Management Information Systems (MIS) Bachelor of Science Degree

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Ranked #3 nationally by College Factual, RIT's MIS degree combines computing security, database design, networking, and IT to create dynamic, comprehensive database systems.

97%

Outcomes Rate of RIT Graduates from this degree

$75K

Median First-Year Salary of RIT Graduates from this degree

#3

Best Undergraduate MIS Programs

College Factual, 2021

#1

Undergraduate business programs in Western New York; 67th overall nationally

U.S. News & World Report, 2021

Overview for Management Information Systems (MIS) BS

  • Vast international connections and opportunities, including MIS courses taught in English at RIT China, our global campus in China’s Silicon Valley.
  • Learn how to harness big data through data visualization and analysis to generate managerial insights and boost profits, using the Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics.
  • Access state-of-the-art facilities and data-taming software featuring SAP, SPSS, Tableau, Python, and R.
  • Through student teams, you’ll utilize project management techniques to analyze real-world business situations while developing an innovative information system.
  • MIS is a popular major for students interested in computer science but who may prefer to work more with people than with software or hardware.
  • Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Available: Earn both your bachelor’s and your master’s in less time and with a cost savings, giving you a competitive advantage in your field.

Technology enhances an organization’s operational efficiency. Through analysis of existing business processes, you will be able to improve and design new information systems that can help add value to an existing product and help managers make crucial decisions. The management information systems degree focuses on data analytics, teamwork, leadership skills, customer service, and underlying business theories. An MIS degree gives you the ability to develop innovative systems to solve company problems and improve business intelligence.

What is Management Information Systems (MIS)?

People, processes, and information systems are how organizations do business. Management information systems (MIS) is an interdisciplinary major focused leveraging technology, people, and processes to help improve, transform, and support business operations. It is a discipline that emphasizes the management of information and communications technology elements within business organizations. As an MIS student, you can expect to gain an understanding of computer databases, networks, and computer security, but you'll also learn how to help people better use technology. You will become are the essential link between technology and the people who don't understand it as well as you do.

RIT's Management Information Systems Major

The management information systems major prepares you for careers involving leading-edge enterprise technologies and the analysis, design, and management of computer-based information systems. The curriculum provides you with the opportunity to analyze existing business processes and learn to utilize digital technologies to improve and/or design new models. As a result, you are able to apply the concepts of enterprise resource planning and work with sophisticated enterprise systems to help companies achieve their goals. You will also design systems that are usable, practical, and cost-effective.

Careers in Management Information Systems

The MIS program prepares you for careers involving the design, development, configuration, and management of IT-based information systems for business organizations. In addition to your technology focus, you will also develop the critical business acumen and soft skills needed for successful communication, leadership, business analysis, and project management.

MIS graduates frequently pursue careers in such areas as systems analysis, business analysis, data administration, information security, web design and development, management and IT consulting, and project management. Career opportunities in MIS are excellent. According to forecasts for computer and information systems managers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for MIS-oriented positions will grow by approximately 11% between 2020 and 2030.

Because of the broad relevance of IT management skills in contemporary business, there is high demand for MIS graduates in nearly every sector and industry, with the following sectors having a particularly high demand for MIS skills: information technology, banking and financial services, health care, government services, and management consulting.

Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in management information systems as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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Careers and Cooperative Education

Typical Job Titles

Associate data analyst Business Analyst Data Analyst
Developer HR Administrator IT Analyst
Management Consultant Sales Associate Technical Support

Industries

  • Computer Networking

  • Defense

  • Food and Beverage

  • Health Care

  • Internet and Software

  • Management Consulting

  • Transportation and Logistics
Post-Graduation Salary and Career Info for Management Information Systems (MIS) BS

Cooperative Education

What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries. 

Co-ops take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Business co-ops provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your knowledge of business, management, finance, accounting, and related fields in professional settings. You'll make valuable connections between course work and real-world applications as you build a network of professional contacts.

Students in the MIS degree are required to complete at least one block of cooperative education.

