2019-2020 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
The Wescoe School of Continuing Education
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For over 150 years, Muhlenberg College has been educating students in the liberal arts tradition. Seeing a need for evening study in our community, the College began offering adult education courses in 1910. Over a century later, the tradition of quality continues.
The mission of Muhlenberg College Wescoe School of Continuing Education is to provide lifelong learners the opportunity to continue and enhance their education and to do so in ways that recognize their experience, maturity, motivation, life circumstances, and capacity for independent scholarship.
Through positive, inclusive, and innovative approaches to learning, the mission of the Wescoe School is to transform people’s lives, build community and enhance society.
Lifelong learners are very different from traditional-age full-time students. Recognizing this, we offer innovative programs of study with distinct and specialized opportunities. Wescoe students can complete a degree by enrolling in classes at night, during the day (on a limited basis), and on weekends.
Wescoe students can complete their degrees by taking courses in a number of flexible formats, including 15-week courses, 8-week Saturday courses, 5-week accelerated modules, and online and blended courses.
2019-2020 Tuition Rates
$1,725 per evening or Saturday course. Audit rate is $837.50
$3,805 per daytime course. Audit rate is $1,902.50
$25 technology fee per course (up to $100 per semester)
$1,825 per module for Accelerated Degree Programs (includes books & technology fee)
$1,825 per course for Certificate in Data Analytics (includes books & technology fee)
$750 per course for non-credit Certificate in Project Management (includes books & technology fee)
Wescoe students may elect to pay the yearly Activity Fee of $285 for access to the Life Sports Center.
Veteran Education
Director of Veterans Affairs: Joseph Kornfeind, M.S.
The Wescoe School is proud to support military personnel and veterans seeking to continue their education. Our advisors can help veterans explore majors, understand their benefits, register for classes each semester, and provide ongoing assistance from orientation to graduation.
Honorably discharged veterans who served on Active Duty may be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a a service-connected disability after 30 days.
Members of the military who are currently serving may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program.
Spouses and children of a service member who is serving on active duty Title 10 orders in the pay grades of E1-E5, O1-O2, or W1-W2 may be eligible for financial assistance from the Department of Defense for education, training, and/or the occupational license and credentials necessary for a portable career. Additionally, spouses and children may be eligible for the transfer of the service member’s Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits.
Yellow Ribbon Program
Under the Yellow Ribbon program tuition and fees are fully covered for veterans with 100% eligibility under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®.
Muhlenberg College has partnered with the US Department of Veterans Affairs in offering this scholarship which covers the difference between the cost of tuition and the reimbursed amount provided by the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, thereby covering 100% of the tuition for eligible veterans.
**The Yellow Ribbon scholarship increases the amount of tuition benefit available, please be aware however, that it does not extend the amount of time available beyond the 36 month period allocated by the Post 9/11 GI Bill®.
A’s for Vets
The Wescoe School is a founding member of the A’s (Academics) for Vets organization. The group’s mission is to bring together an assembly of higher education learning institutions in the Greater Lehigh Valley and collaborate to train, educate, and support discharged military veterans and their qualifying dependents to be successful in achieving their professional and personal educational goals. The vision is that through these efforts all veterans attending these schools will gain meaningful employment and/or achieve their academic goals, preferably in the Greater Lehigh Valley area.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Accelerated Programs
The Wescoe School offers an accelerated degree completion program in the following majors: Business Administration ; Business Administration with concentration areas in Healthcare Management , Human Resources Leadership , and Supply Chain Management ; and Information Systems Management . Students learn collaboratively in a feedback-intensive program that prepares them for leadership in their chosen field and graduate level academic study. The curriculum is designed for immediate application to the workplace and develops communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
Students in these programs complete 16 modules of study in a team-based experiential learning environment. They attend one four-hour class each week and meet outside of class for a weekly three- to four-hour session during which they work together on team projects and presentations. The program concludes with a culminating capstone project. This project is completed in cooperation with a local not-for- or for-profit organization whereby the students act as a consulting group to the organization. The students then present their findings to a panel of their instructors.
