2015-2016 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Information Systems
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Faculty
Chair
Aryya Gangopadhyay
B. Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, 1984; M.B.A., Rutgers University, 1991; M.S., New Jersey Institute of Technology, 1992; Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1993
Professors
Anthony F. Norcio
B.A., University of Maryland, College Park, 1965; B.S., 1968; M.L.S., 1973; Ph.D., The Catholic University of America, 1978
Dongsong Zhang
B.S., The BRANCH campus of Peking University (Beijing, China), 1990; M.S., Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China), 1995; Ph.D., The University of Arizona, 2002
Associate Professors
Gerald Canfield
B.A., University of Utah, 1978; M.A., 1979; M.S., San Jose State University, 1986; Ph.D., University of Utah, 1990
Zhiyuan Chen
B.S., Fudan University (China), 1995; M.S., 1997; Ph.D., Cornell University, 2002
Vandana Janeja
B.S., Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidhyalaya University (India), 1997; M.S., 1999; M.S., New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2001; M.B.A., Rutgers University, 2007; Ph.D., 2007
George Karabatis
B.S., Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), 1983; M.S., University of Houston, 1988; Ph.D., 1995
Anita Komlodi
M.A., Kossuth Lajos University (Hungary), 1994; M.L.S., University of Maryland, College Park, 2000; Ph.D., 2002
A. Gunes Koru
B.Sc., Ege University (Turkey), 1996; M.Sc., Dokuz Eylül University (Turkey), M.S., Southern Methodist University, 2002
Ravi Kuber
B.Sc., University College London, 1999; M.Sc., 2004; Queen’s University Belfast, Ph.D., 2007
Wayne Lutters
B.A., Connecticut College, 1992; M.S., University of California, Irvine, 1995; PhD. 2001
A. Ant Ozok
B.S., Technical University of Istanbul (Turkey), 1996; M.S., Purdue University, 1997; Ph.D., 2001
Sredeevi Sampath
B.E., Osmania University (India), 2000; M.S., University of Delaware, 2002; Ph.D., 2006
Carolyn Seaman
B.A., College of Wooster, 1986; M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1996
Lina Zhou
B.S., Shanxi University (China), 1991; M.S., 1994; M.S., The University of Arizona, 2001; Ph.D., Peking University (China), 1998
Assistant Professors
Amy Hurst
B.S. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003, M.S. Carnegie Mellon University, 2007, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University, 2010
Helena Mentis B.S., Virginia Tech, 2000; M.S., Cornell University, 2004; Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2010
Shimei Pan B.S., Tsinghua University, 1991; Ph.D. Columbia University, 2002
Nirmalya Roy B.S., Jadavpur University, 2001; M.S., University of Texas at Arlington, 2004; Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington, 2008
Bin Zhou
B.S., Fudan University, China, 2005; M.S., Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2007; Ph.D., Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2011
Qian Zhu B.S., Sichuan Normal Universiy, 2000; Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2005
Senior Lecturers
Amy Everhart
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1984; M.S., 1992
Tate Redding
B.A., Dakota Weslyan University, 1978; M.A.S., The Johns Hopkins University, 1991
Lecturers
Dina Gorin Glazer
B.S., University of Maryland,Baltimore County, 1993; M.S., 1995
Jeffrey D. Martens
B.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1982; M.S., The College of William & Mary, 1986
Dana Smith
B.S., Salisbury State University, 1990; M.Ed., 1994; M.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2001
Richard Sponaugle B.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1995; M.S., 1997
Courses in this program are listed under IS.
The United States and other developed countries depend on computers for almost every transaction that occurs in our everyday lives. Many people refer to the present as the “information age” and it is computer systems that have made this possible. The Department of Information Systems (IS) offers programs to prepare students to be the technical people who design, build and manage these computer systems or to be knowledgeable users of them.
The Information Systems Program is interdisciplinary, including courses in mathematics and statistics, computer programming, management science, economics and technical writing, as well as specific courses in computer information system analysis, design, construction and management. Career learning through cooperative education assignments is strongly encouraged.
The department offers several degree options to students, including a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science and a combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science curriculum, which allows students to begin master’s-level work in the senior year.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Technology Administration (BTA) is designed for students who want a firm grounding in the development and use of office systems based on microcomputers and a firm foundation in business management.
Information regarding the BTA may be found at http://www.umbc.edu/undergraduate/majors/ifsm.html
The Bachelor of Science degree gives students an in-depth technical and conceptual education in computer information systems and allows students to specialize through the choice of elective courses.
The IS department offers four upper-division certificates. The first, Web development, is open to all majors on campus. Two others, Decision-making support and network administration, are designed to complement the IS B.S. student. The fourth, a certificate in managerial sciences, will prepare any student to enter into managerial fields that have a statistical and accounting concentration. Each certificate allows the student a concentrated topic of study. The certificates do not replace the major, but they enhance it. In addition, to these certificates, the IS department offers an M.B.A. preparatory studies program for students who may be considering graduate studies in business management.
