An Interactive Telecommunications Degree with Vision for the Future

This paper presents a new curriculum for the Internet and e-business that has been developed at University of Redlands in Southern California with first offering in 2000. The paper presents the new MSIT Degree in the context of the MSIS 2000 Model Curriculum (Gorgone et al., 2000). An important similarity is an element of integration, but how the integration is achieved is different. The paper discusses the MSIT in terms of the rapid change in the economy of advanced nations towards e-business and the rapidly growing skills/educational needs in these areas. Another section examines the students entering the MSIT program and their knowledge competencies. It finds that competencies overall are novice, but that entering students in IS/engineering employment are more knowledgeable across competencies than those having other jobs. On the other hand, company type and gender are not significant in distinguishing entering competencies. The paper addresses the aspirations and goals of the students entering the MSIT program and how those goals relate to prospective career change. Entering students desire to attain integration of areas, technical skills, improved competencies, and nearly all seek to enhance career opportunities. The paper concludes by examining what the key challenges are for the MSIT program and similar new Internet/e-business based degrees. 1. A NEW DEGREE TO MEET E-BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY NEEDS In April, 2000 the University of Redlands in Southern California introduced a new master’s degree program, the Master of Science Degree Program in Interactive Telecommunications (MSIT), specifically designed to meet the growing demands for professionals who can lead the management of e-commerce initiatives and technical installations. Today the knowledge of these areas (interactive telecommunications) is not only important for technical experts but for the mainstream of managers in industry (Price Waterhouse Coopers, 1999). We feel the MSIT program is an innovative and contemporary program for students to enhance their An Interactive Telecommunications Degree with Vision for the Future 1059 business career or start in a new career path in rapidly developing areas of change in telecommunications and electronic commerce (e-business). The MSIT program joins a handful of emerging degree programs started in the last two years to address the expanding and rapidly changing needs for professionals who can meet the demands of e-commerce initiatives. At some schools in the United States, the needs for more expertise in e-commerce and telecommunications have been added on as specialty certificates or elective courses. To distinguish itself and also focus on the integration of the management and technical skills required to administer and create ebusiness initiatives, the MSIT program is a full degree program in its own right, not an elective or specialty area of an MBA or other degree program. As such, it integrates business, technology, and management subjects in a unique way, covering such key topics as telecommunications, information systems management, e-commerce, Web design and programming, interface design and human factors, telecommunications policy and regulations, and knowledge management. A special segment of the MSIT program examines emerging technologies that are continuing to change in the field. This is a key feature of the program designed to keep it both current and forward thinking in its approach to the integration of technological, economic, communicative, and commercial expertise that are demanded in today’s e-business operations (Price Waterhouse Coopers, 1999). It was the developers’ purpose in coining the term “interactive telecommunications” for the degree to distinguish the MSIT program as being more than a program in e-commerce or e-business—but a program that defines an emerging and more expansive field. Interactive telecommunications, as defined for purposes of the program, is a true integration of new telecommunications and information systems technologies, commerce, management, and communication that defines e-business in the broadest sense. 2. COMPARING THE MSIT CURRICULUM TO THE MSIS 2000 MODEL In understanding the relevance and forward-looking nature of the MSIT degree program at the University of Redlands, a comparison with the MSIS 2000 Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems is revealing. The MSIS 2000 model curriculum, released in late 1999, is the latest report from the work of information systems curricula task groups that began in the early 1970s and has continued for almost 30 years. MSIS 2000 is the second collaborative effort between the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Association for Information Systems (AIS). Both organizations have a worldwide membership. ACM has both professional and academic members in the broad field of computing. Through its Education Board, it supports a wide range of curriculum development including computer science, information systems, and software engineering. AIS, organized in 1994, is composed of faculty members in information systems. The partnership of ACM and AIS, therefore, combines the breadth of interest of ACM and the information systems interest of AIS. All of the members of the MSIS 2000 task group belong to both organizations. The earlier IS ’97 national model undergraduate curriculum was influential worldwide in the late 1990s (Davis et al., 1997; Pick and Schenk, 1996). Despite the fact that ACM and AIS are worldwide organizations, MSIS 2000 does not represent a universal model curriculum. It does not seek to amend the curriculum to meet the requirements of different educational systems around the world. Instead, the model curriculum is based on the typical graduate degree structure in USA and Canadian universities. Like the MSIT degree program, the MSIS 2000 is a