Liberal Arts Programs
Adult students have the option to enroll in traditional 15-week program and 8-week weekend sessions. The weekend sessions are available only to Wescoe students and incorporate pedagogical practices appropriate to this population. While most classes feature in-classroom instruction, a limited number of courses are now offered in online and blended learning formats.
Day students may register in courses offered through the Wescoe School’s 15-week session during the add/drop period, on a space-available basis, with permission from the appropriate department chair. No more than one such course may be registered in any one semester, and registration is possible only after consultation with the student’s academic advisor.
Wescoe students may also earn the associate of arts degree in selected majors or enroll in courses for their own enrichment. Additionally, the Wescoe School oversees a highly regarded Teacher Certification Program and on-site workplace learning opportunities. Go to www.muhlenberg.edu/wescoe for more information.
Certificates
The Wescoe School offers major certificates in every major offered by the College. Students pursue certificates to prepare for future graduate study or to upgrade or learn new skills.
In addition to major certificates, Wescoe students can complete a six-course certificate in Data Analytics in one year. The blended learning format of this certificate allow students to complete two courses per semester by attending class just one night per week, with the remainder of instruction provided online. Students entering the Data Analytics program should be a current college senior or have already earned a bachelor’s degree; successful completion (with a final grade of C or better) of a basic statistics course within the last five (5) years is also required.
Wescoe students can also opt to complete a non-credit certificate in Project Management . Courses for this program are four weeks long and can be completed in any order; however, if the student’s knowledge of Project Management is limited, we strongly suggest starting with Project Management Theory and Practice.
Summer Study
Muhlenberg College offers a variety of day, evening, and online courses during a series of summer sessions. These courses, typically offered in an accelerated format, incorporate pedagogy appropriate for full-time undergraduate students. All course units and grades earned through summer study at Muhlenberg are attributed to the total program of the student and influence the cumulative grade point average and academic standing of the student accordingly. Summer study materials are available through the Wescoe School in early March.
Wescoe Accelerated Degree Completion Program
Wescoe Certificate
Wescoe Accelerated
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WBA 201 - Leadership and Team Development 1 course unit
Offers an introduction to, and an overview of, the concepts of Leadership and Team Development. This module will provide a framework and rationale for the team/cohort learning model in an organizational context. Emphasis is placed on the application of concepts to real managerial problems and issues. This module will use a combination of conceptual and practical approaches, lectures, discussions, case studies, and group exercises.
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WBA 202 - The Business Firm 1 course unit
The objective of this module is to provide an overview of today’s business environment. The overview should help construct a foundation that can be built upon in future modules and the work environment. Topical coverage will be broad, and include Organization of a Business, Business Environment, Management, Managing Employees, Marketing, and Financial Management. The application of this module to current events and the work environment is a desired outcome. Since the world of business is in a constant state of change, this module will rely on the student’s ability to think conceptually and offer insights regarding future business opportunities.
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WBA 203 - Communication 1 course unit
This module blends research, theory and practice in the art of effective team communication, presentation and facilitation skills, team dynamics, and written skills to create a dynamic contribution to the overall effectiveness of any organization. Each student comes to this course with expertise and experience; this module will reinforce individual strengths, identify areas of growth and set goals for development in the cohort as well as the workplace.
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WBA 204 - Marketing Management 1 course unit
This module will provide students with a solid foundation of marketing principles. Real world examples will abound, and students will be required to draw from their own experiences to further develop effective and efficient methods for improved marketing opportunities. The core essentials of product, place, promotion, and price will reach higher levels when theory and experience is combined to produce new and innovative methods and procedures. Creativity and logic will be demonstrated as a winning combination to achieve profitability and knowledge attainment.
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WBA 205 - Accounting for Managers 1 course unit
This module is designed to help students use accounting information in the workplace. The course will not focus on rules of debits and credits nor the official preparation of accounting records like journals and ledgers; instead it will focus on understanding and use of financial information for planning business strategy. Decision making, evaluation of process improvements and performance, interpretation of corporate and annual reports, and recognition of internal control systems will be the materials presented in this module.
