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Information Systems Management

Courselist

  • ISMT E-100 Information Systems Management (Fall)
  • ISMT E-110 Internet and Integrated Productivity Software for Managers (Fall, Spring)
  • ISMT E-120 Desktop Office Applications for Managers (Fall, Spring)
  • ISMT E-130 Spreadsheet Models for Managers (Fall, January)
  • ISMT E-135 Simulation for Management Decision Making (Spring)
  • ISMT E-150 Introduction to GIS (Fall)
  • ISMT E-155 Geographic Communication Today (Spring)
  • ISMT E-200 Capstone Seminar in Enterprise Systems (Fall, Spring)
ISMT E-100 Information Systems Management
Fall term (12528)
Jeffrey E. Francis, MS, Consultant.
Mondays beginning Aug. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
Website Printable version
This course provides a broad overview of the issues managers face in the selection, use, and management of information technology (IT). Increasingly, IT is being used as a tool to implement business strategies and gain competitive advantage, not merely to support business operations. Using a case study approach, topics include information technology and strategy, information technology and organization, and information technology assets management. The course takes a management rather than a technical approach to the material presented. As such, it should be of use to students of general management interested in information technology and to students of information technology interested in management. Prerequisite: knowledge of the use of information systems in business settings. (4 credits)
ISMT E-110 Internet and Integrated Productivity Software for Managers
Fall term (12555)
Stephan Kolitz, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
Tuesdays beginning Aug. 30, 3:15-5:15 pm. Required sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,950.
Online option available. Lecture 1 video.
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Spring term (22314)
Teresa J. Chisholm, MBA, Director of Special Projects, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Harvard University.
Tuesdays beginning Jan. 24, 5:30-7:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,950.
Online option available. Limited enrollment. Lecture 1 video.
Website Printable version
This course provides a solid foundation in end-user office productivity software for word processing, spreadsheet analysis and modeling, database management, charting, presentations, and appropriate applications for interacting with the Web (including development of web pages) and the rest of the Internet. Students learn the conceptual basis of each of these tools and apply them to representative tasks in business and in the home. The emphasis is on using software to organize, analyze, and communicate information. Students should expect to spend 10 or more hours each week working on assignments, usually in Harvard University computer labs. The course demands a high level of commitment to keep up with class assignments and learn the use of the software tools. Prerequisites: basic experience using either Windows or the Macintosh operating system and some experience using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word. (4 credits)
ISMT E-120 Desktop Office Applications for Managers
Fall term (12531)
*** ISMT E-120 Fall term (12531) has been CANCELED. ***
Spring term (22333)
Jean A. Pfeifer, CSS, Senior Project Manager, Harvard University Information Technology.
Ali Elmoussaoui, MS, Principal Quality Assurance Engineer, Vlingo.
Tuesdays beginning Jan. 24, 5:30-7:30 pm. Optional sections Tuesdays, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
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This course presents a treatment of office desktop software useful for managers at all levels. It emphasizes the use of desktop software to increase office productivity. Topics include automating repetitive tasks, streamlining work processes, sharing information via the Internet, collaborating within work groups, and learning techniques for integrating and combining applications and for sharing best practices among co-workers. Assignments require and class demonstrations are done with Microsoft Office 2010. Internet access is required. Prerequisites: experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, or similar software. Microsoft Access experience is not required, although some familiarity with a database program is helpful. (4 credits)
ISMT E-130 Spreadsheet Models for Managers
Fall term (12515)
Richard Brenner, SM, Principal, Chaco Canyon Consulting.
Wednesdays beginning Aug. 31, 7:35-9:35 pm. Optional sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,950.
Online option available. Lecture 1 video.
Website Printable version
Using commercial spreadsheets, this course explores practical approaches to business modeling, emphasizing the needs of financial, retail, wholesale, service, publishing, or software concerns ranging in size from start-ups to global enterprises. Students learn to model costs, revenue, cash flow, plant and equipment requirements, and employee costs and productivity. In a term project of their design, students develop a business model and use it to study how a business responds to change. To simulate the workplace environment, students are encouraged, but not required, to work assignments and term projects in teams. Prerequisite: ISMT E-110, or the equivalent experience with spreadsheets. (4 credits)
January session (23306)
Richard Brenner, SM, Principal, Chaco Canyon Consulting.
9 am-noon, beginning Tuesday, January 3. Week 1: T, W, Th. Week 2: M, T, W, Th. Week 3: T, W, Th.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
Website Printable version
Using commercial spreadsheets, this course explores practical approaches to business modeling, emphasizing the needs of financial, retail, wholesale, service, publishing, or software concerns ranging in size from start-ups to global enterprises. Students learn to model costs, revenue, cash flow, plant and equipment requirements, and employee costs and productivity. To simulate the workplace environment, students are encouraged, but not required, to work assignments in teams. Prerequisite: ISMT E-110, or the equivalent experience with spreadsheets. (4 credits)