Co-op and Experiential Learning Options for Management Information Systems (MIS) BS

Featured Work and Profiles

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Curriculum for 2024-2025 for Management Information Systems (MIS) BS

Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements

View Printable Curriculum

Management Information Systems, BS degree, typical course sequence

Course Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
ACCT-110
Financial Accounting
An introduction to the way in which corporations report their financial performance to interested stakeholders such as investors and creditors. Coverage of the accounting cycle, generally accepted accounting principles, and analytical tools help students become informed users of financial statements. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
ACCT-210
Management Accounting
Introduction to the use of accounting information by managers within a business. Explores the value of accounting information for the planning and controlling of operations, assessing the cost of a product/service, evaluating the performance of managers, and strategic decision making. (Prerequisites: ACCT-110 or NACC-205 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
ECON-101
Principles of Microeconomics (General Education – Global Perspective)
Microeconomics studies the workings of individual markets. That is, it examines the interaction of the demanders of goods and services with the suppliers of those goods and services. It explores how the behavior of consumers (demanders), the behavior of producers (suppliers), and the level of market competition influence market outcomes. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
ECON-201
Principles of Macroeconomics (General Education)
Macroeconomics studies aggregate economic behavior. The course begins by presenting the production possibilities model. This is followed by a discussion of basic macroeconomic concepts including inflation, unemployment, and economic growth and fluctuations. The next topic is national income accounting, which is the measurement of macroeconomic variables. The latter part of the course focuses on the development of one or more macroeconomic models, a discussion of the role of money in the macroeconomy, the aggregate supply-aggregate demand framework, and other topics the individual instructor may choose. (Prerequisites: ECON-101 or completion of one (1) 400 or 500 level ECON course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
INTB-225
Global Business Environment (General Education)
Being an informed global citizen requires an understanding of the global business environment. Organizations critical to the development of the global business environment include for-profit businesses, non-profits, governmental, non-governmental, and supranational agencies. This course introduces students to the interdependent relationships between organizations and the global business environment. A holistic approach is used to examine the diverse economic, political, legal, cultural, and financial systems that influence both organizations and the global business environment. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MATH-161
Applied Calculus (General Education)
This course is an introduction to the study of differential and integral calculus, including the study of functions and graphs, limits, continuity, the derivative, derivative formulas, applications of derivatives, the definite integral, the fundamental theorem of calculus, basic techniques of integral approximation, exponential and logarithmic functions, basic techniques of integration, an introduction to differential equations, and geometric series. Applications in business, management sciences, and life sciences will be included with an emphasis on manipulative skills. (Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH-101, MATH-111, MATH-131, NMTH-260, NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or Math Placement Exam score greater than or equal to 45.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).
 4
MGIS-130
Information Systems & Technology
To be successful in our globally-networked business environment, contemporary management professionals must have a strong grounding in the principles of information and information technology. This course provides an introduction to the field of management information systems (MIS), including the tools and techniques for managing information and information technologies within organizations. We place a particular emphasis on the nature of systems, the role of information in business processes, the management of data, and the planning of MIS design projects. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGMT-101
Business 1: Introduction to Business Communication, Planning & Analysis
This is the first of a two-course sequence, 4 credit year long experience, comprising the freshman-integrated experience. In Business 1, students will be introduced to the key functional areas of business, discuss current factors, events, and trends that impact business, build professional, personal leadership, communication, and teamwork skills, and evaluate business decisions, and the business plan process. By understanding the key functions of business and analyzing business decisions in Business 1, students will be able to then develop their own business ideas in Business 2. Lecture 3 (Fall).
 3
MGMT-102
Business 2: Business Planning and Professional Development
This course, the second in the First-year Business 4 Credit Experience, applies business and technology tools to create a modified business plan. Supported by guest speakers on a variety of professional development topics, along with student and professional mentors, students in this project-centered course use the Business Model Canvas innovation tool and learn to identify and communicate the nine key elements of a business model. Students will complete a team project that outlines the business case for a new product or service to address a selected challenge or opportunity. Student teams present a business case in both a one-page document and a 10-minute presentation pitch. (Prerequisites: MGMT-101 or MGMT-150 or equivalent course.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).
 1
STAT-145
Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
This course introduces statistical methods of extracting meaning from data, and basic inferential statistics. Topics covered include data and data integrity, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, numeric summary measures, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. The emphasis of the course is on statistical thinking rather than computation. Statistical software is used. (Prerequisites: Any 100 level MATH course, or NMTH-260 or NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or (NMTH-250 with a C- or better) or a Math Placement Exam score of at least 35.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
YOPS-10
RIT 365: RIT Connections
RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).
 0
 
