overview

Ultimately, data drives investment. Behind nearly every great enterprise is an analytical mind. This department is home to our renowned Applied Statistics, Management Information Systems and Operations Management programs. So whether it's the ability to detect statistical abberations in an information system or designing a system in which abberations are not possible, the primary objective of the Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science department is to offer high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare students for careers in both the public and private market sector. Graduate program in Information Systems, Statistics, and Management Science can be found on the Manderson Graduate School of Business site.

Currently, the ISM Department only offers degrees at the Masters and Doctoral levels in Applied Statistics.

Majors

Management Information Systems
Building better systems today for tomorrow's benefit: that's what graduates of the Management Information Systems program do with the technical skills they learn in the Management Information Systems major. Competing in today's information-based society, three of the five fastest-growing occupations in the United States require a thorough understanding of business needs, coupled with the technical knowledge to help organizations succeed. Today, the information age. Tomorrow, ageless information.
Courses
- MIS 320Application & Information Architecture
- MIS 330Database Administration
- MIS 430Systems Analysis/Design I
- MIS 431Systems Analysis/Design II
- MIS 450Systems Construction I
- MIS 451Systems Construction II
Operations Management
The COOs of tomorrow specialize in Operations Management today. The major focuses on the effective management of the resources and activities that produce or deliver the goods and services of a business, therefore keeping it in business.Operations managers oversee the people, materials, equipment and information resources that a business needs to produce and deliver its goods and services. Many of the most well-known data systems operating the processes and activities of worldwide business are designed by operations managers.
Courses
- OM 310Introduction to Management Science
- OM 321Production Planning & Control
- OM 375Statistical Quality Control
- OM 420Computer Simulation
- OM 422Operations Scheduling
- OM 423Inventory Management

Specializations

Business Information Technology
Tomorrow's businesses will depend upon ever-evolving technologies. We know this because today's businesses depend upon those same technologies. They are here to stay as much as a specialization in Business Information Technology is.

The Business Information Technology specialization provides students with an introduction to business software development tools. The courses include programming, data communications and networking, and an overarching philosophy that closely evaluates the always-expanding relationship between business and computing.

Specialization in Business Information Technology is a safe bet for students looking for a proactive career where the demand for their skills is always increasing. Whether it's a career in a major firm or with your own private consultancy, your skill set enables you to decide which business, which information and which technology the market will depend on.

Courses
- MIS 320Application & Information Architecture
- MIS 330Database Administration
- MIS 340Data Communications & Networks
Health Information Systems
Few sectors of the market ask as much from their employees as the healthcare sector. Students entering healthcare will bring a rigorous work ethic and leave with an equally necessary skill set.

This specialization matches determined students with an education of how information systems and technologies are used in healthcare management. Application areas include medical records, healthcare delivery, insurance and accounting.

Students seeking a career in Health Information Systems will have a major in either Management or Information Systems. Applying these and their correlating technologies to the management and daily operation of hospitals, insurance providers and laboratories comprise another concentration objective.

Courses
- HCM 370Introduction to Health Systems
- HCM 371Management of Healthcare Systems
- HCM 478Health Information Systems
Production Management
The who, where and why of business fall under the umbrella of production managers and other production-oriented specialists. Students choosing the Production Management specialization will do so because they expect careers where a knowledge of the manufacturing process will match their own ambitions.

Through course instruction and experience working on a project with a local manufacturing firm, Production Management will invest students with skills required by the demanding schedules of enterprises. Every business benefits from the ability of a qualified production manager to take products from the drawing board to the consumer.

To the consumer, every detail counts. But only because production managers know that they do.

Courses
- OM 417Logistics Management
- OM 427Purchasing & Sourcing
- OM 450Process Management & Improvement
- OM 487Capstone Project Seminar
Supply Chain Management
Similar to production managers, supply chain managers operate in places most business consumers will never see or know exist. However, supply chain management specialists work less with materials and production schedules and more with how they move efficiently from A to B.

From point-of-origin to point-of-sale, students specializing in this focus learn about supply chain management and the interconnectedness of businesses, including sourcing, manufacturing and distribution, through an interdisciplinary collection of courses from across the College. Strategies, theory and logistics reinforce the student's understanding of the fast-paced and rigorous nature of supply chain management, as well as its incredible value to the operation. Supply chain managers may not create A, B or C, but they will get them where they need to be.

Courses
- MKT 422Supply Chain Strategy
- MKT 460Export/Import Management
- OM 417Logistics Management
- OM 427Purchasing & Sourcing
Business Intelligence
Business is in one way or another all about data and numbers. The job of a business intelligence specialist is to decipher what direction the numbers are facing.

Business Intelligence students will internalize a working knowledge of the concepts and tools needed to leverage and comprehend business data to support important business decisions.

The tools and concepts that will be used by Culverhouse students specializing in Business Intelligence include, but are not limited to, event processing, analytics, data mining, performance management, benchmarking and online analytical processing. Students will learn to analyze both their own realm of employment and that of the competition. Culverhouse's holistic approach to business intelligence ensures that students can analyze, interpret and ultimately devise a strategy based on accrued data. Data counts, but not without business intelligence.

Courses
- MIS 440Decision Support Systems
- OM 310Introduction to Management Science
- ST 451Statistical Methods in Research