StudyQA — Bachelor: Business Information Systems

Description Contents Requirements Funding

Information technology (IT) has revolutionized the way consumers and businesses relate and interact. For consumers, online retailing has become the dominant distribution channel for a wide variety of products and services, with massive shifts underway from brick and mortar to e-commerce and the Web, and now into social media. Not only has technology changed consumer habits, it has also dramatically changed the workplace.

Technological innovations enable new strategies, products, and distribution channels while increasing efficiency and productivity in all industries.Success in the 21st century requires that business managers and analysts understand what technologies are available in the marketplace and how these technologies can lead to competitive advantage, staying competitive, and to new business products, services, and models. Therefore, it is necessary that managers understand how IT interacts with business strategies, organizations, and customers, and it is essential that businesses manage their portfolios of IT investments accordingly.

Through the Pitt Business Business Information Systems (BIS) major, students will develop the abilities to partner with, or contribute to, IT-enabled business strategy, operations and projects in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:

Evaluating new information technologies, business models, and their implications
Understanding the relationships between competitive advantage and information technologies
Assessing a business or business area to recognize where process improvements can be made
Eliciting and identifying requirements
Communicating effectively with consumers, managers, analysts, business partners, and IT professionals
Modeling needs, processes, and data
Managing data as an asset
Managing processes

Arts and Sciences Foundations

These required and prerequisite courses prepare students for future courses. Requirements include courses in:

English composition
Foreign language
Math
Statistics
Economics

Pitt Business Core Courses

The Pitt Business core curriculum is designed for you to obtain a wealth of business knowledge during your education. By studying the primary business functions, you become a professional who understands how the different departments in an organization work together. Then through your major, you take a deep dive into your subject area and develop specialized business skills.

BUS 0010: Your Academic and Career Success
BUS 0020 Your Career Success
BUSSPP 0020: Managing in Complex Environments
BUSACC 0030: Financial Accounting
BUSACC 0040: Managerial Accounting
BUSQOM 0050: Quantitative Methods
BUSENV 0060: Managerial Ethics and Stakeholder Management
BUSORG 1020: Organizational Behavior
BUSORG 1101: Fundamentals of Business Communication
BUSFIN 1030: Introduction to Finance
BUSMKT 1040: Introduction to Marketing
BUSQOM 1070: Operations Management
BUSSPP 1080: Strategic Management
BUSECN 1010: Business Economics
BUSBIS 1060: Introduction to Information Systems

Required Major Courses

BUSBIS 1600: Technology-Enabled Business Transformation
BUSBIS 1605: Database Management
BUSBIS 1630: Project Management

Elective Major Courses

Must take a minimum of two.

BUSBIS 1625: Electronic Commerce
BUSBIS 1635: IT Systems in Supply Chains
BUSBIS 1640: IT Architectures and Issues
BUSBIS 1645: Information Systems Ethics
BUSACC 1236: Accounting Information Systems

MBA-level courses might also be selected with the approval of the BIS Major Coordinator (for example: Technology Innovation, Adoption, and Diffusion; Current Topics in Information Systems).

Elective choices within the BIS major can complement a second major or particular career goal. For example, students targeting marketing careers would likely find E-Commerce to be valuable. Students interested in manufacturing or supply chain would be encouraged to choose IT Systems in Supply Chains as an elective, whereas students interested in a career managing within an IT organization would be advised to elect IT Architectures and Issues.

Requirements

Completed online application for admission.
$45 application fee
High school academic information using the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) or submitting an official high school transcript. We encourage you to complete the SRAR rather than sending a transcript to improve application processing time. Please note that we will compare your SRAR to your official high school transcript if you enroll at Pitt. Accuracy in completing the SRAR is very important. Discrepancies and misrepresentations could result in the Admissions Committee revoking your admissions decision.
Official SAT or ACT test results (SAT Essay and ACT Writing Test scores not required). Please arrange for all of your test results to be forwarded directly to Pitt from the testing agency.
In lieu of an essay or personal statement, we ask interested applicants to answer a series of short answer questions. Answering the following questions is optional, but strongly encouraged. Your answers may increase the likelihood that you are considered for scholarships, guaranteed admission to graduate or professional school, or given special consideration due to extenuating circumstances. The Admissions Committee reviews responses for quality rather than length. However, the most effective responses typically range from 250-500 words in total for all three questions (approximately 80-170 words per question). Responses that are longer or shorter are acceptable. If you decide to submit short answers, please answer all three questions: How have you overcome failure and what did you learn from it? How have you exhibited outstanding leadership? Why is Pitt a good choice for you?
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