General Education – First Year Writing (WI)
 3
Second Year
BANA-255
Data Literacy, Analytics, and Decision Making (General Education)
This course serves as an introduction to the uses (and potential misuses) of data in a wide variety of social settings, including the exploration of contemporary techniques to analyze such data. Data acquisition, cleansing, management, analysis, and visualization will be addressed through hands-on projects. Project work will include contemporary social problems addressed using a dynamic set of resources and technologies. An emphasis will be placed on how insights gleaned from data analysis can be used to guide individual and group decision-making scenarios. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
COMM-253
Communication (General Education)
An introduction to communication contexts and processes emphasizing both conceptual and practical dimensions. Participants engage in public speaking, small group problem solving and leadership, and writing exercises while acquiring theoretical background appropriate to understanding these skills. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
FINC-220
Financial Management
Basic course in financial management. Covers business organization, time value of money, valuation of securities, capital budgeting decision rules, risk-return relation, Capital Asset Pricing Model, financial ratios, global finance, and working capital management. (Prerequisites: (ECON-101 or ECON-201) and ACCT-110 and (STAT-145 or STAT-251 or CQAS-251 or MATH-251 or MATH-252 or STAT-205) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MGIS-320
Database Management Systems
Transforming data into information is critical for making business decisions. This course introduces students to the concepts of data, information and the business database management systems (DBMS) used by modern organizations. Exercises and hands-on projects are used to model the information needs of an organization and implement and query databases using applications such as Microsoft Access and SQL. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGMT-215
Organizational Behavior
As an introductory course in managing and leading organizations, this course provides an overview of human behavior in organizations at the individual, group, and organizational level with an emphasis on enhancing organizational effectiveness. Topics include: individual differences, work teams, motivation, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational culture, and organizational change. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MKTG-230
Principles of Marketing
An introduction to the field of marketing, stressing its role in the organization and society. Emphasis is on determining customer needs and wants and how the marketer can satisfy those needs through the controllable marketing variables of product, price, promotion and distribution. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
SCBI-035
Careers in Business
This course consists of a series of workshops designed to introduce business students to the skills needed to be successful in job and coop searches and applications to graduate schools. Students will establish their career goals, create material (e.g., resume, cover letter), and acquire skills needed to achieve these goals. (AL2,3,4-DegS) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 0
STAT-146
Introduction to Statistics II (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
This course is an elementary introduction to the topics of regression and analysis of variance. The statistical software package Minitab will be used to reinforce these techniques. The focus of this course is on business applications. This is a general introductory statistics course and is intended for a broad range of programs. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or equivalent course.) Lecture 6 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 4
 
Open Elective
 3
 
General Education – Artistic Perspective
 3
 
General Education – Social Perspective
 3
Third Year
DECS-310
Operations Management
A survey of operations and supply chain management that relates to both service- and goods- producing organizations. Topics include operations and supply chain strategies; ethical behavior; forecasting; product and service design, including innovation and sustainability; capacity and inventory management; lean operations; managing projects; quality assurance; global supply chains; and the impacts of technology. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or MATH-251 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MGIS-330
Systems Analysis and Design
Successful organizations utilize a systematic approach to solve real-world business problems through the use of computing resources. Students who complete this course will be able to design and model business processes. They will learn how to conduct requirements analysis, approach the design or redesign of business processes, model system functions, effectively communicate systems designs to various levels of management, work in a project-based environment, and approach the implementation of a new organizational information system. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGIS-350
Developing Business Applications
Development of business applications is transforming from programming to integration of software components using application development environments. Students learn the fundamentals of computer programming and applications development through a set of programming exercises that focus on visual development environments and component integration. These exercises expand into a project where students apply concepts of typical development and project methodologies to complete a comprehensive programming assignment. Lecture 3 (Spring).
 3
MGIS-499
Management Information Systems Co-op (summer)
One semester of paid work experience in management information systems. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 3rd year standing.) CO OP (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 0
MGMT-340
Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (General Education – Ethical Perspective)
This course applies concepts of ethics to business at the macro level and at the micro level. At the macro level the course examines competing business ideologies exploring the ethical concerns of capitalism as well as the role of business in society. At the micro level the course examines the role of the manager in establishing an ethical climate with an emphasis on the development of ethical leadership in business organizations. The following topics are typically discussed: the stakeholder theory of the firm, corporate governance, marketing and advertising ethics, the rights and responsibilities of employees, product safety, ethical reasoning, business's responsibility to the environment, moving from a culture of compliance to a culture of integrity, and ethical leadership. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
 
General Education – Immersion 1
 3
 
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective †
 3
 
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
 3
 
MGIS Electives
 9
Fourth Year
MGIS-550
MIS Capstone (WI-PR)
This capstone course for MIS majors applies the concepts of project management and techniques for estimating, planning and controlling of resources to accomplish specific project goals. Students complete a team project requiring them to develop an innovative information system while utilizing project management techniques. Students analyze real business situations and develop IT-based innovative solutions for problems encountered. (Prerequisites: MGIS-320 and MGIS-330 or equivalent courses and 4th year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGMT-560
Strategic Management
A capstone course drawing upon major business functions—accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, and organizational theory and how strategic managers integrate functional theories and concepts to create competitive advantage. The course provides an integrated perspective of business organizations toward the achievement of enhanced profitability and a sustainable competitive advantage. Topics include the analysis of business environments, industry attractiveness, and competitive dynamics. Students learn how to formulate and implement effective business-level, corporate-level, and global strategies using theories, cases and a simulation. (Prerequisites: MGMT-215 and MKTG-230 and FINC-220 and DECS-310 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
 
Open Electives
 9
 
General Education – Immersion 2,3
 6
 
General Education – Electives
 9
Total Semester Credit Hours
123

Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.

