The ERP-Oriented Graduate IT Program

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to present a revised graduate CIS concentration in the MBA program at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business. The new MBA-CIS concentration has been designed with a strong focus on ERP systems management, and it is proposed in response to industrial needs and to meet MBA students’ interests. The existing MBA-CIS concentration was developed in mid-1990s on the premise that future IT professionals must have mastery in technical IT skills in managing computing informa-tion resources. The recent trend in IT outsourcing triggers a new question — “What kind of IT training and education should be delivered to Americans to keep them employable in the United States?” A new premise resulted from the present environment changes that require our graduate students to have balanced knowledge in both IT skills and business processes (i.e., knowing how to apply IT to the development of business applications that support integrated business processes and enterprise operations). The authors hope that this chapter will contribute to the new issues facing the Academia in the 21st century in respect to IT education.