2026-2027

Information Systems, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems

The W. A. Franke College of Business

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)

  • 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 general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's general studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

     

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 46 units of business core requirements.

  • 33 - 52 units of major requirements which includes 6 - 25 units of certificate, minor, or additional business coursework.

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

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
University Honors Program Optional
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Minor or Certificate Required

A minor or certificate is required for this major.

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

  • Demonstrate the ability to design effective information systems and data-driven solutions to address business needs.
    • Design a relational database.
    • Design a data-driven solution to solve a real-world business problem.
    • Evaluate and assess potential information system designs and communicate requirements to technical and non-technical users.
  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate information systems to support decision-making, strategy development, and organizational improvement.
    • Effectively use SQL and other tools to interact with data to improve decision-making.
    • Analyze and evaluate key electronic business concepts.
    • Analyze the strategic value of various types of information systems effectively.
    • Evaluate alternative strategies for implementing, maintaining, and improving information systems in an organization.
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, and solve complex information systems-related problems.
    • Effectively communicate with stakeholders to identify information systems-related problems.
    • Use programming, tools, and critical thinking skills to solve information systems-related problems.
    • Develop and build prototype electronic commerce systems that integrate front-end design with a back-end database using various programming languages.
    • Select, use, and evaluate diverse analytics models to derive actionable insights that enhance organizational decision-making to meet business objectives.
    • Demonstrate the ability to identify ethical dilemmas and be able to recognize and evaluate alternative courses of action.
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, and resolve information systems security risks and threats.
    • Properly identify and assess risks and threats to information systems.
    • Explain a wide range of network security issues and topics.
    • Appropriately identify and describe security compliance concerns.
    • Effectively develop and manage digital forensic investigations and mitigation plans.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • 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:

    • Complete at least 56 units with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better.
    • Complete the following courses with a grade of "C" or better in each course:
    • Complete six (6) different Pathways experiences (one pathway credit must be the Career Steps online module). Transfer students who have met all of the requirements listed above need to complete four (4) Pathways experiences (one pathway credit must be the Career Steps online module) during their first semester in The W. A. Franke College of Business.
    • If you have a 2.75 GPA in these courses and have satisfactorily completed Pathways activities designated by The W. A. Franke College of Business, we guarantee your acceptance into our professional program. If your average is less than a 2.75 but you have at least a 2.5 and have satisfactorily completed all designated Pathways activities, we admit you into the professional program on a space-available basis according to the rank order of your grade point average in these courses.
    • If you are in the preprofessional program and have completed all required courses with "C" or better, but have a GPA in those courses that is below the acceptable grade point average for admission to the professional program, you may repeat up to two of the required courses in which you earned a "C" to meet the minimum GPA requirement. You may only repeat a required course in which you earned a grade of "C" one time.
Transfer Pathway
    • All transfer credits must be approved by the W.A. Franke College of Business (FCB) and are subject to guidelines listed in the current general catalog. 
    • The FCB does not accept upper-division transfer credits from programs not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) such as the University of Phoenix or the Bachelor of Business Administration program at NAU-Yuma.
Major Requirements

  • This major requires 79 - 98 units distributed as follows:

    • Business Core: 46 units
    • Major Course Requirements: 27 units
    • Certificate, Minor, or Coursework Requirement: 6 - 25 units
      • W. A. Franke Certificate Option: 15 - 21 units
      • Non-Franke Certificate Option: 15 - 25 units
      • Minor Option: 18 - 24 units
      • Coursework Option: 6 units

     

    Take the following 79 - 98 units:

    • A minimum of 50 percent of your degree's business units (ACC, BAN, ECO, FIN, ISM, MGT, MKT) must be completed at the W.A. Franke College of Business (FCB). This includes:
      • Business core
      • Major coursework
      • Additional requirements such as:
        • International Requirement
        • Junior-level writing requirement
        • Senior capstone requirement

  • Business Core (46 units) 
    A minimum of 9 units of the upper-division business core requirements must be completed at the FCB.

  • These courses represent the General Academic Requirements (GAR) for The W. A. Franke College of Business. Some of these courses also fulfill General Studies Requirements.

    For information about the overlap between the GAR and General Studies, consult an advisor in Room 222 of the college.

  • Certificate, Minor, or Additional Upper-Division Coursework Requirement - Select one (6 - 25 units)

    • W. A. Franke Certificate Option (15 - 21 units)

      • Select a certificate plan within the W. A. Franke College of Business. (15 - 21)
        • This option is recommended for students majoring in IS.

    • Non-Franke Certificate Option: 15 - 25 units

      • With your advisor's approval, select a certificate plan outside of the W. A. Franke College of Business. (15 - 21)
        • Two education certificates require 30 - 37 units.

    • Minor Option (18 - 24 units)

      • With your advisor's approval, select a minor outside of the FCB. (18 - 24 units)

    • Coursework Option (6 units)

      • With your advisor's approval, select additional upper-division business coursework. (6 units)
General Electives

  • 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 General Studies Requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.