(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.

Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.

† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.

Management Information Systems Electives

MGIS-355
Business Intelligence
The course is intended to provide an integrative foundation in the field of business intelligence at both the operational and strategic levels. Students will experience a variety of contemporary tools to analyze complex business data and arrive at a rational solution. Topic such as data warehousing, visualization and data mining will be covered, along with other topics relevant to the field of business intelligence. The computer will be used extensively throughout the course. (Prerequisites: MGIS-350 and MGIS-320 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-360
Building a Web Business
This course gives students both a conceptual and hands-on understanding of the launching of web businesses. Students will study the full process of web business creation, including domain name registration, frameworks for application creation, hosting of web applications and search engine optimization. Students will apply their knowledge by designing and building a business website that can actually make money. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-425
Database Systems Development
This course builds upon the basic concepts from Database Management Systems. Students work in a real-world business database development environment and gain hands-on experience in advanced database querying language, such as Oracle PL/SQL. Students learn to analyze business processes and, using tools such as Oracle, develop fully functioning database prototype systems to support them. (Prerequisites: MGIS-320 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-429
Cyber: Risk and Resilience
This course provides a conceptual and practical overview of Cybersecurity Management. A keen awareness of the principles and procedures of cybersecurity is a management necessity with universal business implications. Success in today's global economy requires a focus on cybersecurity strategy and management with governance as an overarching consideration in all risk assessment and management related endeavors. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-445
Web Systems Development
Students in this class will analyze business problems and develop data-driven web applications to solve them. An industry-level application server will provide the framework for integrating and deploying a set of client and server technologies to create these applications. Development skills will include presenting and receiving information through a website, validating entered information, and storing entered information in text files or databases. Students will design solutions using Hypertext Markup Language, client scripting and server programs for database and file access. (Prerequisites: MGIS-350 and MGIS-320 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-450
Enterprise Systems
This course explores the role of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in organizations. Students analyze cross-functional business processes and ERP systems commonly used to support these processes. Students engage in a hands-on project using a current ERP system, such as SAP R/3, to demonstrate, analyze and design system structures, key data elements and process configurations that support cross-functional business processes, including accounting, sales, material management, production and distribution. Lecture 3 (Fall).
MGIS-489
Seminar in MIS
Advanced study of MIS topics reflecting contemporary issues and/or current technological advancements impacting the development, implementation and management of information systems in organizations. Seminar topics have ranged from new technological developments to management security issues in MIS systems. Topics for a specific semester will be announced prior to the course offering. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-589
Hacking for Defense (H4D)
Students work with multidisciplinary teams to solve real problems for the United States government, as well as critical infrastructure partners in the Healthcare, Finance, and Energy sectors, through the Hacking for Defense initiative (www.H4Di.org). Students will build a foundation in requirements elicitation through structured interview. Students learn lean launchpad methods to define problems and design technology and/or service innovations, ultimately leading to well-grounded opportunities for follow-on commercialization and academic research. (Prerequisites: MGIS-330 and MGIS-350 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGMT-360
Digital Entrepreneurship
Digital Entrepreneurship brings together state-of-the-art knowledge in digital business practices with basic instruction in entrepreneurship and business planning. This highly interactive, applied experience will allow students to develop business ideas, discover RIT resources that support new ventures, network with and learn from industry experts, and complete a professional plan to communicate and advance a digital business venture. Student work for this course will involve research and analysis of electronic marketplaces and, ultimately, the design and development of competitive digital startups. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).

Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree

The curriculum below outlines the typical course sequence(s) for combined accelerated degrees available with this bachelor's degree.

