Course Descriptions

Modern digital enterprises are characterized by increased automation, mobile services, extended B2B operations with global business partners, and on-demand business services. The main issue in such enterprises is to architect and integrate a very wide range of services quickly and effectively. This course presents a ‘systems’ perspective based on service oriented architecture (SOA) that combines processes, people and technologies, and highlights the role of information and communication technologies, enterprise models, and emerging SOA standards in developing flexible and integrated business architectures.

This course covers the basic principles, models and approaches of healthcare systems and introduces healthcare administration topics. The focus of this course is not on technologies but instead on the business and management aspects of healthcare. The course introduces the student to a wide rage of healthcare topics such as healthcare business processes and business patterns, healthcare business process reengineering and integration, healthcare clinical systems and services (patient care, physician support systems, health networks), hospital systems, management concerns, and government regulations. In addition, varied approaches and models of healthcare administration at local, national and international levels will be discussed. Cross-listed with HCIN 541.

This course introduces the basic concepts of healthcare information systems and explains the role of information and communication technologies in current and future healthcare systems. The course reviews the role of different players in healthcare: providers, physicians, and insurance companies. Topics covered in healthcare informatics include: health information networks (HINs) at local, regional, national and global levels; information technology systems and applications; standards and interoperability topics; electronic health records (EHR) and EMR; clinical decision support; computer physician order entry (CPOE), and e-prescriptions, privacy and security concerns, financial/administrative systems, and examples of IT infrastructure for healthcare.

This course explains the basic principles of e-Health and m (mobile)-Health through case studies and examples. The student is shown how to effectively develop and administer e-Health systems using web technologies. A wide range of case studies and examples of e-Health systems will be used. The course also examines how wireless networks and mobile computing applications are used in healthcare informatics. The student investigates the latest developments in the field and identify research topics of importance.

This course covers a wide range of socio-technical issues in healthcare information technologies. The focus is on the healthcare workplace as a dynamic system in which people, processes and technologies interact and influence each other. The course focuses on the people, processes and technologies issues related to important areas such as security and privacy, public policies and regulations, medical decision support systems and knowledge management in healthcare, electronic health records (HER), telemedicine systems, wireless sensor networks in healthcare, and others. Case studies and examples will be used highlight practical aspects of socio-technical interactions.

This course addresses the central role of healthcare data in both health outcomes and business operations. This is the basic course in healthcare data management for the ISEM graduate program as well as the program in Healthcare Informatics, both the certificate and master’s degree. The goal of the course is familiarity with basic techniques and current best practices for the governance, collection, cleaning, storage, sharing and handling of healthcare data. Case-based and project-based approaches are used for discussion and assignments. Prior experience in healthcare systems is not required, but knowledge of material contained in ISEM 541 Healthcare Systems is helpful in establishing context. Cross-listed with HCIN 545.

This course introduces the core principles and practical methods and techniques for effectively managing Information Technology (IT) systems and organizations. The emphasis is on business and information technology for planning, investing, budgeting, assessing value and risks, as well as governing and securing Information Technology organizations and assets. Topics include management and leadership roles and challenges associated with IT manager in the digital enterprise, organizational design for flexible IT organizations, corporate and IT governance frameworks, IT policies and controls for the business, risk assessments and response planning, IT finance and budgeting, and the role of close-based IT services in modern organizations. Extensive practical exercises and case study method will be used throughout the course.

This course covers the technical and administrative aspects of security, privacy and control issues that are vital to IS management. A comprehensive overview of security and IT control principles and practices that are needed to satisfy the IS systems integrity, confidentiality and availability requirements are addressed. Topics include security awareness, IS Security and Control Practices, IT audit principles and standards, risk analysis, and process flow analysis for auditing.

