Date of Award:

5-2012

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Department name when degree awarded

Management Information Systems

Committee Chair(s)

Robert J. Mills

Committee

Robert J. Mills

Committee

Nick Eastmond

Committee

Kelly J. Fadel

Committee

Jeffrey J. Johnson

Committee

David H. Olsen

Abstract

The objective of this study was to survey IS curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States, to evaluate current adherence to the IS 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, and to assess the number and type of career track developments initiated as a result of less stringent requirements in the new curriculum guidelines. In addition, an analysis was conducted to see if curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States changed significantly since other similar evaluations reported in 1996, and 2006, and whether it is closer in adherence to the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines.

The findings of this study provide a current-state description of IS curriculums in the United States, concluding: (a) there is a wide range of adherence to the IS curriculum guidelines. In addition, none of the IS program assessed were either entirely compliant or not compliant at all; (b) some topics are widely covered (over half) as core curriculum while other topics are offered as core curriculum in less than half of IS programs; (c) very few IS programs have formally implemented the IS 2010 career track guideline recommendations; (d) IS programs implementing formal career tracks specify a reasonably small number of track options for students to consider; (e) IS programs that include career tracks provide unique offerings beyond the proposed sample tracks depicted in the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines; (f) there appears to be reasonably well-defined categories or clusters of IS programs as related to IS 2010 curriculum guideline adherence; and (g) IS program faculty describe a higher perceived adherence to IS curriculum guidelines than what is actually assessed in this study.

The results of this study provide: (a) the IS community with information necessary to continue to adapt IS curriculum guidelines, standards and policies to relevant IS needs and demands; (b) IS departments with information and decision making ability for offering enhanced IS curricula; (c) IS students with the benefit of a more targeted and individualized curriculum; and (d) society the potential receipt of more prepared graduates entering the workforce as the next generation of IS professionals.

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Comments

Publication made available electronically January 24, 2012.

Previous Versions

Feb 4 2013 (withdrawn)

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