Management Information Systems, BS degree/Business Analytics, MS degree, typical course sequence

Course Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
ACCT-110
Financial Accounting
An introduction to the way in which corporations report their financial performance to interested stakeholders such as investors and creditors. Coverage of the accounting cycle, generally accepted accounting principles, and analytical tools help students become informed users of financial statements. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
ACCT-210
Management Accounting
Introduction to the use of accounting information by managers within a business. Explores the value of accounting information for the planning and controlling of operations, assessing the cost of a product/service, evaluating the performance of managers, and strategic decision making. (Prerequisites: ACCT-110 or NACC-205 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
ECON-101
Principles of Microeconomics (General Education – Global Perspective)
Microeconomics studies the workings of individual markets. That is, it examines the interaction of the demanders of goods and services with the suppliers of those goods and services. It explores how the behavior of consumers (demanders), the behavior of producers (suppliers), and the level of market competition influence market outcomes. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
ECON-201
Principles of Macroeconomics (General Education)
Macroeconomics studies aggregate economic behavior. The course begins by presenting the production possibilities model. This is followed by a discussion of basic macroeconomic concepts including inflation, unemployment, and economic growth and fluctuations. The next topic is national income accounting, which is the measurement of macroeconomic variables. The latter part of the course focuses on the development of one or more macroeconomic models, a discussion of the role of money in the macroeconomy, the aggregate supply-aggregate demand framework, and other topics the individual instructor may choose. (Prerequisites: ECON-101 or completion of one (1) 400 or 500 level ECON course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
INTB-225
Global Business Environment (General Education)
Being an informed global citizen requires an understanding of the global business environment. Organizations critical to the development of the global business environment include for-profit businesses, non-profits, governmental, non-governmental, and supranational agencies. This course introduces students to the interdependent relationships between organizations and the global business environment. A holistic approach is used to examine the diverse economic, political, legal, cultural, and financial systems that influence both organizations and the global business environment. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MATH-161
Applied Calculus (General Education)
This course is an introduction to the study of differential and integral calculus, including the study of functions and graphs, limits, continuity, the derivative, derivative formulas, applications of derivatives, the definite integral, the fundamental theorem of calculus, basic techniques of integral approximation, exponential and logarithmic functions, basic techniques of integration, an introduction to differential equations, and geometric series. Applications in business, management sciences, and life sciences will be included with an emphasis on manipulative skills. (Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH-101, MATH-111, MATH-131, NMTH-260, NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or Math Placement Exam score greater than or equal to 45.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).
 4
MGIS-130
Information Systems & Technology
To be successful in our globally-networked business environment, contemporary management professionals must have a strong grounding in the principles of information and information technology. This course provides an introduction to the field of management information systems (MIS), including the tools and techniques for managing information and information technologies within organizations. We place a particular emphasis on the nature of systems, the role of information in business processes, the management of data, and the planning of MIS design projects. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGMT-101
Business 1: Introduction to Business Communication, Planning & Analysis
This is the first of a two-course sequence, 4 credit year long experience, comprising the freshman-integrated experience. In Business 1, students will be introduced to the key functional areas of business, discuss current factors, events, and trends that impact business, build professional, personal leadership, communication, and teamwork skills, and evaluate business decisions, and the business plan process. By understanding the key functions of business and analyzing business decisions in Business 1, students will be able to then develop their own business ideas in Business 2. Lecture 3 (Fall).
 3
MGMT-102
Business 2: Business Planning and Professional Development
This course, the second in the First-year Business 4 Credit Experience, applies business and technology tools to create a modified business plan. Supported by guest speakers on a variety of professional development topics, along with student and professional mentors, students in this project-centered course use the Business Model Canvas innovation tool and learn to identify and communicate the nine key elements of a business model. Students will complete a team project that outlines the business case for a new product or service to address a selected challenge or opportunity. Student teams present a business case in both a one-page document and a 10-minute presentation pitch. (Prerequisites: MGMT-101 or MGMT-150 or equivalent course.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).
 1
STAT-145
Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
This course introduces statistical methods of extracting meaning from data, and basic inferential statistics. Topics covered include data and data integrity, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, numeric summary measures, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. The emphasis of the course is on statistical thinking rather than computation. Statistical software is used. (Prerequisites: Any 100 level MATH course, or NMTH-260 or NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or (NMTH-250 with a C- or better) or a Math Placement Exam score of at least 35.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
YOPS-10
RIT 365: RIT Connections
RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).
 0
 
