The Information Systems Academic Discipline in Taiwan: A Focus on Top-Tier Universities

Information Systems (IS) as a relatively new business discipline in Taiwan has grown rapidly in the last two decades and was once the first choice for high school students entering business schools. Even after the dot com bubble burst in 2000, it is still one of the most popular majors for college and graduate students. Most graduates have no problem finding jobs in high-tech manufacturing or service industries. This study explores the status of IS as a discipline in Taiwan by analyzing historical data collected from the IS professional association the Chinese Association of Information Management (CSIM) and by examining characteristics of IS programs and IS research across 9 top-tier Taiwan universities. The findings indicate that the IS discipline is highly professionalized and is identified as a separate and mature field that enjoys a high level of respect in Taiwanese universities.