Certification - September 2008 - (Page 22)

Information systems programs offered by business schools have become an obvious alternative to computer science programs. “Back in the old days, [colleges would] have computer science degrees that had [students] programming Pascal and Cobol,” Estes said. “Those programs are around, but they’re not exactly leading-edge. Colleges had to get smart about not just teaching the basics of programming, but giving people more of the real-world skills.” In the late 1970s, business schools started to offer management information systems (MIS) and IT programs, which filled a need in many firms, Kaiser said. Today, the information systems programs offered by business schools have become an obvious alternative to computer science programs, Gallagher said. “You’ll find other ‘information schools’ at the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, Penn State, Syracuse and many others,” he said. “Many of these schools grew out of library science, but are today focused in various areas of computing and communication technologies and their role in the collection, organization and dissemination of information.” However, use of the term “information systems” often varies from school to school. An example of this can be found in the difference between Gallagher’s experience as an undergraduate information systems student at Cleveland State University and his experience as a graduate student in the Information Systems Department of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. While the degree programs at both schools were offered under the same name, the focus was distinct. 22 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE September 2008 “In part because my undergraduate program was housed in computer science and the faculty [consisted of] computer scientists, [the program] was focused on the technology,” Gallagher said. “My graduate programs were focused much more on understanding business processes and the organization and people side of the problems.” That said, information systems programs today generally sit at the intersection of technology, people and process. “[Students interested in] designing, building and managing information systems in organizations will need to understand how all three — technology, people and process — play out in redesigning how people and organizations work, given the possibilities and constraints of new technologies and the business processes they enable,” Gallagher said. A Growing Need for Business Knowledge The programs that will be most beneficial to students as they look for jobs are the ones that discuss technology in the context of business processes and organizational or people issues, Gallagher said. He backed up his claim with research conducted by the Society for Information Management — a senior-level IT professional network — that reveals that the critical skills that companies look for in a candidate relate to business knowledge, project management and problem-solving skills, such as analysis and design. Even though problem-solving capabilities fall under the banner of technical skills, they differ from other technical skills such as programming because they require interpersonal, client-facing skills, Gallagher said. “Research shows that these skills are most sought after in mid-level hiring, which means IT workers need to make sure they develop these skills if they want to remain marketable to IT departments,” Gallagher said. That’s because success in IT today requires both technology and business prowess, said Robert Keefe, president of the Society for Information Management (SIM). “We focus on the technology for most positions, but we also want [candidates who demonstrate] busi- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_information_systems http://www.simnet.org/ http://www.umich.edu/ http://www.umich.edu/ http://www.washington.edu/ http://www.psu.edu/ http://www.psu.edu/ http://www.syr.edu/ http://www.csuohio.edu/ http://www.csuohio.edu/ http://weatherhead.case.edu/ http://weatherhead.case.edu/

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Certification - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Data Stream Virtual Village Tech Careers Dear Techie Troubleshooting Academic Connection What We Like Look Ahead So You Want to Be an IT Major The Title Is Information Officer… Chief Information Officer Interface Network Administration: Working From the Ground Up Inside Certification Ad Index Endtag

Certification - September 2008

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