ISMT E-135 Simulation for Management Decision Making
Spring term (22358)
Stephan Kolitz, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
Tuesdays beginning Jan. 24, 3:15-5:15 pm. Required sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,950.
Online option available. Lecture 1 video.
Website Printable version
Simulation is one of the most widely used methodologies for modeling and analyzing complex systems and processes. In recent years its use in business applications has increased dramatically due to available and easy-to-use software on increasingly powerful personal computers. Students learn how to design, build, use, and analyze simulation models of business systems and processes using widely available simulation software. The business systems and processes that the class studies are supply chain management (including production and inventory management, and transportation), project management, financial decision making, and others tailored to the background and interests of the class. Prerequisites: ISMT E-110, or the equivalent, and some background in probability or statistics. An evaluation assignment will be available on the course website. Before registering, students should use it to see if they have the proper background for the course. (4 credits)
ISMT E-150 Introduction to GIS
Fall term (12917)
Wendy Guan, PhD, Director of GIS Research Services, Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University.
Thursdays beginning Sept. 1, 5:30-7:30 pm. Optional sections Thursdays, 7:35-8:35 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit $1,900, graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
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This course introduces the concepts and components of a geographic information system (GIS). It also teaches the essential skills of spatial data management, analysis, and visualization through the use of the ArcGIS software package. Upon completion of this course, students understand the fundamental concepts of a GIS including spatial data models, spatial analysis, and cartographic principles. They also gain hands-on training in spatial data collection, editing, transformation, and mapping, as well as spatial analysis operations such as location-based query, address geocoding, terrain and watershed analysis, spatial interpolation, best site selection, least cost path delineation, and a number of other GIS modeling techniques. GIS technology has broad applications in the natural and social sciences, humanities, environmental studies, engineering, and management. Examples include wildlife habitat study, urban and regional planning, contagious disease monitoring, agriculture and forestry, environmental quality assessment, emergency management, transportation planning, and consumer and competitor analysis. This course introduces a few selected cases of GIS application in different disciplines. Prerequisite: familiarity with Word documents, spreadsheets, and browsing the Internet. (4 credits)
ISMT E-155 Geographic Communication Today
Spring term (23443)
Jeff Blossom, MS, Senior GIS Specialist, Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University.
Wednesdays beginning Jan. 25, 5:30-7:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: noncredit $1,900, graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
Website Printable version
This course teaches the fundamental geographic, technological, and cartographic concepts required to produce informative, meaningful maps that illustrate geographic phenomena. By using a combination of Internet and desktop geographic information softwares, students perform geocoding, thematic mapping, web map mashing, and spatial analysis. Maps are generated from publicly available published and crowd-sourced data sets, and individual geographic data sets created from scratch. Student use Google Earth, MyMaps, Social Explorer, ArcGIS, Bing maps, Quantum GIS, Batchgeocode.com, and OpenStreetMap to create and publish maps in various media formats including web maps, 3-D, and video. Understanding the nature of geographic data and how to best represent the data in mapped form is emphasized. (4 credits)
ISMT E-200 Capstone Seminar in Enterprise Systems
Fall term (13043)
Zoya Kinstler, PhD, Senior IT Architect, Verizon Communications, Inc.
Mondays beginning Aug. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm. Required sections Mondays, 6:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
Website Printable version
Spring term (22365)
Zoya Kinstler, PhD, Senior IT Architect, Verizon Communications, Inc.
Bob Wittstein, MBA, Managing Director, Administrative Technology Services and IT Oversight for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University.
Mondays beginning Jan. 23, 7:35-9:35 pm. Required sections Mondays, 6:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Limited enrollment.
Website Printable version
This seminar is the final course in the information management systems (IMS) concentration. The course brings together topics covered throughout the program,via in-class discussions, reading and research, and team collaboration. We study the enterprise-scale, complex software applications and the challenges of developing and deploying them in large business settings. Within this context, students are introduced to the current topics in enterprise information technology (IT), such as cloud-based software services, business-to-business systems, and information technology infrastructure library (ITIL). To meet the capstone requirement, students develop a team project—a comprehensive proposal for an IT solution, (for example, an application, product, or service) to be applied to a realistic business scenario. Prerequisites: students must be candidates for the Master of Liberal Arts in information technology, enrolled in the IMS concentration, and have completed at least nine ALM in IT courses. Students who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course. (4 credits)

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