This course is an introduction to web-based software engineering environments, design patterns, frameworks and key architectural aspects of robust enterprise applications. Topics for software development technologies include development languages and frameworks (e.g., .Net, Java, opensource), various tools used during the development lifecycle, and key components of an application in terms of the data, process and presentation layers. Architectural topics include prevalent design patterns such as model-view-controller (MVC), Web Services, and service-oriented architecture (SOA). The student uses computer-aided software engineering (CASE) environments and develops software architectures of real life enterprise applications.

This course provides a management overview of wireless networking and mobile computing with a key focus on the building blocks and their inter-relationships.

This course is an introduction to the area of Internet of Things (IoTs) with a special focus on Embedded Systems and their applications. The course addresses a wide breadth of technologies and standards used to support this rapidly evolving domain. This includes the embedded system hardware, software, and operating systems. It also goes through wireless connectivity systems used for IoTs, as well as the cloud support. The student will have an opportunity to explore current and future applications of IoTs and embedded systems in healthcare, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and other vial sectors.

eGovernment and eCommerce (EG/EC) are changing the landscape of business. This course introduces the basic building blocks of EG/EC with an emphasis on strategies and applications and a brief discussion of the enabling technologies. The course provides a review of EC models and applications such as online purchasing, customer relationship management, electronic marketplaces, application service providers, supply chains, enterprise resource planning, and enterprise portals.

This course introduces the concepts of public administration with emphasis on key building blocks such as business processes, leadership, personnel management, budgeting, law enforcement and social welfare. The objective is to examine how public sector organizations work and how administrators can operate in such environments. The course covers the most important functions and processes of government agencies and non-profit organizations. The leadership strategies for increased public sector effectiveness through the typical management processes of planning, organizing, monitoring, control and governance are discussed. The sources of public and non-profit revenue and expenditures are examined in the context of budget management. The topics of law enforcement management with public and non-public managers are briefly reviewed with an emphasis on human resource accounting and personnel management. Public administrators will be invited as guest speakers for local and global perspectives on these topics and to compare/contrast public agencies with their private sector counterparts.

This course gives an overview of the broad field of public policy and examines the key concepts, theories and practical operational methods of public policy. The course presents with an examination of the core concepts in the formulation, implementation, and impact of public policy and covers the role of administrative law in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policy. The ethical arguments inherent in public policy decisions and compliance with legislated ethical standards are examined. The policies, politics and administrative activities of federal, state, and local levels are considered. The interaction of the public sector, the private sector, and citizen groups in the implementation of environmental policy is discussed and the role of planning process as a decision-making tool in the implementation of public policy is examined. The course will use a wide range of national and international policy examples in areas such as housing and community development, social welfare, employment programs, transportation, the internet and telecommunications.

This course concentrates on the practical aspects of Cloud Computing and Big Data applications, architectures and analytics. Topics include data models, query languages, storage, retrieval techniques, distributed computing challenges. Classroom projects expose the student to cloud-based and real-world big data applications in business, healthcare, and public safety. The student will grasp the connection between big data and cloud computing and various components such as machine learning and data security. By utilizing cloud services, the student can learn about different cloud platforms.

Modern “electronically enabled” enterprises rely increasingly on knowledge that needs to be managed and processed through a variety of intelligent tools. This course covers the vital issues of business intelligence and knowledge management in modern enterprises and discusses how the decision support and expert systems tools can be used for effective decision making in organizations.

This course discusses how the information technology (IT) strategy can be aligned with business strategy to compete and become successful. The focus is on the major elements of the business and IT strategic management models and their interrelationships. Different alignment models such as the Henderson-Venkataraman model will be discussed in detail through case studies.

The information technology product is central to most business systems. Quality of the product is represented by accuracy, reliability, repeatability and specific customer requirement standards. Various techniques to understand the quality control processes and quality assurance measures as demonstrated in industry standards and protocols are covered.

This course addresses advances in research, technologies, systems, and applications as related to “strategic intelligence.” Strategic intelligence (SI) refers to the intersection of Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, and Competitive Intelligence for improving the strategic decision making in Smart Cities. Instead of intelligence on one topic area, Smart Cities need strategic intelligence that covers multiple topic areas. This course discusses methodologies, trends, challenges, and applications as related to knowledge management, intelligent systems, automated planning and scheduling systems, analytics, and Big Data.

Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology are disruptive innovations which are having a major impact on the financial industry and other industries.  This course provides a technical introduction to Bitcoin, Blockchain, cryptography, keys and addresses, wallets, transactions, decentralized consensus, mining, and other Bitcoin technologies.

This course explores a topic or collection of topics of special interest that is timely and in response to critical or emerging topics in the broad field of information systems engineering and management.

This course is designed for the student who demonstrates an interest in an area of study not offered or who wishes to pursue a discipline in greater depth than possible through existing courses. A learning contract between the student and instructor defines the responsibilities of the parties and specifies the learning objectives and standards for successful completion of the project. A calendar of meeting times and deadlines shall be a part of that contract.

This course serves as an in-depth investigation of Graph Databases, with some study of multi-model database systems. Primary emphasis will be given to graph databases and graph database applications. The student will perform database selection, database design, graph query creation, and graph database application programming to address the needs of data-intensive applications in smart organizations.

This course allows the student to pursue an area of interest that is within the broad scope of Information Systems Engineering and Management. A faculty member will supervise this study.

Smart Enterprises are the next generation of digital enterprises that heavily rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to deal with customers, suppliers/partners, government agencies and employees. This course highlights advances in research, technologies, systems, and applications as related to intelligent digital enterprises such as smart cities, smart towns, smart healthcare, smart islands, industry4.0, and automated planning environments. The emphasis is on “strategic intelligence” (SI) that refers to the intersection of Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, and Competitive Intelligence for improving the strategic decision making in Smart Enterprises. Instead of intelligence on one sector, SI concentrates on intelligence that cuts across multiple sectors. The course will use case-based and project-based approaches for discussion and assignments but the focus is on research directions in this broad area of work. Students will be expected to produce a research paper as the final output of this course.

This course goes beyond the master’s level capstone courses and concentrates on the design of complex intelligent systems in modern settings. Instead of behavioral research approaches, the emphasis is on design science approach, where artifacts are designed based on iterative prototyping, modeling, and simulation techniques. In addition to a written document that catalogs the investigation, a demonstration of the proposed design is required through gamifications and/or actual operational prototypes. A student who has developed a system design in ISEM capstone may implement or further enhance and enrich his/her design in this course.

This course will build on the introduction to research methods provided in GRAD 509 to examine and practice advanced methods of research and study design. Topics covered will include research theorizing and model development, instrument development and validation, structural equation modeling, multivariate techniques, grounded theory, action research, multi-methods, and significant study of design science research.

This course concentrates on research and methods relevant to the analysis, critique, and creation of structures and formalisms for the acquisition, representation, distribution, and application of knowledge in intelligent and increasingly digitally and computationally driven organizations. Topics will include, but not limited to, ontologies and ontology engineering, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic and reasoning, knowledge-based systems, explainable AI, taxonomies, Web X.0 formalisms, hybrid AI-KBS approaches (e.g., neuro-symbolic AI), knowledge graph construction and general knowledge-driven computing for the solution of complex problems.

This course focuses on theories and issues surrounding the design and implementation of complex cyber-physical systems. Topics covered will encourage a command of models and theories, i.e. mathematical, organizational and/or cognitive, that underlie the design, construction, verification, control, and interaction of computational and physical components of systems in multiple areas of application, such as agriculture, healthcare, supply chain, and manufacturing.

This is a research-focused course that demands extensive student research (readings), academic writing and presentation. This course introduces the student to the discipline of “Systems Science”, which is characterized by multiple definitions but represents a field of scientific inquiry focused on the study of “systems”. The concept of “System” is introduced and discussed in a mathematical form. The relationship between mathematics, computer technology and systems science is also explored. Conceptual frameworks within which to characterize Systems Science are discussed. A Systems Methodology is presented as a guide within which to address system problems, including the development of systems models. The topics of complexity and complexity reduction are also discussed. The history and the current future states of Systems Science research are also explored.

