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Very preliminary draft. The answers here are not to be
construed as official information.
The New & Revised Frequently-asked Questions
about IS 207 Page
1. What is IS 207
and where did it come from?
The history is that there was a
four-unit course, IS 208: Analysis of Information Systems and Organizations
offered each Spring through 2003. For Spring 2004 the course was split
into two 2-unit courses; IS208A was the "systems" course,
and IS208B was the "organizations" course. For the
2004-05 Academic Year, the "organizations" part was combined with
parts of the old IS 204 into what is a new IS 203. IS 207 became
the systems analysis and project management course--a two-unit, half-semester
course. It will meet during the first half of the Spring 2007
semester. (See more about the requirements in Questions 10, 11 & 12 below.)
2. Why has this change been made?
The SIMS faculty continually reviews its
curriculum. The most recent updating of the MIMS core courses started
in 2003. This change is being made to better meet the needs of all MIMS
students. For additional information on the specific content of IS 207
and on the alternative courses in this area, read the material below,
especially questions 3, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 12.
3. How does IS 207 fit into the SIMS curriculum?
IS 207 is part of
the core curriculum for all students in the MIMS (Masters degree)
program. (See Questions 10, 11 & 12 below.) It
will be offered for the third time during the Spring 2007 semester.
(See Question 7
below.) Ph.D. students are not required to take IS 207.
4. Who will be
teaching IS 207 and what topics will be covered in IS 207?
 The course
is taught by Yale Braunstein. Yale is a professor at SIMS and was
involved in the redesign of the MIMS curriculum.
Although we are still working on the specific content and the exact mix of
topics can vary from year to year, the following list gives some idea of the
topics:
·
Systems analysis and the system
development life cycle
·
Project management
·
Project and people management,
especially in a matrix organization
·
Process analysis and management
tools including data flow diagrams and flow charts
·
Techniques and tools of systems
implementation
·
Research design
·
Data and statistical analysis
tools
·
Cost analysis
·
Budgets and the budget process
While aspects of
some of these topics are covered in other SIMS and MOT courses, we try to tie
them into the course objectives, which leads to
different emphases.
5. What are the assignments and how
are students graded?
 There is typically a mix of individual and group
assignments. A preliminary list of assignments
is now available.
6. I am not a SIMS student. Can
I take or audit IS207?
Graduate students in
other programs may enroll in IS207 with the instructor's permision.
(Please note the course meets during the first half of the semester.
There may be a space constraint.) Contact Professor Yale Braunstein.
7. I'm a MIMS
student. Can I postpone taking IS207 or any other project management course
until my second year?
You should
complete the project management requirement by the end of your third semester
for several reasons:
·
The project management
requirement is good preparation for the final project you will do during your
fourth semester.
·
It makes no sense to do a
project such as that in IS207 and the final project at the same time.
·
IS207 or a similar project/systems
course can be very useful for summer internships.
If you need to
postpone taking a course to meet this requirement, you should talk to both
your advisor and the Head Graduate Advisor (*) as soon as
possible and, certainly, no later than the start of your second semester.
8. There is a special package for
IS207 with the textbook and software packages. If I don't want
the software, can I buy the book on its own through the SIMIANs
, online, or at a bookstore?
Yes. The
package is meant only as a convenience for students. It contains the third
edition of the Dennis & Wixom text (Systems Analysis & Design,
John Wiley Pulishers) along with the latest available versions of SPSS
(Student Edition) and MS Project software (Windows versions only) and has the
ISBN of 0-470-041846-X. The ISBN for the text alone is 0-471-72257-X; The
main advantage of the package is to make full versions of the programs
available to you at a "low" price.
Two additional notes:
·
We are using the third edition
for 2005; the textbook website is at: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047172257X.html
·
There is another text by Dennis,
Wixom & Tegarten with a similar title (Systems Analysis and Design
with UML) and some of the same content. We are not using the
UML text.
All required
software is available on the SIMS LAN for use in the lab. A limited-time
trial version of MS Project is available from Microsoft.
9. I already know SAS, Systat, or
some other statistical software package. Do I have to use SPSS for the
statistical assignment in IS207?
You can use any
statistical package for the assignment.
10. I worked for XYZ.com for n years
and already know lots about IT management and project management. Should
I still take a systems analysis or project management course?
MIMS
students are required to take at least one approved course in this
area. IS 207 is offered Spring 2007; IS 290 (Effective Project
Management--Section 2) will probably be offered Fall 2007; and either meets
the requirement. There are several reasons for the requirement: First,
there are a variety of topics in the courses
designed, in part, to supplement your knowledge and experience.
Second, we truly believe that the course material adds new perspectives
to your "how we did it right/wrong" experiences at XYZ.com. Third,
you will learn from the experiences other students provide during class
discussions and they will learn from you.
11. Can I use one of the MOT project
management courses to meet the SIMS project management requirement?
Possibly
yes, with prior approval from the Head Graduate Advisor (*).
12. I have reviewed the topic lists and have covered all (or almost
all) of the material by means of a mix of coursework and job
experiences. Can I be exempted from the project management
requirement? How do I do this?
[This
information applies to students who entered the MIMS program in August 2005
or later. Other requirements cover students who entered in prior
years.]
Probably not. At least one of the courses in this area should meet your
needs. You should discuss this with the Head Graduate Advisor (*).
*NOTE: Sorry to use the third person here as I am currently the
Head Graduate Advisor for the MIMS program, but I wanted to make this as
generic as possible.
This page created and
maintained by Yale Braunstein.
IS 207 FAQ for Spring 2007
Last updated: 24 Jan 2007
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