Master of ScienceInformation Systems Engineering and Management

This course introduces the basic principles (systems thinking and quantitative methods) of systems engineering and shows how these principles can be used to strategically plan, integrate, secure and administer the complex information systems that support and drive the current and future digital enterprises. Topics include: digital enterprises, aligning information technology strategy to business strategy, enterprise applications (customer relations management, procurement, supply chain management), ecommcerce, decision support, knowledge management, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, cost/benefit analysis and information technology infrastructure. These topics are explained through case studies and examples by using a strategic planning methodology.

A high level of end-user and client involvement is absolutely critical in creating usable and effective software and technology that attracts audiences and/or generates revenue. User-centered design (UCD) describes an approach to business analysis and technology development that demands user interaction and user feedback in all stages of the development lifecycle. The UCD process involves a collection of activities and techniques that can be used to create the more usable, intuitive, and effective technology possible. This course covers the full range of UCD methods and demonstrates the importance of these techniques in designing and building interactive technology, focusing mostly on software applications.

Interdisciplinary presentation of artificial intelligence as a coherent body of knowledge to acquaint the student with the key concepts and applications in business, science and engineering. The course covers models of intelligent behavior, including problem solving, knowledge representation, reason, planning, decision making, learning, perception, pattern recognition, action, communication and interaction. Recent developments in knowledge management, expert systems, computer-aided consulting and integrated intelligent systems are covered through a wide range of case studies, examples, and hands-on experiments.

This course prepares the student to analyze business information systems in the digital age and to build models and logical designs that can be later implemented. The emphasis will be on the business processes and business requirements needed to build conceptual models that help in analysis of business requirements. This course prepares the student to design complex systems and to build applied designs and architectures.

This course emphasizes the practical aspects of the design and administration of modern Database Management Systems (DBMSs) that host enterprise data. Specific topics include the role of data in modern enterprises and the data life cycle that spans conceptual database design, database query languages such as SQL, database integrity rules, database administration, and data warehouses. This course utilizes commercially available relational DBMSs for hands-on experiments and explore how to create an entity-relationship data model, translate that model into relational schema, build and use a relational database that implements the schema, create SQL queries to retrieve and manipulate needed data, provide access to remote databases from web browsers, and experiment with DBA (Database Administration) capabilities. The student also investigates recent developments in database technologies (e.g. NoSQL). This course prepares the student for database design and administration positions and will also provide the necessary background for more specialized courses in database systems.

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 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 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.

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 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.

Blockchain technologies is believed to be a disruptive innovation that enables secure global business transactions. Blockchain was originally developed for the digital currency, Bitcoin, that is currently valued at more than 9 billion USD. Several new applications of blockchain “as a platform” are currently under investigation in several countries such as Canada, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Dubai. Some applications include but are not limited to cybercurrency, insurance, and food safety. In this course, the student will study the concepts of blockchain, the type of applications that this platform will enabled and why this “digital gold” is expected to be similar to the coming of Internet in the late 90s.

This course introduces the basic concepts of business strategy and management principles of planning, organizing, staffing, developing, and monitoring/control. The context is global markets and their impact on business strategies and managerial processes. The course explores the best practices in global strategic management, organizational design, human resource processes, and organizational behavior.