This course covers major aspects concerning the field of advanced applications of satellite systems and remote sensing data. These satellites can be classified by their function since they are launched into space to do a specific job and hence the satellite must be designed specifically to fulfill its role. The focus of the course is on large and complex applications of satellites and remote sensing data in Health, Public Safety (e.g., disaster recovery), Public Welfare (e.g., economic development), Energy, Environment, Tourism, Agricultures, Smart Cities, and other satellite application areas such as weather forecasting and satellite radios/TV. After an introduction to satellite technologies, this course concentration on innovative satellite applications to solve real life problems.

In-depth coverage of current practical, conceptual, and theoretical techniques of process modeling, simulation, and intelligence. Primary emphasis will be given to understanding and applying various modeling techniques and languages (such as BPEL), types of simulations (such as discrete event simulation), and to using various techniques and tools (such as PROM) to develop data-driven models/prescriptions of process models. All of the foregoing will be considered within the context of the development of solutions to both practical and cutting-edge problems. Students will conduct a focused literature review on some advanced aspect of the studied material and issues.

This course integrates advanced systems engineering principles with AI/ML to design and analyze complex intelligent systems. The student will learn a requirements-driven approach, covering system testing, performance evaluation, and tools for managing system requirements. The student will explore the intersection of systems engineering, deep learning, and AI applications across various industries through research and hands-on exercises.

This course concentrates on how the latest thinking/ideas/applications in Machine Learning/Deep Learning (ML/DL) can be used in large scale and complex enterprise problems. Instead of exploring new ML/DL algorithms and techniques, this course explicitly focuses on advanced applications of ML/DL techniques to solve digital enterprise problems that span Health, Education, Public Safety, Public Welfare, Utilities, Smart Cities and Communities, B2B Networks, and other Industrial Eco-systems. The students will select an applied research problem that could be possibly published as a conference paper and/or demonstrated as a solution prototype.

This course recognizes that the systems that we call enterprises must be (re)designed and (re)engineered. This course will provide an opportunity to gain fluency in theories and techniques of enterprise engineering through a study of enterprise ontology, modelling, and organizational design.

This course will provide the tools and knowledge necessary for students to conduct analyses of single- and cross-industry ecosystems. After a brief review of existing tools, such as Porter’s Five-Forces model, PEST analysis, and SWOT analysis, the course will turn to the use of various databases, research, and other sources of data, information and tools that allow description and prediction of industry trends and technologies that course shape industrial, socio-technical, and societal forces and outcomes.

Simulations and simulation tools provide a valuable means for modeling and analyzing complex systems, especially when analyzing real-world systems and objects which are not amenable to manipulation or data collection. This course will provide in-depth exposure to simulation modeling, simulation software, simulation analysis, relevant probability distributions, agent-based modeling and simulation, system dynamics, discrete-event simulation, and multi-method modeling.

This course will concentrate on smart cities, societies and governments as human cyber-physical systems. Students will use theory, concepts and techniques to investigate large-scale human collectives as “sociotechnical ecosystems of people, technology, organizations, and information.” (Cassandras, C. (2016). Engineering, vol. 2 (2)). Topics will include, but not be limited to, big city data, sensing and sensors, IoTs, smart grids and energy, smart services, information and data ethics, smart transportation, and dynamic resource allocation.

This course discusses how Operations are designed in modern digital organizations and how managers can use Information Technology (IT) to support these operations. Business operations in modern organizations are defined based on business strategies. The main focus of this course is to learn a) how business strategies are designed and implemented, b) how business operations are defined and managed, and c) how IT is used to enable the business operations. Recent research and industry trends in the field of operations management are discussed in some detail. The course will systematically guide the students to conduct a focused literature review on some advanced aspect of the studied material and produce a research paper. The students will use hands-on tools for practical insights.

