Graduate Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain
College of Business
Website: https://business.fsu.edu/departments/baissc
Chair: Ashley Bush; Professors: D. Armstrong, Brusco, Bush, Giunipero; Associate Professors: Ilk, Lu, Shang, Tang; Assistant Professors: Baucum; Teaching Faculty III: K. Armstrong, Larsen; Teaching Faculty II: Kerwin; Instructional Specialist: Bryan; Bank of America Professor of Business Administration: Bush; Haywood & Betty Taylor Eminent Scholar in Business Administration: Brusco; Jim Moran Associate Professor of Business Administration: Shang; Synovus Associate Professor of Business Administration: Ilk
The Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain has a diversified faculty with a wide field of teaching and research specialties at the graduate level. These research areas include business analytics, management information systems, operations research, and supply chain.
The graduate mission of the department is to provide education at both the master's and doctoral level and to stimulate and carry out research resulting in scholarly publications. At the master's level, this teaching and research reflects a strongly applied focus with examination of the practices of various companies and other organizations. At the doctoral level, the focus is more analytical with emphasis on theory development and testing.
For additional information related to graduate Business Analytics and Management Information Systems programs, contact the Graduate Office, College of Business, P.O. Box 3061110, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-1110, or e-mail gradprograms@business.fsu.edu or visit https://business.fsu.edu/graduate.
Doctoral Degree
The college offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in business administration. The Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain department offers one concentration in the PhD program: management information systems. The PhD program prepares students for teaching and research at the university level.
Graduates have been placed at universities throughout the United States, including University of Georgia, Texas A&M, Northern Michigan University, Wake Forest University, Washington State University, and Washington and Lee University. For current information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/phd.
Master's Degree
The MBA program offers a specialization in business analytics, management information systems, and supply chain management where students take 9 credit hours of electives in one of these areas. For current information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/mba.
Master of Science Degree in Business Analytics
The Master of Science Degree Program in Business Analytics (MS-BA) was developed to address the need for specialized training in business analytics. The purpose of the Business Analytics master's program is to develop students' in-depth skills in analyzing large datasets and making strategic business recommendations based on this analysis. With approval on an individual basis, other graduate students in the College of Business may take specific electives in the MS-BA program.
The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MS-BA) is a full-time, on-campus program. Students must complete thirty-three semester hours. The program is designed so that students can complete the degree in three semesters. Entry into the program occurs in the Summer semester. Deadlines for receipt of all application materials is March 1 for Summer. For current information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/msba.
Master of Science Degree in Management Information Systems
The Master of Science Degree Program in Management Information Systems (MS in MIS) was formed to increase the emphasis on technological education in the business curriculum. The purpose of the MIS master's program is to update the skills of working MIS professionals and has a managerial focus. With approval on an individual basis, other graduate students in the College of Business may take specific electives in the MS in MIS program.
The Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS in MIS) is an online program only. Students must complete thirty-three semester hours. The program is designed so that students can complete the degree in twenty-four months by taking two online courses each semester. Entry into the program occurs in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Deadlines for receipt of all application materials are June 1 for Fall, October 1 for Spring, and March 1 for Summer. For current information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/msmis.
Combined Bachelor's in Management Information Systems/Master of Business Administration Pathway (BS-MIS/MBA)
The undergraduate MIS degree gives students a broad exposure to the technology skills necessary in any organization with an information systems (IS) group. These skills include programming, systems analysis and design, database design & development, information technology infrastructure design, and analytics. Students who pursue the MBA degree with the MIS concentration following the undergraduate MIS degree will strengthen and deepen their overall business skills while fine tuning their MIS skills in the specialization.
Students will need to apply for admission to the combined BS-MIS/MBA pathway in the fall or spring of their junior year for the following fall. Admission will require an overall GPA of at least 3.4, an upper-division GPA of at least 3.2 and an upper-division management information systems GPA of at least 3.2 based on at least two upper-division management information systems courses at the time of application. Admitted students are then able to register during their senior year for up to nine semester hours of graduate courses that count towards both the BS-MIS and MBA degrees. Students admitted to the combined BS-MIS/MBA pathway will still be required to apply for the MBA program through the regular process in their senior year.
Combined pathway students must maintain an average of 3.00 GPA or higher in graduate coursework.
This program also creates a unique opportunity for students wishing to go directly to work and then enter our part-time or online MBA program. Students entering this program within four years of undergraduate graduation will still be able to use these credits as long as they are able to graduate within seven years of the first graduate course. For more information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/combined-pathways.
Combined Bachelor's in Management Information Systems/Master of Science in Management Information Systems Pathway (BS-MIS/MS-MIS)
At Florida State University there is a unique opportunity to leverage our strong undergraduate program in Management Information Systems and our highly ranked Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS-MIS) program to provide students with the academic and professional preparation to take advantage of available opportunities. Through a variety of professional development programs offered by the Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain Center and a variety of student groups, undergraduate management information systems students have strong networking and professional development skills that allow them to create promising career paths. By allowing the top undergraduate management information systems students to take management information systems courses in the MS-MIS program their senior year, we are creating several key advantages for the students. By taking the graduate courses in their undergraduate program, it will allow the students to gain advanced, discipline-specific skills that will hopefully lead to stronger internships between the completion of their undergraduate degrees (typically in spring) and the start of their Master of Science in Management Information Systems program in the fall. This should lead to stronger placements overall.