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WBA 206 - Statistical Decision Making 1 course unit
The basic understanding of statistics and its application to business situations will be the objective of this module. Topics such as descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis will be explored in depth in order to provide a useful understanding of how these topics affect today’s business environment and decision making. Microsoft Excel will be used throughout the course.
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WBA 207 - Managing Organizations 1 course unit
This module is designed to expand on the concepts presented and to understand why management is vital to the success of the organization. Students will better understand the functions and systems associated with sound management. Effectiveness and efficiency will be stressed, providing the venue for improving decision making skills and critical analysis. Students in this module will be required to choose an organization and, along with this organization, plan, organize, lead, and control a project that produces “real” results. This course will force students to have a complete understanding of managerial theory and apply this material in a practical and effective method.
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WBA 208 - Managerial Economics 1 course unit
Basic principles of economics at both the macro and micro levels will be explored. Topics of supply and demand, national income accounting, monetary and fiscal policies, business cycles, money and banking, interest rate determination, market structure, elasticity, international trade policy, and budget deficit are among the long list of topics discussed in this module. A high level of student interaction will be expected. The course is taught using practical materials that provide a better understanding and use of secondary data to make interpretations regarding future business environmental forecasts.
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WBA 309 - Human Behavior & Organization 1 course unit
This is an introductory course on human behavior in the organizational setting. The focus of this module will encompass three levels of organizational behavior analysis: the individual, the group, and various modern organizational systems. There are two major goals: to provide students with a basic grounding in the most important principles in managing the human asset in organizations and to work to develop job relevant knowledge skills. The material covered will be applicable to a wide range of organizations and students should also find topic areas relevant to daily life.
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WBA 310 - Information Systems 1 course unit
Understanding information systems is central to managing in an information age. Approaches to studying information systems can be technical and managerial; we will cover technical aspects of information systems, and we will use a managerial frame of reference. This module will focus on how information systems are changing the way we work and the way business functions. Key issues that will be covered in this module include: strategic use of information, ethical issues related to information systems and information technology, technical issues relating to computers, software, databases, and networks, electronic commerce and information security.
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WBA 311 - Operations & Quality 1 course unit
In this module, students will focus on managing operations and quality, the problems operations managers face, and the approaches that operations managers use. Firms are realizing the tactical and strategic benefits that accrue by paying more attention to operations and quality. Students will become better acquainted with the operations function and the key issues that it faces. Discussions will include development of a better understanding of how quality issues relate to the process of producing goods and delivering services, and an understanding of some of the analytical methods and organizational processes firms use to manage operations and quality.
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WBA 312 - Financial Analysis & Risk Management 1 course unit
An introduction to basic financial concepts: valuation techniques, the relationship between risk and return, and the workings of U.S. capital markets. This module will enable students to broaden their financial knowledge by blending the concepts and applications to better understand the risks involved in the venture. Also, projects dealing with capital budgeting, financial statements and portfolio management will be presented. The understanding of materials covered in this module is an essential part of the business concentration and will aid in the completion of the capstone project.
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WBA 313 - The Global Economy 1 course unit
This module is about theory of international trade, balance of payment, global business, foreign exchange markets, regional economic integration, and markets. Students will have the opportunity to discuss several cases to understand the complexity of today’s global economy. While the marketplace is growing and global competition is the norm, this module provides the opportunity for students to evaluate current situations and, with the inclusion of a global competitive presence, make sound financial investments for the future. This module requires that students observe the world around them and explain how local decisions affect the world.
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WBA 315 - Social Responsibility 1 course unit
This module will help students determine the right and wrong ways to behave towards others, the proper and improper actions to take regarding others and how to analyze and make fair or unfair decisions. Organizations, as social institutions, face complex ethical problems due to rapid economic changes and global competition. Students will explore best practices to handle situations where ethics might come under question.
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WBA 416 - Corporate Strategy 1 course unit
Because of day-to-day crises and pressures, organizations often struggle to set aside time to create a common future and plan to attain it. This module provides an overview of the strategic visioning process as it applies to organizations. Included in this module will be working definitions of mission, vision, core values, philosophy, objectives and strategic plans. There will be discussion of the integration of planning and implementation so that the student will walk away with critical thinking and planning skills.