This course explores Large Language Models (LLMs) by combining foundational principles with hands-on applications. The student will learn cutting-edge techniques for building, optimizing, and deploying LLM-powered solutions to enhance decision-making, automate workflows, and integrate LLMs into enterprise systems. Emphasizing real-world impact, the course examines LLM-driven innovation across manufacturing, retail, finance, and healthcare.
A key objective of this course is to expose the student to open research challenges in LLMs, including issues of interpretability, efficiency, bias, and scalability-many of which represent “Ph.D.-hard” questions suitable for dissertation research.

This course will discuss overall research and industry trends in intelligent digital enterprises, industry4.0, intelligent planning and scheduling systems, next generation of digital infrastructure, business models, systems engineering, and other extant areas of work such as artificial intelligence, big data and analytics. The exact topics discussed will change with time. The main focus will be on guiding the students to emerging relevant trends and to expose the students to a repository of potential “Ph.D hard” questions (i.e., the questions that require Ph.D level research).

This course provides support to doctoral students within their specific domains of research. Led by the faculty advisor for that domain, the course is designed to provide a forum where faculty and students can come together to discuss, support, and share the experiences of working in research. Research topics in the broad area of information systems engineering and management will be discussed. Topic areas may concentrate on industry sectors (e.g., health, education, manufacturing, transportation, energy, environment, agriculture and others), emerging digital technologies and their impacts on the digital enterprises, and/or latest developments in systems engineering principles such as planning, architectures, integration, engineering/re-engineering, and engineering management. Each topic area will be studied in-depth to educate the students in conducting independent research.

This seminar is a continuation of ISEM 780 Research Seminar I and provides continued support to doctoral students within their specific domains of research. Led by the faculty advisor for that domain, the course is designed to provide a forum where faculty and students can come together to discuss, support, and share the experiences of working in research.

This is an individual study course for doctoral students that culminates in a Ph.D. Thesis. Content to be determined by the student and the student’s Doctoral Committee. May be repeated for credit.

This course serves as an introduction to computing and information systems. It uses both lecture and laboratory practice to introduce the student to the use of computers to solve problems. The student is presented the techniques, concepts, analysis, and reports on experiences and technologies and trends. This includes the concepts of hardware, software, networking, computer security, programming, database, e-commerce, decision support systems, and other emerging technologies. The student is introduced to techniques that search, evaluate, validate, and cite information found online. Widely-used applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation, and web development software are also studied.

This course covers topics in information systems and information technology. Offer as needed.

Businesses rely on data-driven information to thrive and succeed. Information systems provide the means and the medium to collect, store, safeguard, retrieve, share, analyze, and present the data; therefore, information systems play an important role in our modern world. Almost all services ranging from banking to travelling to complex healthcare applications exploit information systems for data manipulations. In this course, the core concepts of any information system, namely people, processes, and technology, are discussed, and their social and organizational roles are explored. In this course, an overview of fundamental concepts of information systems, definition of key terms and current trends, the role and importance of information and information systems for businesses and management, social and organizational implications, along with some applications of information systems are explored and discussed through lectures and case studies.

This course covers topics in information systems and information technology. Offered as needed.

This course explores the most popular software employed in information systems. The student explores the application of spreadsheets, databases, and other software for technical data management. Business intelligence tools and concepts are introduced. Other topics include the essentials of editing, formatting, and printing worksheets and workbooks and data visualization by exploring Microsoft Office® suite. In particular, students gain experience with Microsoft Excel®, Microsoft Access®, Microsoft SharePoint®, Microsoft Word®, Microsoft Excel®, and Microsoft PowerPoint® through assignments and projects. Other popular applications, text editors, and software will be examined and discussed.

