To All IS students:

As you will soon be selecting and bidding for your AY 2007/08 Term 2 courses, please keep the following in mind.

• The second major option within SIS is now known as Advanced Business Solutions. Information on second majors is given at the SIS Second Majors website. We STRONGLY recommend that all SIS students do a second major.
  
• SIS is introducing optional specialty tracks within the Advanced Business Solutions second major. The first specialty track launched is Business Intelligence. Please note that the second major as well as the specialty track will be mentioned in the official transcript.

All of these electives are extremely “high value add” and will help you in your near and long term professional development and success. Please check out these electives. And sign up where it makes sense.

Remember, the more student demand there is for IS Depth Electives, the more electives we can offer.

Best regards,

Practice Assoc Prof Venky SHANKARARAMAN
Associate Dean, Education
School of Information Systems

IS Technology Depth Electives

Course Title: IS 204 – Networking
Course Design Document
Faculty: GAO Debin

Why is this course interesting, important and useful to students?

One may argue that understanding of the underlying infrastructure is not important as long as there are technicians there to "do the dirty work". However, there is a set of basic networking knowledge without which one will not be able to appreciate the latest and most advanced networking technology (e.g., 3G, 4G, VOIP, sensor network), to do basic networking diagnose (e.g., "do you have a public IP address?"), or even to communicate effectively in some scenarios (e.g., "I don't need guaranteed throughput; best-effort type of services will do.").

This course prepares the students to design, deploy and manage the enterprise data communication infrastructure. It covers fundamental computer communication concepts, including switching, signaling, encoding and transmission, modern network technology, protocols (TCP, UDP, IP), the OSI model, and wireless (cellular and wireless LAN). Besides helping students to understand the key technologies conceptually, the course is structured to develop students' business skills in analyzing and managing enterprise networks.

Neat things that students will do in this course

• Understand the role of networks in a modern business enterprise.
• Understand data communication basics, including components, models and standards.
• Be able to differentiate the functionalities provided by various networking technologies and compare their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their benefits and costs.
• Be able to define and analyze the enterprise's business data communication needs.
• Be prepared to learn emerging technology trends and advanced networking project management skills.

Comments from faculty

If you will be working in IT, you will find yourself in an embarrassing situation if you do not have this very basic networking knowledge. And if you really need a second reason before you jump, here you go: "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes" (an old networking joke back in the mid-80s) --- Join us and learn these jokes and what they really mean.

Course Title: IS403 – Advanced Information Security and Trust
Course Design Document
Faculty: DING Xuhua

Why is this course interesting, useful and important to students?

As information systems, databases and Internet-based distributed systems and communication have become pervasive in the commercial world, coupled with the increased intensity and sophistication of security-related attacks, organizations now recognize the need for a comprehensive security strategy.

Built on the foundation of the Information Security and Trust course (IS302), the Advanced Information Security and Trust course draws on hard-won experience to explain the latest developments in security protocols, network security, web security, application security and industrial standards. Classroom instruction and discussion will closely integrate technical principles with real world applications such as secure e-banking, secure corporate networking, and multimedia system security. In addition, case studies will be used to demonstrate that security and trust are not only for protection of information assets, but also means of improving business operation or even starting new businesses.

Neat things students will do in the course

• Understand important security principles, industrial standards, security protocols and their applications.
• Be able to analyze and evaluate security mechanisms and systems, contrast competing schemes, explain strengths and weaknesses, and identify potential errors or vulnerabilities.
• Understand the common attacks to security protocols and be able to design security protocols to satisfy security requirements and constraints in real world, e.g. e-banking.
• Be aware of current and future trends in security research and applications.

Course Title: IS410 – Advanced Data Management
Course Design Document
Faculty: MOURATIDIS Kyriakos

Why is this course interesting, useful and important to students?

We live in an era of a data avalanche. Efficiently storing, processing and analyzing these data is essential for modern businesses to succeed. In the IS410 course, we focus on data management issues arising in emerging scale-intensive applications. In the first half of the course, we cover database concepts and techniques arising in numerous real-world systems; namely, database indexing, transaction management, and data warehousing. In the second part of the course, we elaborate on cutting edge methods targeted at modern data-centric applications. Examples include location-based services, spatial monitoring, mobile computing/commerce, on-line and real-time decision making, etc.

In addition to interactive lectures, IS410 includes a hands-on component delivered through lab sections. In these sections, students use a commercial database (e.g., Oracle) to solve problems based on real-life scenarios. According to a strategy successfully followed previously in IS410, this year's run will also include invited talks by academic and industry contacts of the instructor.

The course focuses equally on insights about database technology, as well as the practical value of this technology in enhancing existing systems and developing new ones. The knowledge and design skills imparted in this course are of paramount importance to any IT professional, since data management issues arise in almost any industry, including non-IT areas such as banking, entertainment, military systems, etc.

Neat things students will do in the course

• Be exposed to concepts extending further than common/standard application domains, with an emphasis on modern/emerging trends in database technology.
• Hear academic and industry visitors speak on their field of expertise during invited talks.
• Identify the trade-offs among alternative methods for a particular problem through analysis and hands-on experimentation.
• Familiarize with commercial database tools that are widely used in the industry.

