6 ECTS credits
153 h study time
Offer 2 with catalog number 4020614ENW for working students in the 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
This course confronts the student with the different strategic and managerial issues, challenges, opportunities and decisions to be made by corporations and organisations with regards to the development and use of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT). The course as well aims to provide the students with a set of conceptual tools and approaches (models, methodologies, frameworks, etc.) to handle all these different aspects.
Starting from a general definition of a business model, the impact of IS on business models and strategy is discussed, as well as ways to rethink business processes using IT, for instance by adopting a service-oriented business architecture. Moreover, IT/IS governance and enterprise architecture frameworks are being introduced as a means to improve business-IT alignment, and maturity level measurement as a means to assess an organization’s abilities and skill in aligning and executing strategic IT projects.
The course also covers topics related to IS governance, service and project management, as well as different topics related to knowledge management and business intelligence, and technological concepts like cloud computing and API first approaches.
Presence during guest lectures is mandatory, presentations by guest lecturers are an integral part of the course material.
Teaching Methods
- Lecture: collective contact-dependent moments during which the lecturer engages with learning materials
- Seminar, Exercises or Practicals (Practical): collective or individual contact-dependent moments during which the students are guided to actively engage with learning materials
- Independent or External Form of Study (Self): independent study
This description of the teaching methods is indicative, in order to assess the expected study load.
Regular students
Lecture: 26 hours (13 x 2 hours)
Self: 127 hours
Working students
There is no specific support for working students, but all lectures are recorded and available via Canvas.
As a result of this course, students will understand the various functions and activities within the information systems area, including the role of IT management and the CIO, structuring of IT management within an organization, and managing IT professionals within the firm. Students will be able to indicate how IS can represent a key source of competitive advantage for firms, and explain why and how IS-related activities need to be structured in order to maximize the business value of IS within and outside the company. They will be able to enumerate and evaluate the issues and challenges associated with successfully or unsuccessfully incorporating IS into a firm, and understand how strategic decisions are made concerning acquiring IS resources and capabilities including the ability to evaluate the different sourcing options. Students are expected to be able to explain in their own words the role of IT control and service management frameworks from the perspective of managing the IS function in an organization.
Students will be able to read, process and analyze scientific articles in an effective and efficient manner in order to summarize the key take aways from a business practitioners perspective. Students will be able to write a qualitative, focused executive summary report based on scientific and business research literature, as well as to present their key findings to a business savvy audience.Students will be able to read, process and analyze scientific articles in an effective and efficient manner in order to summarize the key take aways from a business practitioners perspective. Students will be able to write a qualitative, focused executive summary report based on scientific and business research literature, as well as to present their key findings to a business savvy audience.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Throughout the course, students will work in groups to create a business case for an IT investment for a company or organisation of their choice, within certain pre-defined boundaries, using material from lectures and papers as input.
These business cases will be reviewed both by other students and by the lecturer.
Evaluation will be a combination of:
Evaluation for students that fail in the first exam period will be as follows:
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Business Engineering: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Business Economics: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of International Business: Standaard traject
Master of Business Engineering: Business and Technology: Standaard traject
Master of Teaching in Economics: standaard traject (90 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)