General Education – First Year Writing (WI)
 3
Second Year
BANA-255
Data Literacy, Analytics, and Decision Making (General Education)
This course serves as an introduction to the uses (and potential misuses) of data in a wide variety of social settings, including the exploration of contemporary techniques to analyze such data. Data acquisition, cleansing, management, analysis, and visualization will be addressed through hands-on projects. Project work will include contemporary social problems addressed using a dynamic set of resources and technologies. An emphasis will be placed on how insights gleaned from data analysis can be used to guide individual and group decision-making scenarios. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
COMM-253
Communication (General Education)
An introduction to communication contexts and processes emphasizing both conceptual and practical dimensions. Participants engage in public speaking, small group problem solving and leadership, and writing exercises while acquiring theoretical background appropriate to understanding these skills. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
FINC-220
Financial Management
Basic course in financial management. Covers business organization, time value of money, valuation of securities, capital budgeting decision rules, risk-return relation, Capital Asset Pricing Model, financial ratios, global finance, and working capital management. (Prerequisites: (ECON-101 or ECON-201) and ACCT-110 and (STAT-145 or STAT-251 or CQAS-251 or MATH-251 or MATH-252 or STAT-205) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MGIS-320
Database Management Systems
Transforming data into information is critical for making business decisions. This course introduces students to the concepts of data, information and the business database management systems (DBMS) used by modern organizations. Exercises and hands-on projects are used to model the information needs of an organization and implement and query databases using applications such as Microsoft Access and SQL. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGMT-215
Organizational Behavior
As an introductory course in managing and leading organizations, this course provides an overview of human behavior in organizations at the individual, group, and organizational level with an emphasis on enhancing organizational effectiveness. Topics include: individual differences, work teams, motivation, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational culture, and organizational change. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MKTG-230
Principles of Marketing
An introduction to the field of marketing, stressing its role in the organization and society. Emphasis is on determining customer needs and wants and how the marketer can satisfy those needs through the controllable marketing variables of product, price, promotion and distribution. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
SCBI-035
Careers in Business
This course consists of a series of workshops designed to introduce business students to the skills needed to be successful in job and coop searches and applications to graduate schools. Students will establish their career goals, create material (e.g., resume, cover letter), and acquire skills needed to achieve these goals. (AL2,3,4-DegS) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 0
STAT-146
Introduction to Statistics II (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
This course is an elementary introduction to the topics of regression and analysis of variance. The statistical software package Minitab will be used to reinforce these techniques. The focus of this course is on business applications. This is a general introductory statistics course and is intended for a broad range of programs. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or equivalent course.) Lecture 6 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 4
 
Open Elective
 3
 
General Education – Artistic Perspective
 3
 
General Education – Social Perspective
 3
Third Year
DECS-310
Operations Management
A survey of operations and supply chain management that relates to both service- and goods- producing organizations. Topics include operations and supply chain strategies; ethical behavior; forecasting; product and service design, including innovation and sustainability; capacity and inventory management; lean operations; managing projects; quality assurance; global supply chains; and the impacts of technology. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or MATH-251 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
MGIS-330
Systems Analysis and Design
Successful organizations utilize a systematic approach to solve real-world business problems through the use of computing resources. Students who complete this course will be able to design and model business processes. They will learn how to conduct requirements analysis, approach the design or redesign of business processes, model system functions, effectively communicate systems designs to various levels of management, work in a project-based environment, and approach the implementation of a new organizational information system. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGIS-350
Developing Business Applications
Development of business applications is transforming from programming to integration of software components using application development environments. Students learn the fundamentals of computer programming and applications development through a set of programming exercises that focus on visual development environments and component integration. These exercises expand into a project where students apply concepts of typical development and project methodologies to complete a comprehensive programming assignment. Lecture 3 (Spring).
 3
MGIS-499
Management Information Systems Co-op (summer)
One semester of paid work experience in management information systems. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 3rd year standing.) CO OP (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 0
MGIS-650
Introduction to Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
This course serves as an introduction to data analysis including both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Contemporary data analytics and business intelligence tools will be explored through realistic problem assignments. Lecture 3 (Fall).
 3
MGMT-340
Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (General Education – Ethical Perspective)
This course applies concepts of ethics to business at the macro level and at the micro level. At the macro level the course examines competing business ideologies exploring the ethical concerns of capitalism as well as the role of business in society. At the micro level the course examines the role of the manager in establishing an ethical climate with an emphasis on the development of ethical leadership in business organizations. The following topics are typically discussed: the stakeholder theory of the firm, corporate governance, marketing and advertising ethics, the rights and responsibilities of employees, product safety, ethical reasoning, business's responsibility to the environment, moving from a culture of compliance to a culture of integrity, and ethical leadership. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
 
