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Undergraduate Curriculum

All Foster undergraduates receive a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA). The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management covers three curriculum areas for Foster School undergraduates: information systems, operations management, and quantitative methods.

Below is more information about the core business courses, Information Systems Major courses and Operations and Supply Chain Management Major courses.

Business Core Courses

The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management offers the business core courses listed below. All Foster students must complete IS 300 and OPMGT 301, as well as other business core courses. Find course descriptions in the UW Course Catalog.

IS 300 Introduction to Information Systems (5)
Students will learn the fundamentals of information systems, what they are, how they affect organizations. Prerequisites: ACCTG 225; ECON 200; either MATH 112, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 134, MATH 135, or MATH 145; either ECON 311, IND E 315, QMETH 201, Q SCI 291, Q SCI 381, PSYCH 315, PSYCH 318, STAT 220, STAT 221, STAT 311, or STAT 390; may not be repeated.

OPMGT 301 Principles of Operations Management (4)
Students enrolled in this course will examine problems encountered in planning, operating, and controlling production of goods and services. Prerequisites: ACCTG 225; ECON 200; either MATH 112, MATH 124, MATH125, MATH 134, or MATH 145; either ECON 311, IND E 315, QMETH 201, Q SCI 381, PSYCH 315, PSYCH 318, STAT 220, STAT 301, STAT 221, STAT 311, or STAT 390.

Although not a core course, QMETH 201 is required to get in to the Foster School.

Major Options

Undergraduate students can choose to major in information systems (IS) and/or operations and supply chain management (OSCM). Students are eligible to declare their major upon acceptance into the Foster School. Learn more about the required and elective courses for the two majors by clicking on the headings below. Learn more about all the Business Majors

Information Systems deals with the use of information technologies in businesses and organizations. Organizations will thrive only if they effectively make use of, design, and implement information systems to meet the organization’s tactical and strategic needs. Successfully managing the development and use of information systems presents a difficult challenge, given the rapid pace of technological change. IS specialists must possess a thorough understanding of the technology and the knowledge to use that technology to support core business functions.

Why Information Systems?

Students take a set of courses that emphasize technical knowledge, such as computer programming and database management as well as courses that consider how to manage the development and use of information technology in organizations. Undergraduates with a major in IS are qualified to enter business as an entry-level business applications programmer, a business applications programmer/analyst, or as an entry-level business analyst. The strong general business background of our students allows them to assume greater responsibilities quickly and to become lead programmers or systems analysts.

Objective

The objective of the IS Major is to certify that students in the Undergraduate Program have completed a sequence of courses designed to provide them with the knowledge and skills needed to master the use of computer and telecommunications technology in businesses and organizations. You can also find out more about the Information Systems Major from the Undergraduate Program website.

Admission

Admission to the IS Majoris competitive and based on the same criteria as admission to the Foster School of Business. However, admission to the Foster School does not guarantee admission to the IS Major. Contact us to learn more.

Required IS MajorCourses

Students wishing to obtain an IS major must complete the following courses. Find course descriptions and prerequisites in the UW Course Catalog.

IS 300 Introduction to Information Systems (5)
IS 320 Fundamentals of Application Programming (4)
IS 410 Business Data Communications (5)
IS 445 Database Management (4)
IS 451 Data Mining for Business Intelligence (4)
IS 460 Systems Analysis and Design (4)

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES (these courses may not be used to complete the major). Find course descriptions and prerequisites in the UW Course Catalog.

IS 423 E-Business System Development (4)
IS 461 Systems Implementation (4)
IS 490 Selected Topics in Information Systems (1-6, max. 20)
IS 495 Practical Experience in Information Systems (1-4, max. 8)
IS 499 Undergraduate Research (1-6, max. 12)

Complementary Electives

Departments across the university offer additional courses that may complement the formal IS major. Find course descriptions and prerequisites in the UW Course Catalog.

Business courses

ACCTG 320 Introduction to Accounting Information Systems (3)
B CMU 410 Business Reports & Other Specialized Communications (4)
QMETH 450 Spreadsheet Models in Managerial Decision Making (4)
QMETH 490 Special Problems in Quantitative Analysis (1-6, max. 20)
OPMGT 450 Introduction to Project Management (4)

Non-Business Courses

CSE 142/ 143 Computer Programming I/II (4/5)
CSE 373 Data Structures and Algorithms (3)
CSE 410 Computer Systems (3)
T C 400 Scientific & Technical Communication (5)
T C 401 Style in Scientific & Technical Writing (5)
COM 220 Introduction to Public Speaking (5)

Washington State is home to several major companies who use the most innovative practices in operations and supply chain management, such as Amazon.com, Costco, Paccar, Starbucks, and Boeing.The undergraduate concentration in Operations and Supply Chain Management is designed to address the current market demand in this area. Operations and Supply Chain Management covers concepts related to the design, planning, control, and improvement of manufacturing and service operations.