model for a Master’s Degree program specifically in the information systems field and not a concentration or option in an MBA program. The MSIS 2000 model curriculum parallels many objectives and course design criteria employed in the University of Redlands MSIT program. However, the MSIT program at Redlands differs in ways that the curriculum developers feel are significant given the documented need for professionals with integrated theoretical and practical skills in telecommunications, e-commerce, and Web content development. James B. Pick, Sunny J. Baker 1060 2.1. Specific Similarities Among the Two Curricula In the MSIS 2000 curriculum model, career tracks are isolated into areas of electives, such as Academia, Consulting, Data Management, Decision Making, Managing the IS Function, Project Management, Electronic Commerce, Systems Analysis and Design, Technology Management, Human Factors, and other suggested course specializations. The MSIT program takes a different approach to professional demands by focusing on multiple career possibilities, emphasizing telecommunications, knowledge management, Web content development, e-commerce, project management, human factors issues (interface design), and technology management in one degree program, in addition to core information systems competencies. At the end of the program, it is anticipated that MSIT students will have the knowledge to move into careers involving the management and development of a wide range of e-commerce initiatives including Web programming, information and knowledge management for Web-enabled applications, project management in e-business, technical management of telecommunications infrastructure associated with e-business, and related areas. The choice of career will largely be determined by the capstone project completed by the student as the last course in the program. This capstone project will both integrate the knowledge gained through the program and focus the student on an area related to his or her career aspirations. In this way, the Redlands MSIT approach moves away from the notion of a generalist degree in information systems toward a more flexible degree with a focus on new and upcoming technologies and business skills as used and demanded today in e-business and Web-enabled enterprises. Further, the integration of theory, practical application, business issues, global policy, technical skills, and resource management are emphasized in the design of each course in the program—rather than added on at the end as electives or as a single integration course. This allows students to gain a broad knowledge in all the areas relevant to the development and management of e-business and interactive telecommunications applications. 2.2. A Comparison of the Course Structure The following tables clarify the similarities and differences in the overall approach of the MSIS 2000 model curriculum and the MSIT degree program from the University of Redlands (adapted from Gorgone et al., 2000). An Interactive Telecommunications Degree with Vision for the Future 1061 Core IS Courses (may be waived with proper background) Required Sequence Key Aspects of Courses TCOM 614 Telecommunications ISYS 317T Introduction to Object Oriented Programming Technique (Visual Basic or Java) MGT 691T Information Technology TCOM 621 Programming Languages for Telecommunications TCOM 611 Telecommunications Policy TCOM 622 User Interface Design (and Human Factors) TCOM 660 Knowledge Management and Telecommunications Strategy TCOM 633 Telecommunications Infrastructure TCOM 640 Electronic Commerce TCOM 651 Development of Information Servers TCOM 654 Management of Telecommunications Resources TCOM 663 Emerging Technologies TCOM 664 Telecommunications Project / Practicum –The integrative capstone project that culminates the degree program 6 units 33 units Intration T hroghout he P rogram All required sequence courses emphasize integration of theory, practical application, technical skill, management of technologies and resources, economic issues, global impact, strategic issues, and integration of technologies and applications within framework of enterprise management and social milieu/consequences Table 1: University of Redlands MSIT curriculum 2.3. The MSIS 2000 Model Curriculum In the MSIS 2000 model curriculum, a well-prepared student would take 15 units of core courses, 3 units of integration, and 12 units in a career track. For students with no IT/IS or business preparation, a program as long as 60 units could be provided. Note that this program assumes a business background or traditional business courses. In the MSIT program these business skills are integrated in the core sequence of the curriculum as they specifically relate to e-business. For those that might consider the lack of these traditional courses a weakness in the program, it is important to realize that many of the MSIT students at the University of Redlands already have business degrees or strong practical experience in business as working professionals. Thus, these business courses seem redundant or unnecessary given the overall focus of the University of Redlands MSIT degree program. Further, the most germane issues in marketing, accounting, and organizational behaviour as they apply to ebusiness and interactive telecommunications are integrated in the required courses of the MSIT program. James B. Pick, Sunny J. Baker 1062 IS Foundations Business Foundations IS Core Career Electives Data Management Tracks with multiple courses (representative) Fundamentals of IS Financial Accounting Consulting Analysis, Modeling and Design Decision Making IT Hardware and Software Electronic Commerce Marketing (Customer Focus) Data Communications and Networking Enterprise Resource Planning Programming, Data and Object Structures Globalization Organizational Behavior Project and Change Management Human Factors Knowledge Management IT Policy and Strategy Managing the IS Function