General Education – Immersion 1
 3
 
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective †
 3
 
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
 3
 
Open Electives
 6
Fourth Year
BANA-680
Data Management for Business Analytics
This course introduces students to data management and analytics in a business setting. Students learn how to formulate hypotheses, collect and manage relevant data, and use standard tools such as Python and R in their analyses. The course exposes students to structured data as well as semi-structured and unstructured data. There are no pre or co-requisites; however, instructor permission is required for students not belonging to the MS-Business Analytics or other quantitative programs such as the MS-Computational Finance which have program-level pre-requisites in the areas of calculus, linear algebra, and programming. Lecture 3 (Fall).
 3
MGIS-550
MIS Capstone (WI-PR)
This capstone course for MIS majors applies the concepts of project management and techniques for estimating, planning and controlling of resources to accomplish specific project goals. Students complete a team project requiring them to develop an innovative information system while utilizing project management techniques. Students analyze real business situations and develop IT-based innovative solutions for problems encountered. (Prerequisites: MGIS-320 and MGIS-330 or equivalent courses and 4th year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
 3
MGIS-725
Data Management and Analytics
This course discusses issues associated with data capture, organization, storage, extraction, and modeling for planned and ad hoc reporting. Enables student to model data by developing conceptual and semantic data models. Techniques taught for managing the design and development of large database systems including logical data models, concurrent processing, data distributions, database administration, data warehousing, data cleansing, and data mining. Lecture 3 (Spring).
 3
MGMT-560
Strategic Management
A capstone course drawing upon major business functions—accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, and organizational theory and how strategic managers integrate functional theories and concepts to create competitive advantage. The course provides an integrated perspective of business organizations toward the achievement of enhanced profitability and a sustainable competitive advantage. Topics include the analysis of business environments, industry attractiveness, and competitive dynamics. Students learn how to formulate and implement effective business-level, corporate-level, and global strategies using theories, cases and a simulation. (Prerequisites: MGMT-215 and MKTG-230 and FINC-220 and DECS-310 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
 3
 
Open Elective
 3
 
General Education – Immersion 2,3
 6
 
General Education – Electives
 9
Fifth Year
ACCT-745
Accounting Information and Analytics
The objective for this course is helping students develop a data mindset which prepare them to interact with data scientists from an accountant perspective. This course enables students to develop analytics skills to conduct descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analysis for accounting information. This course focuses on such topics as data modeling, relational databases, blockchain, visualization, unstructured data, web scraping, and data extraction. (Prerequisites: ACCT-110 or ACCT-603 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Summer).
 3
BANA-780
Advanced Business Analytics
This course provides foundational, advanced knowledge in the realm of business analytics. Advanced topics such as machine learning, analysis of structured data, text mining, and network analysis are covered. Industry standard tools such as R and Python are extensively used in completing student projects. (Prerequisite: BANA-680 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring).
 3
BANA-785
Business Analytics Experience
Students apply their mathematical, data analytic, and integrative business analytics skills in a complex project involving real or simulated data. Under the supervision of an advisor, students work in teams to perform a stipulated task/project and write a comprehensive report at the end of the experience. Subject to approval by the program director, an individual student internship/coop followed by an in-depth report may obtain equivalent credit. (Prerequisite: BANA-780 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Summer).
 3
FINC-780
Financial Analytics
This course provides a survey of financial analytics applications in contexts such as investment analysis, portfolio construction, risk management, and security valuation. Students are introduced to financial models used in these applications and their implementation using popular languages such as R, Matlab, and Python, and packages such as Quantlib. A variety of data sources are used: financial websites such as www.finance.yahoo.com, government sites such as www.sec.gov, finance research databases such as WRDS, and especially Bloomberg terminals. Students will complete projects using real-world data and make effective use of visualization methods in reporting results. There are no pre or co-requisites; however, instructor permission is required – student aptitude for quantitative work will be assessed; waived for students enrolled in quantitative programs such as the MS-Computational Finance which have pre-requisites in the areas of calculus, linear algebra, and programming. Lecture 3 (Fall).
 3
MKTG-768
Marketing Analytics
This course provides an overview of marketing analytics in the context of marketing research, product portfolios, social media monitoring, sentiment analysis, customer retention, clustering techniques, and customer lifetime value calculation. Students will be introduced to, mathematical and statistical models used in these applications and their implementation using statistical tools and programming languages such as SAS, SPSS, Python and R. Multiple data sources will be used ranging from structured data from company databases, scanner data, social media data, text data in the form of customer reviews, and research databases. Students will complete guided projects using real time data and make effective use of visualization to add impact to their reports. There are no listed pre or co-requisites; however, instructor permission is required – student aptitude for quantitative work will be assessed; waived for students enrolled in quantitative programs such as the MS-Computational Finance which have pre-requisites in the areas of calculus, linear algebra, and programming. Lecture 3 (Spring).
 3
 
Graduate Electives
 6
Total Semester Credit Hours
144

Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.

(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.

Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.

† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.