Why Operations and Supply Chain Management?

The importance of the operations and supply chain management field has become more apparent in recent decades. Some companies are deriving significant competitive advantage from their operations systems: Dell through its direct-to-consumer model, Zara through product testing, forecasting, and life-cycle management, Amazon.com through its unique distribution system, Toyota and Boeing through lean operations and Just-in-Time concept, and Wal-Mart and Costco through efficient logistics network. Most companies now agree that world-class performance in operations and supply chain management is essential for their competitive success. The demand for these skills will grow as firms continue to recognize that they compete not only with new products, good marketing, and skillful finance, but also with unique competence in operations and supply chain management.

Objective

The objective of the OSCM Major is to certify that students in the Undergraduate Program have completed a sequence of courses designed to enable them to use an analytical and empirical approach to problem solving in the private and public sectors, including: project management, service delivery systems, product development, business analytics, inventory and supply chain management, among others. You can also find out more about the Operations and Supply Chain Management Major from the Undergraduate Program website.

Admission

Launched in the Fall of 2012, OSCM is the smallest of all the business school majors. Admission to the OSCM Majoris based on the same criteria as admission to the Foster School of Business. However, admission to the Foster School does not guarantee admission to the OSCM Major. Contact us to learn more.

Required OSCM Major Courses

Students wishing to obtain an Operations Supply Chain Management (OSCM) major must complete the following courses. Find course descriptions and prerequisites in the UW Course Catalog.

OPGMT 301 Principles of Operations Management (4)
OPMGT 443 Inventory and Supply Chain Management (4)
QMETH 450 Spreadsheet Models for Managerial Decision Making (4)
OPMGT 450 Introduction to Project Management (4)
IS 451 Data Mining for Business Intelligence (4)

THE FOLLOWING COURSES ARE ALSO OFFERED IN THE OSCM MAJOR:

OPMGT 490 Special Topics in Operations Management (1-6, max. 20)
OPMGT 495 Operations Management Internship (1-4, max. 8)
OPMGT 499 Undergraduate Research (1-6, max. 9)

Student Perspectives

Read on to learn what our very own OSCM undergraduates have to say about this major.

1. What made you choose OSCM?

“I chose OSCM because the curriculum covers a wide range of topics, both conceptual and technical, like programming, optimization, and regression analysis. These topics are not only useful in operations and supply chain management, but also related to other fields.” – Frank Hu

“I’m a quantitative person, and OSCM is, in my eyes, the business major for engineers. Understanding how the various buttons and levers in a system effect outcomes is the overarching theme of the major, which is a critical understanding for making big things actually work.” – Reuben J. Narad

“I chose OSCM because I think it’s important in a highly competitive global market to build out your technical skills as a candidate.” – Nicholas Birkhead

2. What valuable skills did you learn in this concentration?

“OSCM-specific coursework trained me in applying fundamental supply chain concepts and models to common business problems/challenges faced by business and supply chain managers. Key skills that I learned include data mining/analytics in R, project management, financial analysis, process analysis, inventory management, statistical analysis, and optimization using spreadsheets.” – Sophie Huang

“The OSCM program not only teaches students how to use different technical skills, but also shows students how to approach a real-life problem with these skills. I think the most important thing I learned was having a data-driven mindset and making data-driven decisions.” – Frank Hu

3. How have you been able to use these skills to achieve your short- and long-term career goals?

“My learnings enabled me to secure a supply chain internship at a notable electric vehicle startup and effectively execute day-to-day purchasing functions.” – Sophie Huang

“I was able to apply to a variety of jobs with these skills. In a recent supply chain consultant interview, I was given several technical questions, ranging from coding and optimization models to production planning. OSCM has provided me with the knowledge to answer these questions.” – Frank Hu

4. What is your advice for a fellow student who is considering choosing OSCM?

“Be ready for a lot of quantitative analysis. There will be modeling using different software (R, Tableau, Excel Solver, etc.) and technical work, which can be overwhelming for an incoming student. However, the more you do it, the more you will find the right way of thinking and the right way of approaching the question at hand.” – Frank Hu

“OSCM is the perfect major for you if you are a quantitative/analytical person who enjoys working with data and building models, and/or you are looking for variety (of tasks, positions/jobs, and collaboration) in your career.” – Sophie Huang