This course covers basic networking concepts within the context of the networks we encounter every day. Students develop hands-on networking skills and understand the role networks play in our lives. In addition to networking concepts, students learn about data protection, cybersecurity, most common threats, vulnerabilities, cyber-attacks, and related discussions. Topics include introduction to networks, routing and switching essentials, protocols and services, network design and installation using real equipment and connecting the network to the Internet, practicing verification and troubleshooting the network and Internet connectivity, recognizing and mitigating network security threats, configuring common Internet applications, setting up sharing between computers, and configuring basic IP services. Other topics including WAN topologies, IP errors, security best practices, quality of service, cloud and virtualization, and network programming can be introduced and discussed.

This course covers topics in information systems and information technology. Offered as needed.

This first project in the student’s experiential program challenges the student to identify, investigate, and analyze a particular topic in the program of study or a concentration. A key objective is to apply skills, methods, and knowledge obtained in prior courses with independent thinking and research; the final product represents the successful and purposeful application of knowledge. The project is undertaken with the close mentorship of a faculty member and may involve a community partner. Projects can involve scientific-based research or laboratory experiences, needs analysis or development plans for external organizations, or market studies and business plan proposals.

Prerequisites: ISIT 250 and ISIT 260

The course ensures that IT professionals at the administrator level are able to do the job in any environment because the course is not restricted to a single platform. The course covers essential hardware and software technologies of on-premise and hybrid server environments, including high availability, cloud computing, and scripting. During the course, the student will solve performance-based questions that require the student to demonstrate multi-step knowledge to securely deploy, administer, and troubleshoot servers. Offered Fall semester, annually.

This course provides practical knowledge of operating systems. Running at the core of all computers and networks, an OS manages resources and provides the environment for the execution of programs. Different operating systems have different features and capabilities, and it is important to select, properly install, and correctly configure the right OS so that it serves the needs of the business and ultimately runs the information system successfully. In this course, fundamental concepts of operating systems along with specific features of Microsoft’s Windows®, Linux OS, and mobile operating systems will be discussed. The student learns the key concepts of process management, memory management, I/O operations, and security through hands-on practices and projects. The student learns to select, install, configure, maintain (i.e. update and upgrade), and troubleshoot operating systems.

Prerequisites: ISIT 250

In part one and two of the course, the student will develop the professional skills that are common to major distributions of Linux. The student will learn how to install and maintain Linux distributions using both the command line as Graphical User Interface (GUI). The first part is aligned to the Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1 101 professional certification exam. The second part is aligned to the Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1 102 professional certification exam. Offered Fall semester, annually.

Prerequisites: ISIT 250

In this course, the student will gain expertise in configuring and managing Windows Server on-premises, hybrid, and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform workloads. The student learns to administer core and advanced Windows Server workloads and services using on-premises, hybrid, and cloud technologies and gain expertise in implementing and managing on-premises and hybrid solutions, such as identity, management, compute, networking, and storage. Offered Spring semester, annually.

In this course, students learn to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small enterprise branch network, including basic network security. Moreover, students learn to diagnose, restore, repair, and replace critical networking and system devices at customer sites. Working closely with professional teams to quickly and efficiently resolve support incidents is explored. Hands-on practices and real-world applications are examined and practiced by collaboration with Cisco Networking Academy in this course. In particular, students are introduced to Cisco network services and learn the application and configuration of Cisco router and switches. Even though the course exploits Cisco technology, fundamental concepts and universal principles are discussed and explored.

An internship allows the student to put theory into practice. The student applies classroom experiences to the workplace at an off-site placement, where ideas are tested, and competencies and skills are developed. Throughout the internship, the student works regularly with a faculty supervisor, the Office of Experiential Programs, and a site supervisor who guide the learning process. The student integrates the collective observations, analyses, and reflections of this experiential team into an internship portfolio that showcases the accomplishments of the experience. The unique portfolio is constructed throughout the internship and represents the evolutionary and dynamic nature of the learning process.

This course covers emerging topics in information systems and information technology. It is an in-depth study of a selected specialized area and the content varies by semester.