Master of Science in Information Systems – Digital Business Systems

The course provides an introduction to the IS research field. Students will gain advanced knowledge of the key concepts and theories of IS research. They will acquire specialised problem-solving skills, being able to analyse and synthesize a research case. They shall take responsibility to a literature review of a specific IS topic.

Central topics include Information Systems as a research field, IS development, IS innovation, IS as sociotechnical and complex systems, Analytics and data driven decision making, Introduction to research methods in IS, Basic concepts and theories in IS, Literature reviews and writing style.

Customers are omnichannel-oriented. They increasingly expect to interact with organizations in a seamless way, combining aspects across different channels at different stages of their decision journey. This course provides the forefront of knowledge on how to support the omnichannel customer experience, what the customer expect, how organizations can use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to leverage their presence, and what organizations need to support an omnichannel strategy.

Students will gain advanced knowledge of key theories and concepts of omnichannel and CRM. Omnichannel is the seamless and effortless consolidation of the various channels, to enhance the overall customer experience. They will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, being able to plan omnichannel activities, and to configure CRM solutions. They shall take responsibility to conduct the planning and implementation of CRM activities and evaluate the business value taking into account meeting ethical and sustainability goals.

The aim of the course is to introduce the Internet of Things (IoT) in relation to Digital Business Systems and organisations. The overarching objective of IoT in business is to broaden the student’s perspective on future and contemporary IT phenomena and state- of-the-art technologies. Emphasis is invested in relating the contemporary IoT theme to general and selected contexts and industries like IoT in healthcare, Industry (4.0), Supply Chians and Logistics, etc.

The course also introduces the various technologies used in the IoT domain, and emphasizes on their real-world use and applications. The students will also be introduced to developing business cases within the IoT domain.

The main aim of this course is to provide students with the fundamental knowledge of ethics and sustainability necessary for responsible innovation and the development of new information technologies (IT) in the modern society. The central topics include the role of ethics in responsible innovation and IT development; information privacy concerns, social, economic, and environmental impacts of innovations and new ITs; and how IT development and innovation can contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In covering ethical and sustainability issues, the course addresses the perspectives of various stakeholders at the individual level (IT developers, innovators, consumers, investors), the organizational level (commercial, public, and non-governmental organizations), and the societal level (local and regional communities, nations, international society). Group work on possible solutions to real-life ethical and sustainability challenges constitutes an essential part of the course.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, etc. Students will gain advanced knowledge of key theories and concepts of ERP systems and supply chains. They will acquire specialised problem-solving skills, being able to analyse and configure an ERP system.

Business Intelligence (BI) is highly important for making good decisions in organisations. Students will gain advanced knowledge of the art and process of decision-making, as well as the BI process and the end- user tools such as reports, visualizations and dashboards. They will acquire specialised problem-solving skills and hands-on experience with a leading BI tool. They shall take responsibility to conduct a complete BI process and evaluate its business value.

This course is intended as a master level introduction to research methodology and the research process. This introduction gives the students an overview of the basic concept, methods, and practice of research.

Research is a cyclical process where new and carefully planned investigations build and extend on established work. The aim is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of research as a conceptual, empirical, and practical approach to gathering new insight and knowledge. The content provides a broad overview of how researchers work within the fields of economy, innovation, and technology. It presents students with relevant methods from these domains, along with their possibilities and limitations.

Students will learn a systematic approach to empirical investigation, including literature search, research design and methodology, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and the presentation and evaluation of results.

At completion of the course, students will be able to study and interpret existing research on a topic and suggest approaches to broaden or deepen knowledge within a given topic.

The overall objective of this course is to help students conceptualize and prepare a timely and relevant research proposal, and to nurture a sense of inquisitiveness and active participation in research. The course aims at offering insight into the process behind a successful research project. It has an applied approach that involves collaborative and reciprocal partnerships between the university (faculty, staff, and/or students) and external communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. The research proposal forms the basis for the master thesis and the allocation of supervisor(s).