Students will need to apply for admission to the combined BS-MIS/MS-MIS pathway in the fall or spring of their junior year for the following fall. Admission will require an overall GPA of at least 3.4, an upper-division GPA of at least 3.2 and an upper-division management information systems GPA of at least 3.2 based on at least two upper-division management information systems courses at the time of application. Admitted students are then able to register during their senior year for up to nine semester hours of graduate courses that count towards both the BS-MIS and MS-MIS degrees. Students admitted to the combined BS-MIS pathway will still be required to apply for the MS-MIS program through the regular process in their senior year.
Combined pathway students must maintain an average of 3.00 GPA or higher in graduate coursework.
This program also creates a unique opportunity for students wishing to go directly to work and then enter our online MS-MIS program. Students entering this program within four years of undergraduate graduation will still be able to use these credits as long as they are able to graduate within seven years of the first graduate course. For more information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/combined-pathways.
Definition of Prefixes
GEB—General Business
ISM—Information Systems Management
MAN—Management
MAR—Marketing
QMB—Quantitative Methods in Business
Graduate Courses
Master's
Note: The 5000-level courses are reserved exclusively for graduate students. Courses which may be repeated for credit are designated by “r” immediately following the course number.
GEB 5944r. Graduate Internship (1–6). (S/U grade only). This internship offers a working and learning experience in the business industry. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.
ISM 5021. Information and Technology Management (3). This is an applied course in concepts and techniques used in the design and implementation of management information systems and decision support systems, with emphasis on management of these systems.
ISM 5123. Systems Analysis and Design (3). In this course, students will learn about the particular MIS perspective on systems development and its life cycle, from the birth of a new information system to its death and replacement. In addition, students learn about the tools, techniques, and methodologies used by systems analysts to develop information systems in organizations.
ISM 5136. Data Analytics and Mining for Business (3). This course provides a managerial overview of the state of art technologies and techniques that are used to discover rich and existing patterns for generating business value i.e. “business intelligence” for organizations.
ISM 5206. Database Development and Management (3). Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of relational databases. This course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the major issues underlying the organizational utilization of databases and database management systems. Theoretical, conceptual and practical concerns in the design and implementation of database systems are discussed. Organizational concerns in database use are highlighted through the use of case studies.
ISM 5226. Network Development and Management (3). This course provides good exposure to the basic telecommunications technology concepts, standards, products and services, and the emerging developments in telecommunications, and provides an understanding of the business context of telecommunication technologies.
ISM 5315. Project Management (3). This course has been designed to be relevant for all professionals confronting project-related tasks, with particular attention given to the information systems context. Course content includes an overview of technology, an introduction to software development approaches, facets of project management, and organizational issues related to successful project management.
ISM 5316. Advanced Project Management (3). Prerequisite: ISM 5315. This course extends the concepts of project management to the management of multiple projects across time and space, including the management of projects outside of the organization through outsourcing, strategic alliances, and off-shore arrangements.
ISM 5327. Corporate Information Security (3). This course examines corporate information security from several perspectives. Topics include differences in security of physical versus digital assets; sources of security threats; solutions involving technology, people, and policy; and proper responses to attacks on digital assets.
ISM 5404. Business Intelligence (3). This course explores the concepts, technologies, and skills needed to produce and interpret actionable intelligence for enhanced managerial decision making.
ISM 5419. Fundamentals of Data Visualization (3). This course covers the tools and techniques needed to properly express the results of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytical procedures. Students focus on identifying and applying the best methods and tools for a particular analytical question and dataset to produce a successful visualization.
ISM 5428. Knowledge Management (3). This course examines knowledge management from an organizational perspective. Topics include principles; strategic issues; systems design and development; as well as knowledge creation, capture, sharing, and application.
ISM 5560. Data Management in Business Analytics (3). This course discusses various data related issues in business analytics and introduce the best practices, underlying principles, and emerging technologies in data management. The course specifically covers: foundational data management concepts; best practices in managing big data; and unstructured data management.
ISM 5564. Business Analytics for Competitive Advantage (3). This course examines the strategic and managerial foundations of business analytics, its use cases and conceptual considerations. Apart from case-led instruction, this course also provides some hands-on experiences with leading-edge software packages, including IBM's Watson, Tableau, and two textual analytics tools, Semantria and MineMyText.
ISM 5565. Foundational Concepts for Business Analytics (3). This course prepares graduate students in the Business Analytics graduate program with foundational tools and techniques used in subsequent courses. The primary focus is achieving and understanding the role of applied probability methods in business analytics.
ISM 5566. Forecasting, Revenue Management, and Pricing (3). This course explores how “big data” can be used for understanding and analyzing customer demand and behavior. This course surveys the canonical uses of data to analyze consumer demand--time-series forecasting. The course focuses on Exponential Smoothing and ARIMA models, then explores the idea that sales is not the same as demand.