Comments from faculty

This course is exciting mostly because of its emphasis on recent database advancements, such as data-stream processing and location-based services. I am not aware of any other undergraduate curriculum covering topics as non-conventional and modern as preference-based queries and spatial monitoring. These new fields both extend the horizons of database research as well as carry a huge potential to change the way businesses operate. In an entrepreneurship-nurturing environment like SIS, student ideas triggered by this course may lead quickly to innovative applications.

I am personally enthusiastic to teach this course, because most of the advanced topics covered are very closely related to my research interests and field of expertise. As such, I find IS410 an excellent opportunity to share my knowledge on these areas, cross-fertilize it with novel ideas from the students, and potentially engage them in research and industry projects outside the IS410 coursework.

Course Title: IS411 – Global Software Project Management
Course Design Document
Faculty: GAN Kok Siew, Benjamin 

Why is this course interesting, useful and important to students?

The world seems smaller with advancing IT technologies such as the Internet, changing forces of globalization and the realities of distributed projects in the work place. In this world, students who understand the basics of global project management, teamwork and collaboration are likely to find themselves at a competitive advantage over those who do not.

This course will address practical and operational issues of Global Software Development (GSD) with emphasis on project management. Students will discuss GSD issues, write a research paper on GSD and experience a global team project with students from other Universities. Not only will you read, discuss and debate from ideas gathered from a collection of papers, including your research papers, you will also be able to experiment with some of the techniques, methods, tools, etc.

Neat things students will do in the course

• Experience teamwork with students from CMU on a project (and maybe CMU-Qatar or ITU Copenhagen).
• Gather requirements on a real project with clients to write a business plan, project plan or design a website.
• Feel if research is your destiny by researching on a topic of you choosing in global software project management with some guidance.
• Learn from invited speakers about their experience in GSD.
• Expand your horizon and be a global person!

Comments from faculty

Instead of testimony from me, here are some quotes from last year's SMU students. Most find the global project experience a unique part of this course.

“We ended on a high note with our own mini follow-the-sun scenario. After finishing our usual meeting at 2pm (Singapore), I tidied up my parts of the report and sent to CMU (3am EST). When it was morning at Pittsburgh, CMU edited their portion and sent out our final copy at 4pm EST, I was greeted by a completed report when I woke up for my morning class that day!”

"After the lesson on cultural intelligence, I think it is very important to do some background ‘research' to understand the culture and work ethos of your counterparts in a global team. For this project, that means reading up more about the partner university, the culture of their students, the differences between the students from different schools (i.e. CS, Humanities and Social Sciences, etc.) so that I can better prepare myself and ‘speak their language'."

Some students do find it difficult to work in a global project.

"We have learnt that on paper, globally distributed project management sounds easier than it is in reality. As with most project management methodologies, we believe it would take us a bit more time and many more experiences to fully be able to attain the maximum output from working in a globally distributed team."

This time, Prof Randy WEINBERG from Carnegie Mellon University and I will make the course more interesting with exciting real projects! Come talk to Randy when he visits Singapore on Nov 12.

Course Title: IS415 - GIS and Business Intelligence
Course Design Document
Faculty: KAM Tin Seong

Why is this course interesting, useful and important to students?

In this globalizing and competitive business environment, the value of location as a business measure is fast becoming an important consideration for organisation. Geographical Information System (GIS) with its capability to manage, display, analyse business information spatially is emerging as a location intelligence tool. In US, Starbucks, Blockbuster, Hyundai, and other thousands of businesses use census data and GIS software to help them understand what types of people buy their products and services and how to better market to such people. McDonald's Japan uses a GIS system to overlay demographic information on maps to help identify promising new store sites.

The use of GIS in business, however, tends to confine to simple map visualization. This is mainly due to the general lack of proper understanding of GIScience and geovisualisation and geospatial analysis skills among the business analysts. Thus, this course provides students with an introduction to practical applications of GIS in business operations. Emphasis will be placed on locating, acquiring and integrating BI data into a GIS, understand the principles and methodologies of the geocoding process, become familiar with geovisualisation, spatial analysis and location modeling techniques for BI, and explore the technologies and possibilities of server-based and/or web-based geographic analysis for BI.

Neat things students will do in the course

• Understand the basic concepts and theories of GIScience and trends of GIS technologies.
• Create and manage spatially-enabled business data.
• Use appropriate Geovisualisation techniques to present and gain insight from business-related data.
• Use appropriate GIS analysis functions to perform site selection, territory planning, geo-profiling, marketing segmentation, and routing.
• Model business processes using GIS' advanced analytical methods.
• Design and implement map-centric “killer applications” or “cool web services” for businesses.

Comments from faculty

I am very encouraged by the fact that this course has successfully infused spatial thinking skill to our students which make our students very unique as compared to other business IT profession. Besides knowing how to design and develop applications using conventional computing technology, my students also acquired the skill of designing and developing map-centric applications to meet the growing market of location intelligence.

