines of the organization's technology infrastructure. After the entry-level analyst role, most IS professionals can go on to become "project managers" (or "senior consultants") where they assume the responsibility for an entire technology project: planning; staffing; budgeting; implementation scheduling; training and operational maintenance. After this level, the IS professional can transition into senior technology management roles that involve: technology planning and strategy; technology architectures and infrastructures; corporate wide technology staffing; and the management of various critical technology centers. At the highest level, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) represents the pinnacle technology role within most corporate environments.
Student Learning Outcomes
Our IS program provides the knowledge to enter any of the following general areas within the information technology arena. Successful alumni can find employment in any of these areas and their success will be based on the skills they acquired from our program.
1. Acquire fundamental working knowledge of a computer programming language, and be able to use it to write programs to solve common business problems.
1.1: Represent program logic in the form of a flowchart or pseudocode.
1.2: Develop a fully functional computer program from given specifications.
1.3: Use the logic of selection (decision) in procedures such as data validation.
1.4: Use the logic of iteration (looping) to process lists and arrays.
2. Understand fundamental database concepts and apply them to the design
and development of relational databases.
2.1: Design a conceptual relational database in 3rd Normal Form.
2.2: Build a relational database using a common DBMS software package.
2.3: Write SQL statements to query a relational database.
3. Identify and implement key business strategies and technology elements of contemporary electronic business.
3.1: Demonstrate a thorough understanding of electronic business strategy including supply chain management and customer relations management systems.
3.2: Develop an understanding of the design, implementation, and benefits of electronic commerce and business strategy systems.
3.3: Demonstrate the ability to design, build, and implement a small electronic commerce system website to include integration with a database system.
4. Recognize and explain the benefits of Business analytics (BA), also called Business intelligence (BI)
4.1: Understand the role of data in decision making
4.2: Create data models, and implement data warehouses/marts using the ETL process (using for example SAP)
4.3: Manipulate and analyze data to discover patterns and relationships (using a statistical analysis software system)
4.4: Understand and carry out data analysis techniques (discovering associations/patterns and relationships, making predictions) to make good business decisions (using a statistical software package or the BI module of an enterprise system such as SAP))
5. Comprehend the major steps pertaining to the planning and analysis phases of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) and demonstrate the ability to produce the associated deliverables.
5.1: Estimate and quantify the present value of tangible and intangible costs and benefits (including strategic benefits) arising from an information system investment.
5.2: Identify information system requirements and model the functionality of a requirements-compliant system.
6. Understand the major steps pertaining to the design and implementation phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC) and demonstrate ability to produce the associated deliverables.
6.1: Create data models to support the functionality of an information system.
6.2: Create a user-interface and architecture design to support the functionality of an information system.
6.3: Identify and evaluate alternative conversion and migration strategies for implementing an information system in an organization.
7. Explain fundamental capability (both theoretical and practical) of data communications, computer networking, and related hardware concepts.
7.1: Identify and apply operating systems fundamentals including configuring and managing user access and authorization rights, configuring access to hardware resources, and development of fault-tolerant capabilities using (for example) different operating systems like Linux and Windows Server.
7.2: Grasp fundamentals of developing fault tolerant systems, for instance: RAID storage, virtualization systems, failover clusters, and alternative forms of cloud based systems
7.3: Know and explain fundamentals of Backup and Recovery systems and procedures
7.4: Identify fundamental issues of networking, including networking devices, transmission media, and various interfaces.
7.5: Explain standard architectures (e.g., TCP/IP, OSI, and Hybrid) in terms of layer functions.
7.6: Explain the Internet protocol (e.g., IP) and transport layer protocols (e.g., TCP & UDP) and associated concepts including for example IP addressing.
7.7: Describe Ethernet (e.g., 802.3) and Wireless (e.g., 802.11) LAN standards.
8. Acquire ability to recognize contemporary information systems issues, including the use of information technology for competitive advantage.
8.1: Analyze information systems management issues and information technology trends.
8.2: Identify and describe opportunities and challenges facing information systems executives in today’s global economy.
8.3: Analyze the strategic impact of an organization’s current information systems portfolio vis-à-vis the information systems under development.
9. Demonstrate competence in communicating technical information effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
9.1: Create and deliver a structured walkthrough presentation that communicates the results of the analysis and design phases of the SDLC to a non-technical audience.
9.2: Construct and articulate an appropriate framework for exposing the inter-relationships in the analysis- and design-phase deliverables.
9.3: Present, explain and defend the analysis- and design phase deliverables to an audience.
9.4: Present research findings geared towards a managerial audience on technological issues, including specific technologies and/or technological trends.
10. Implement change management for enterprise systems (this is part of an optional Enterprise Systems Certificate)
10.1: Demonstrate how to analyze business processes and how they are addressed by enterprise systems (e.g., SAP)
10.2: Acquire skills in enterprise system (e.g., SAP) configuration management
10.3: Understand how to customize an enterprise systems (e.g., SAP) interface
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Admission to Northern Arizona University qualifies you for admission into the preprofessional program in The W. A. Franke College of Business. You must meet the following requirements to enter our professional programs:
These courses represent the General Academic Requirements (GAR) for The W. A. Franke College of Business. Some of these courses also fulfill liberal studies requirements.
For information about the overlap between the GAR and liberal studies, consult an advisor in Room 222 of the college.
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
You must have completed all of the coursework used to fulfill these requirements within the last 10 years.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.