ISM 5567. Supply Chain Analytics (3). This course examines the role that Business Analytics can play in the context of an organization's Operations and Supply Chain functions. The goal of this course is to develop critical skills in the management of Supply Chains.
ISM 5569. Business Analytics Capstone (3). This course provides students with an advanced level of analytical skills that enables them to examine business problems by developing models, analyzing alternatives, and recommending solutions using techniques and tools they have learned in previous Business Analytics courses.
ISM 5644. Programming for Analytics (3). This course introduces students to the basics of computer programing for business analytics. The course places special emphasis on utilizing Python programming language for data science and analytics related tasks.
ISM 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.
ISM 5907r. Special Studies in Management: Information and Systems Management (1–3). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.
ISM 5935r. Special Topics in Information and Management Sciences (1–3). This course is an in-depth study of current topics in information and management sciences. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours as topics vary.
MAN 5375. HR Analytics (3). This course focuses on the analysis and application of a company's HR data to uncover insights that inform HR strategies, process changes, and investments – with the goal of improving organizational performance (i.e., driving business outcomes). Students learn about theory and research regarding drivers of employee performance, retention, and engagement, as well as the critical HR metrics that are important for business outcomes.
MAN 5501. Operations Management (3). This course develops a conceptual framework which is useful in describing the nature of the operations function, with emphasis on identifying basic issues in managing the operations of a service organization.
MAR 5465. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (3). This course provides an understanding of the purchasing/supply management process by analyzing the sourcing strategies, negotiation tools and contract management techniques required to provide organizations with the best value for their purchase expenditures.
MAR 5466. Logistics and Supply Chain Management (3). This course examines the downstream portion of the supply chain and the strategic marketing implications related to managing customer relationships. Focus is on the management of the processes necessary to stimulate and meet customer demand, as well as on the development of long-term customer relationships.
MAR 5726. Supply Chain and Marketing in the Digital Age (3). This course focuses on how technology affects the entire supply chain from marketing to suppliers. Students review databases, newer technologies such as 3D printing, blockchain, robotics, drones, automated vehicles, etc. along with supporting systems such as procure to pay and other supply chain information systems.
QMB 5616. Probabilistic Optimization Methods for Analytics (3). This course teaches students techniques to address problems in regression, discriminant analysis, principal component analysis, logistic regression, SEM, etc. Students will utilize methods such as calculus and linear algebra.
QMB 5755. Quantitative Methods in Business Analytics I (3). Prerequisite: Working knowledge of MS Excel. This course focuses on deterministic methods for perspective business analytics.
QMB 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Permission from the associate dean for academic programs. Each course is repeatable up to three times.
QMB 5907r. Special Studies in Management (1–3). Prerequisite: Permission from the associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.
QMB 5935r. Special Topics in Quantitative Methods (1–3). This course is an in-depth study of current topics in quantitative methods in business. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours when topics change.
Doctoral
Note: The doctoral curriculum includes courses selected from the following in addition to those offered at the 5000 level. In exceptional cases master's candidates may elect 6000 level courses with permission of the instructor and the associate dean for academic programs.
ISM 6109. Doctoral Seminar in General Systems Theory (3). This seminar is a discussion of the different theories and views about organizations and the design of information and communication systems in organizations. Students gain an appreciation for the close and intertwining nature of the relationship between views of organizations and the philosophies governing the design and use of information systems.
ISM 6395. Doctoral Seminar in Management Information Systems (3). This course addresses the organizational issues associated with effective information technology-based innovation and the management of information technologies in organizational strategies and operations.
ISM 6405. Doctoral Seminar in Decision Processes and Structures (3). This course is a study of the structures and processes of decision-making at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Students also gain an appreciation for the impact of information technologies on these decision-making structures and processes.
ISM 6885. Doctoral Seminar on Applied MIS Research (3). This course is an examination of the process of designing and conducting research projects on information systems phenomena. Students will gain an appreciation for the challenges and issues associated with the application of different research methodologies to MIS phenomena.
ISM 6917r. Supervised Research (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.
ISM 6919r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.
ISM 6979. Doctoral Seminar in Research Methods and the Philosophy of Science (3). This seminar is a discussion of the role of research in the academic community, the basis and principles of systems modeling, and the methods of social science research. The seminar also nurtures the motivation to become a contributor to the organizational sciences and information systems research communities by examining research processes, methodologies, and strategies, the information systems research context, concepts, theories, the application of systems modeling, and the nature of organizational sciences research.
ISM 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only). A minimum of twenty-four semester hours is required.
ISM 8964r. Doctoral Preliminary Examination (0). (P/F grade only.) This preliminary examination determines if students have mastered the content area of MIS and are prepared to plan and conduct independent and scholarly research. Upon successful completion of the preliminary examination, students are admitted to candidacy and begin taking dissertation hours. Students can take the preliminary examination for admission to candidacy only two times.
ISM 8985. Dissertation Defense Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)
MAR 6636. Quantitative Methods I: Measurement, Scaling, and Choice (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course covers topics such as psychographics, scaling, conjoint measurement, multidimensional scaling, brand switching models, and logit and probit regression. Students develop an understanding of these measurement techniques and apply these models with empirical data.