MS Business Analytics Electives

STAT-641
Applied Linear Models - Regression
A course that studies how a response variable is related to a set of predictor variables. Regression techniques provide a foundation for the analysis of observational data and provide insight into the analysis of data from designed experiments. Topics include happenstance data versus designed experiments, simple linear regression, the matrix approach to simple and multiple linear regression, analysis of residuals, transformations, weighted least squares, polynomial models, influence diagnostics, dummy variables, selection of best linear models, nonlinear estimation, and model building. (This class is restricted to students in the APPSTAT-MS, SMPPI-ACT, or APPSTAT-U programs.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
STAT-745
Predictive Analytics
This course is designed to provide the student with solid practical skills in implementing basic statistical and machine learning techniques for the purpose of predictive analytics. Throughout the course, many real world case studies are used to motivate and explain the strengths and appropriateness of each method of interest. In those case studies, students will learn how to apply data cleaning, visualization, and other exploratory data analysis tools to a variety of real world complex data. Students will gain experience with reproducibility and documentation of computational projects and with developing basic data products for predictive analytics. The following techniques will be implemented and then tested with cross-validation: regularization in linear models, regression and smoothing splines, k-nearest neighbor, and tree-based methods, including random forest. (Prerequisite: This class is restricted to students in APPSTAT-MS and SMPPI-ACT who have successfully completed STAT 611 and STAT-741 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Spring).
STAT-747
Principles of Statistical Data Mining
This course covers topics such as clustering, classification and regression trees, multiple linear regression under various conditions, logistic regression, PCA and kernel PCA, model-based clustering via mixture of gaussians, spectral clustering, text mining, neural networks, support vector machines, multidimensional scaling, variable selection, model selection, k-means clustering, k-nearest neighbors classifiers, statistical tools for modern machine learning and data mining, naïve Bayes classifiers, variance reduction methods (bagging) and ensemble methods for predictive optimality. (Prerequisites: This class is restricted to students in APPSTAT-MS or SMPPI-ACT who have successfully completed STAT-611, STAT-731 and STAT-741 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
STAT-773
Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
This course is designed to provide the student with a solid practical hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of time series analysis and forecasting. Topics include stationarity, filtering, differencing, time series decomposition, time series regression, exponential smoothing, and Box-Jenkins techniques. Within each of these we will discuss seasonal and nonseasonal models. (Prerequisites: This class is restricted to students in APPSTAT-MS or SMPPI-ACT who have successfully completed STAT-741 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
STAT-784
Categorical Data Analysis
The course develops statistical methods for modeling and analysis of data for which the response variable is categorical. Topics include: contingency tables, matched pair analysis, Fisher's exact test, logistic regression, analysis of odds ratios, log linear models, multi-categorical logit models, ordinal and paired response analysis. (Prerequisites: This class is restricted to students in APPSTAT-MS or SMPPI-ACT who have successfully completed STAT-741 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MGIS-720
Information Systems Design
This course provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills required for successful analysis of problems and opportunities related to the flow of information within organizations and the design and implementation of information systems to address identified factors. Students are provided with knowledge and experience that will be useful in determining systems requirements and developing a logical design. Lecture 3 (Fall).
MGIS-735
Design and Information Systems
Students who complete this course will understand the principles and practices employed to analyze information needs and design appropriate IT-based solutions to address business challenges and opportunities. They will learn how to conduct requirements analysis, approach the design or redesign of business processes, communicate designs decisions to various levels of management, and work in a project-based environment. Lecture 3 (Spring).
MGIS-738
Seminar in Management Information Systems
MGIS-760
Integrated Business Systems
This course focuses on the concepts and technologies associated with Integrated Business Information Systems and the managerial decisions related to the implementation and ongoing application of these systems. Topics include business integration and common patterns of systems integration technology including enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise application integration (EAI) and data integration. The key managerial and organizational issues in selecting the appropriate technology and successful implementation are discussed. Hands-on experience with the SAP R/3 system is utilized to enable students to demonstrate concepts related to integrated business systems. (familiarity with MS Office suite and Internet browsers) Lecture 3 (Spring).

Admissions and Financial Aid

First-Year Admission

A strong performance in a college preparatory program is expected. This includes:

  • 4 years of English
  • 3 years of social studies and/or history
  • 3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry. Pre-calculus is preferred.
  • 2-3 years of science

Transfer Admission

Transfer course recommendations without associate degree
Courses in economics, accounting, liberal arts, science, and mathematics

Appropriate associate degree programs for transfer
AS degree in computer information systems, accounting, or business administration

Learn How to Apply

Financial Aid and Scholarships

100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.

RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships

Accreditation

Saunders College of Business undergraduate and graduate programs are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the premier accrediting organization for business schools. Less than 5 percent of the institutions granting business degrees have received this accreditation.

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