Course Title: IS418 - Intelligent Agent Design and Application
Course Design Document
Faculty: CHENG Shih-Fen  

Why is this course interesting, useful and important to students?

An intelligent agent is an entity that can perceive and reason about the environment and perform appropriate actions in order to achieve its goal. This paradigm covers almost all of human activities, and we are beginning to see the emergence of intelligent agents in many important domains. Some notable applications of intelligent agent technology includes planning and scheduling (the autonomous planning of NASA's space exploration), game playing (the defeat of world champion by IBM's Deep Blue), autonomous control of vehicles (a computer-controlled van that crossed the United States), financial trading (programmed trading programs that are part of everyday operations), logistics planning (used in the 1 st Persian Gulf crisis), and many others.

All the above mentioned systems exist today, and we will explore the science, technology, and mathematics behind all these technological wonders. Upon the completion of the course, students will have necessary background in appreciating and applying the intelligent agent technologies. 

Neat things students will do in the course

• Understand the basic framework of an intelligent agent and also the background knowledge necessary in creating an intelligent agent.
• Explore the state-of-the-art technologies used by real intelligent agents.
• Incrementally create an intelligent agent that is capable of managing a complex supply chain.
• Compete head-to-head with your fellow classmates in a supply chain management competition at the end of the class to show off the “intelligence” you have embedded in your software agent.

IS Management Depth Electives

Course Title: IS401 – IT and Business Innovation
Course Design Document
Faculty: NARASIMHALU Arcot Desai

Why is this course interesting, important and useful to students?

Enterprises will need continuous innovation to survive and this course will train students in different innovation methodologies that they could use in their professional life. Effective use of these methodologies will certainly speed up their climb on the corporate ladder.

Neat things that students will do in this course

Identify new innovation possibilities in small group exercises. The interesting ones will be invited to apply for the IDM's 50K IJAM funding which practically comes with no strings. They will also have a chance to meet innovators and entrepreneurs in class when I bring them to share their experiences.

Comments from faculty

I live, breathe innovation and truly believe in its importance. Innovation is my professional passion ;-))

Course Title: IS406 – Supply Chain Business IT
Course Design Document
Faculty: LEONG Thin Yin

Why is this course interesting, important and useful to students?

Recent rapid developments in information and communications technology (ICT) have led to exciting changes in supply chain management (SCM) and brought it from backroom to forefront of businesses. SCM is now recognized as a key aspect of competitive strategy. Progressive companies like Walmart and Dell transformed their existing business sectors and made tremendous breakthroughs because of innovative application of SCM concepts. They would not have been able to do so without leveraging on IT.

Neat things that students will do in this course

We examine anew the business processes internal and external to a company and show with vivid practical cases how they apply. Students are introduced to software applications and technologies used in SCM in interesting ways that do not need them to have an IT background. We explore strategic opportunities and practical challenges related to their use in global operations. The course takes a supply chain IT user's perspective to discover business requirements and operational constraints, and understanding how to lever the applicable technologies surveyed. Two special topics covered authoritatively are global ocean shipping and seaport terminal operations.

Comments from faculty

No other business sector applies IT in more extensive and intensive ways than supply chains. Many analytical results of the past are beginning to be realizable because of information technology advancements. Exciting times are ahead when theory meets practice in fast and explosive ways.

ISTechnology Depth Elective & IS Management Depth Elective

Course Title: IS470 – Guided Research in Information Systems
Course Design Document
Faculty: LAU Hoong Chuin

Why is this course interesting, important and useful to students?

Cutting-edge academic as well as industry relevant research is an integral part of the SIS faculty and student environment. This course exposes you to the frontiers of IS technology or IS management research. Through one-to-one mentoring supervision by an SIS faculty, you get to experience first hand the challenges and exhilaration of research, discovery and innovation - which provide an additional learning outcome that none of the existing SIS courses currently offers. More detailed information about the course on this website http://se.smu.edu.sg/is470/.

Neat things that students will do in this course

• This course takes you through a process where you will learn the ropes of performing research. There are no assignments, no exams per se – but your supervisor will meet you constantly to work with you on a research problem.
• This course enables you to interact and foster closer ties with SIS faculty as well as the wider research community at SIS.
• You will be guided to write a term paper that may cover a mixture of the following:
1. for IS Technology elective : literature survey, technology case study, problem definition, solution design and modeling, evaluation/validation methodology, analysis
2. for IS Management elective : literature review, empirical research (e.g. case/field study, survey, experiments), analytical research (e.g. optimization, simulation, industrial organization modeling)
• Selected projects stand a chance to be presented at the annual National Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme Congress (NUROP).

Comments from faculty

Many view research as an activity that is exclusive and conducted by esoteric individuals who seclude themselves in laboratories, scholarly libraries, or within the precincts of a closed-door environment. But that's just a narrow view! The Singapore 's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) defines R&D as a process of “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications".  We invite you to have a foretaste of this enriching process, and who knows? this might guide you to consider/choose the right post-graduate studies or towards an R&D career!

Please note that IS470 and IS480 are NOT mutually exclusive. In other words, whether you are taking or planning to take IS480, you may still consider taking IS470. The learning outcomes for both these courses are very different.