Career and Academic Paths
Most graduates from the B.S. program will enter directly into information processing positions in business, government or the non-profit sector. A significant number of graduates will not end their education at the baccalaureate level, but will enter the information systems M.S. or Ph.D. programs. The master’s program is designed to enhance the qualifications of working professionals and can be earned while working full time. Graduates from the BTA program will find their end-user computer skills applicable to many positions in business and government. Graduate with a BTA often pursue careers in management and entrepreneurial careers in business.
Academic Advising
Undergraduates are advised by information systems faculty, some of whom specialize in academic advising and some of whom are primarily teachers. For students considering transferring to UMBC, Maryland community colleges have articulated programs that define the courses that will transfer as equivalent to UMBC courses.
Departmental Honors for Undergraduates in the IS B.S. Program
The departmental honors program recognizes academic excellence for those students choosing to engage in a series of enhanced learning experiences offered by the department. For more information concerning departmental honors, please contact your academic advisor in the IS department.
Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Program
The B.S./M.S. degree program allows the student to complete both degrees with one more year of study than is typically required for the B.S. degree alone, because three of the courses in the master’s core are taken in the senior year and applied to both degrees.
Admission to the B.S./M.S. Program
Students who are interested in the B.S./M.S. program should discuss their interest with a department advisor as early as the sophomore year. A student should request acceptance into the program in the first semester of the junior year. This will be the semester following the one in which 60 credits have been earned toward the B.S. degree. To be eligible for this program, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at UMBC and all other institutions attended. This is a minimum requirement, and attainment of a 3.2 GPA does not guarantee admission to the combined degree program. The admission decision is determined on an individual basis taking into account the student’s past record, expected future performance and how well the combined program would meet the student’s educational objectives. Applicants for the combined program must have completed the IS gateway and be enrolled in IS 410 prior to applying for the combined program. Students should be aware of the current requirements for admission to the department’s master-level graduate programs so they will complete coursework meeting these same requirements or their equivalents. Applicants should have completed or have those courses under way prior to applying for the B.S./M.S. program. Students seeking admission to the combined program should complete the combined B.S./M.S. application form, including instructor recommendations, and send it to the director, undergraduate programs, IS, with an official UMBC transcript and official transcripts from any other college(s) attended. The undergraduate director will review the application and make a recommendation to the department’s Graduate Admissions Committee, which makes the admission decision. Students are notified of the decision, and the Graduate School is also informed when a student is accepted. This acceptance is by the IS department only; the student still must formally apply to and be accepted by the Graduate School to finish the master’s portion of the program. Acceptance into the combined program neither obligates the student to complete the program beyond the B.S. degree, nor does it obligate the department to admit the student into the graduate program when he or she applies formally to the Graduate School. If the Graduate School finds reason to reject a student’s application, that decision is binding, even though the student may have been accepted into the combined degree program by the IS department.
B.S./M.S. Program Regulations and Procedures
Once admitted to the combined program, the student must maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA. No more than two “C” grades may be received in all courses taken after admission. If the GPA falls below 3.0, or if more than two “C”s are received, the student will be removed from the combined program. This does not affect the student’s eligibility for the B.S. degree under normal university undergraduate requirements. Any one “D” or “F” also results in removal from the combined program. Students in the combined program must formally apply for admission to the UMBC Graduate School before the Graduate School’s application deadline during the semester in which the course work for the B.S. is completed. No more than nine credits of graduate courses may be taken while the student is paying undergraduate tuition. Students in the combined program must take three of the courses required for the undergraduate major as graduate courses under their graduate course numbers. These are IS 620 (in place of IS 420 ), IS 625 or IS 603 (in place of IS 425 ), and IS 636 (in place of IS 436 ). These courses count for both degrees; therefore, a minimum of 21 credits is required for the master’s degree. For additional information about M.S. requirements, see the M.S. section of this document or the Graduate School Catalog.
Special Opportunities
UMBC has a very large and active cooperative education and internship program. All information systems students are encouraged to participate in co-ops or internships. The practical work experience gained is valued by employers in the field and is of considerable help in finding a job after graduation. One-third to one-half of IS majors take advantage of these opportunities. The IS department has an exciting opportunity for IS students who wish to study abroad. We have an exchange program with the National University of Ireland in Galway. Please see the undergraduate program director in the IS department for details.
Student Organizations
Information Systems Council of Majors. The Information Systems Council of Majors offers programs and tours in areas of interest to students. Council members also have opportunities to attend meetings of computer-related professional societies.
ProgramsBachelor of ArtsBachelor of ScienceCertificateNon-DegreeCoursesInformation Systems
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