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WBA 417 - Multidisciplinary Project (Capstone) 1 course unit
Utilizing their knowledge from the previous modules, students will create a case study from a selected organization. This case must uncover one main problem for the organization and provide viable and supported solutions to help create a better situation for the organization. The main part of this capstone is that each team presents a rich enough case that the reader will, with a fair amount of certainty, be provided with enough information to allow them the opportunity to solve the case using methods and techniques gained from business knowledge and experience.
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WHC 213 - Marketing for Healthcare 1 course unit
This course will consist of an in-depth study of the essential concepts of marketing and their application to health care organizations. Students will gain a working knowledge of aspects of healthcare marketing such as pricing, promotion, consumer behavior, brand equity, and segmentation and will learn applied skills by analyzing marketing problems and developing strategies for addressing those challenges. Differences and similarities between marketing for the for-profit and non-profit sectors will be addressed. Students will learn the particulars of developing a comprehensive marketing plan.
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WHC 301 - The Healthcare Delivery System 1 course unit
This course provides an overview of the healthcare delivery system in the U.S., specifically the interwoven relationships between providers (physicians, hospital systems, ancillary service providers, pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies), payers/funding sources (traditional insurance companies, HMOs/PPOs, government payers) and regulatory agencies (e.g. CMS-the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and State Departments of Health). Students will be provided with an historical perspective of the healthcare system and an understanding of some of the current environmental forces impacting managerial decision-making in healthcare organizations. These include changes in public policy and reimbursement models and the creation of large hospital-based networks that encompass multiple levels of care, from acute care to transitional care to outpatient and home-based services.
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WHC 302 - Healthcare Human Resources & Policies 1 course unit
Students will become familiar with all major areas of responsibility for Healthcare H.R. managers, such as management/ labor relations, collective bargaining, administration of a comprehensive employee compensation and benefits program, EOE compliance, Workmen’s Compensation issues, creation of job descriptions and an effective employee performance appraisal system, and staff training/ development. Due to its paramount importance in today’s healthcare industry, considerable attention will be given to the development of an effective recruitment/ retention program. Students will be exposed to some of the creative approaches being implemented by healthcare organizations to address shortages of nursing and other specialized care staff.
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WHC 303 - Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation 1 course unit
Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States, with extensive oversight of patient care and billing practices. This course will familiarize students with the operational role of managers/ administrators in designing, implementing and overseeing systems to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines. Students will also be introduced to the standards required for accreditation by JCAHO, the Joint Commission for Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations, a highly valued credential in today’s increasingly competitive healthcare market. Course content will focus largely on preparing future managers to design, operate, evaluate, and refine an organization-specific quality management program, an essential element in meeting and maintaining JCAHO standards.
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WHC 327 - Healthcare Finance 1 course unit
This course focuses on the financial relationship between providers and various payer sources and examines factors influencing payment/reimbursement levels, such as patient acuity/case mix. Discussion will explore how services are coordinated to achieve positive patient outcomes while simultaneously ensuring an organization’s financial health. Financial management of institutional resources will also be covered, including preparation/analysis of financial reports, capital budgeting and project analysis, forecasting, inventory control and management and depreciation of equipment and other resources.
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WHC 328 - Healthcare Law & Ethics 1 course unit
Various legal and ethical issues related to managing a healthcare enterprise will be examined, including development and administration of organizational policy on Advance Directives, patient confidentiality (in compliance with HIPAA standards), and withholding of treatment. The wide realm of bioethical issues under debate by healthcare professionals and policy-makers will also be considered, such as physician-assisted suicide and palliative care versus life-sustaining treatment. The role of Ethics Committees in healthcare facilities will be discussed, as will the role of patient advocates/Ombudsmen and the establishment of institutional guidelines for resolution of patient grievances. The development of protocols for decisionmaking in regard to legal/ethical conflicts will also be covered. A case-study approach will be emphasized to help students fully understand the gravity of legal/ethical decision-making by healthcare management teams.
