Undergraduate Course: Management Science and Information Systems (BUST08007)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course demonstrates how information systems and decision support models can be effectively integrated to analyse and solve business problems. |
| Course description |
The goal of this course is to demonstrate how information systems and decision support models can be used in synergy to address business problems. More specifically, our aim is to:
1. Illustrate how data can be modelled, stored and retrieved in order to effectively support decision making.
2. Introduce a range of quantitative approaches to decision making.
3. Demonstrate how information systems and decision support systems can be integrated to ensure effective decision support.
Syllabus
1. Data Management and Database Design
2. Linear Programming
3. Project Management
4. Decision Analysis
Student Learning Experience
The course is taught by means of lectures, computer labs, tutorials, and group activities. Lectures cover topics in information systems and data management, such as database design and SQL; as well as a number of management science techniques, such as linear programming and decision analysis. Computer labs let students acquire the skills that are necessary to apply these techniques in practice by using state of the art software packages. Tutorials provide an understanding of the theory underpinning the aforementioned techniques. Group activities are designed to let students experience challenges and opportunities that stem from the integration of decision support models and information systems.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 1 introductory level Business Studies course at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss state of the art techniques for data modelling, storage and retrieval in database management systems.
- Discuss the key elements of a linear programming model and its underlying assumptions; illustrate possible solution methods for solving linear programs.
- Discuss selected approaches to decision making under uncertainty and illustrate possible solution methods.
- Discuss selected techniques in project management.
- Discuss the key steps that should be executed to tackle a management decision problem.
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Reading List
Wayne L. Winston, Operations Research Applications and Algorithms (3rd ed.), Brooks/Cole Publishing 1997, ISBN 0534520200
David R. Anderson, Dennis J. Sweeney, Thomas A. Williams, R. Kipp Martin, An Introduction to Management Science: Quantitative Approaches to Decision Making (12th ed), West Publishing 2008, ISBN 0324399804. (Note that other editions of this text have similar content.)
Frederick S. Hillier and Gerald J. Lieberman, Introduction to Operations Research (9th ed.), McGraw-Hill, 2009, ISBN 0071324836
Bernard W. Taylor, Introduction to Management Science (10th ed), Pearson Education 2009, ISBN 0132371197.
Jeffrey H. Moore and Larry R. Weatherford, Decision Modeling with Microsoft Excel (6th ed), Prentice Hall 2001, ISBN 013017789x
Thomas Connolly, Carolyn Begg, Database Systems: A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation and Management: International Edition, 5th Edition, Pearson, Dec 2012, Paperback, 1400 pages, ISBN13: 9780321601100.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Intellectual Skills
1. Design a database suitable for a given dataset.
2. Build a decision support model for a given management decision problem.
3. Integrate a database and a decision support model to derive management recommendations for a given management decision problem.
4. Identify what combination techniques covered is most suitable to address a management decision problem.
Professional Skills/Subject Specific/Practical Skills
1. Model a given set of data using the relational modelling paradigm.
2. Store and retrieve data from a database management system.
3. Build, solve and analyse linear programming or decision analysis models in Excel.
4. Use Gant Project to schedule project activities.
Transferable skills
1. Demonstrate report writing skills.
2. Demonstrate problem analysis and problem solving skills.
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Plus tutorials for 8 weeks; five tutorials are 1 hour classes and 3 are two-hour computer lab assessed exercises. Please sign up for tutorial groups on the course website on Learn. |
| Keywords | MSIS |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Roberto Rossi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5239
Email: Roberto.Rossi@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Patricia Ward-Scaltsas
Tel: (0131 6)50 3823
Email: Patricia.Ward-Scaltsas@ed.ac.uk |
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