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WHR 221 - HR Functional Survey 1 course unit
A broad examination of the functions normally found in the HR organization: Compensation & Benefits, Employment Policies & Practices, EAP & Workplace Safety, Labor Relations, Training & Development, and Organizational Development. This course provides the student with a solid understanding of the traditional roles that the HR function traditionally performed and the trade-offs involved in balancing personnel costs between pay and benefits.
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WHR 222 - Strategic Planning & Tactical Execution 1 course unit
This course explores the importance of linking the planning for HR with the strategic plan and direction of the overall organization. Because this linkage often proves elusive in practice, the course will help the student understand the importance of tactical execution and the tools available to leaders and managers that make the linkage possible. The course begins with an examination of the overall planning and visioning process in organizations and explores areas where the overall plan and the HR plan diverge.
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WHR 308 - HR Global Issues 1 course unit
This module provides the foundation for understanding the diversity and global human resource practices in businesses and organizations today. It presents factors to consider with both a changing workforce and management of domestic and foreign enterprises. Students will develop their understanding of key issues in recruitment, selection, retention, training, safety, and labor and employee relations.
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WHR 314 - Knowledge Management 1 course unit
This module examines the critical role that knowledge plays in the modern enterprise and why productivity of the knowledge worker is so important. Factors for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge will be examined including the transfer of tacit knowledge. The module explores the many factors that contribute to the success of the creation, sharing, and value added from ideas generated by knowledgeable individuals.
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WHR 320 - Organizational Analysis 1 course unit
Explores the pivotal role that HR can play in ensuring that the skills and abilities required to support the strategic thrust of the organization are in place as well as identifying where there are weaknesses that need to be addressed. The importance of culture, structure, and leadership are examined.
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WHR 321 - Organizations & Employees in Transition 1 course unit
This module examines the issue of change in organizations and how HR can influence the culture and structure of the organization so that the experience is positive and contributes to growth and bottom-line results. Drivers of change are explored such as mergers and acquisitions, technology, relocations, and globalization to name but a few.
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WIS 201 - Foundations of Information Systems 1 course unit
This module is designed to introduce students to contemporary information systems and demonstrate how these systems are used throughout global organizations. The focus of this module will be on the key components of information systems: people, processes and technologies, and how these components can be integrated and managed to create competitive advantage. This module also provides an introduction to systems and development concepts, technologies and their acquisition, and various types of application software and architectures currently in use. In addition, the ethical and social implications of these components will be considered.
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WIS 206 - Information Systems Analysis & Design 1 course unit
This module is an applied study of information systems analysis. The course covers a systematic methodology for analyzing a business problem or opportunity, determining what role, if any, computer-based technologies can play in addressing the business need, articulating business requirements for the technology solution, specifying alternative approaches to acquiring the technology capabilities needed to address the business requirements, and specifying the requirements for the information systems solution. Topics covered will include traditional and contemporary systems development lifecycles, including waterfall, object-oriented, and rapid methodologies. The role of the business analyst in scope definition, requirements analysis, and functional requirements documentation creation will be discussed. Students will learn about completing a system design using CASE tools.
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WIS 208 - Fundamentals of Programming I 1 course unit
This is an introductory course on program design and programming: variables, data types, program structure, conditional logic, iteration, and event-driven programming. Modular program design including introduction to procedures, functions, and modular development will be covered, as well as the project environment, compilation process, and debugging techniques. Students will learn the basic concepts of program design, programming, problem solving, and programming logic. Program development will incorporate various stages of the program development life cycle: designing a solution, implementing a solution in a programming language, and testing the completed application. Students will utilize UML structures to aid in program design and will develop several small programming projects using a modern programming language.
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WIS 210 - Leadership and Team Development 1 course unit
This module offers an introduction to, and an overview of, the concepts of leadership and team development. This module will provide a framework and rationale for the team/cohort learning model in an organizational context. Emphasis is placed on the application of concepts to real managerial problems and issues. This module will use a combination of conceptual and practical approaches, lectures, discussions, case studies and group exercises. The differences between leadership and management will be explained.
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WIS 212 - Data Analytics & Business Intelligence 1 course unit
Building on the transactional database understanding, the course provides an introduction to data and information management technologies that provide decision support capabilities under the broad business intelligence umbrella. Students will study how data drives business and strategic planning.
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WIS 214 - IT Infrastructure 1 course unit
This module provides an introduction to IT infrastructure. It covers topics related to both computer and systems architecture and communication networks, with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that IT infrastructure solutions enable in an organizational context. It gives students the knowledge and skills that they need for communicating effectively with professionals whose special focus is on hardware and systems software technology and for designing organizational processes and software solutions that require in-depth understanding of the IT infrastructure capabilities and limitations. It also prepares students for organizational roles that require interaction with external vendors of IT infrastructure components and solutions. The course focuses strongly on Internet-based solutions, computer and network security, business continuity, and the role of infrastructure in regulatory compliance.
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WIS 215 - IS Finance 1 course unit
This module explores the fiduciary impacts of information systems operational activities. The focus is on the financing of enterprise architecture in support of the business units where students learn frameworks and strategies for constructing budgetary requirements, adherence to financial purchase and auditing requirements, determining life cycles for enterprise architecture components, and collaborating with business units to determine technology requirements that focus on sustainability and transparency. Students will also discover methods to finance operational readiness through a balance of funding for staffing and vendor management, managed service contracts, and responsible decommissioning of assets that have exhausted their life cycle. These topics are addressed within the organization with focus on advocating for investment in technologies that minimize risk, maximize return on investment, and empower business users to remain technologically agile.
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WIS 218 - IS Project Management 1 course unit
This module is an applied study of modern techniques and approaches to the management of IT projects: project planning, outsourcing versus in-house development, team formation and building, phases of project development, including roll-out, support, and retiring of projects. The role of the project manager and project management functions will be discussed in detail: business case development, cost justification, return on investment; management of IT projects through a geographically dispersed workforce, and the unique challenges to systems development. This module will give students exposure to the Project Management Institute (PMI) Knowledge Areas and lay a foundation for students to consider taking the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam.
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WIS 219 - Communication 1 course unit
Building on the students’ experience in the first module, this module blends research, theory and practice in the art of effective team communication, presentation and facilitation skills, team dynamics, and written skills to create a dynamic contribution to the overall effectiveness of any organization. Each student comes to this course with expertise and experience. This module will reinforce individual strengths, identify areas of growth and set goals for development in the cohort as well as in the workplace.
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WIS 220 - IT Security & Risk Management 1 course unit
This module provides an introduction to the fundamental principles and topics of Information Technology Security and Risk Management at the organizational level. Students will learn critical security principles that enable them to plan, develop, and perform security tasks. This module will introduce the student to understanding, managing, and controlling organizational risks associated with the implementation and use of IT solutions including protection of data and IT infrastructure from various security threats. The course will address hardware, software, processes, communications, applications, and policies and procedures with respect to organizational IT Security and Risk Management.
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WIS 221 - Enterprise Architecture 1 course unit
This module explores the design, selection, implementation, and management of enterprise IT solutions. The focus is on applications and infrastructures and their fit with the business. Students learn frameworks and strategies for infrastructure management, system administration, data/information architecture, content management, distributed computing, middleware, legacy system integration, system consolidation, software selection, total cost of ownership calculation, IT investment analysis, and emerging technologies. These topics are addressed both within and beyond the organization, with attention paid to managing risk and security within audit and compliance standards. Students also hone their ability to communicate technology architecture strategies concisely to a general business audience.
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WIS 308 - Fundamentals of Programming II 1 course unit
This module will build upon the Fundamentals of Programming I module. The primary focus will be on the design and development of data-driven n-tier client/server applications. Various types of application paradigms will be examined, including traditional web and mobile-based solutions. The course will emphasize architectural and design concepts with opportunities for code review and hands-on coding.
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WIS 309 - Data & Information Management 1 course unit
This module provides the students with an introduction to the core concepts in data and information management. It is centered around the core skills of identifying organizational information requirements, modeling them using conceptual data modeling techniques, converting the conceptual data models into relational data models and verifying its structural characteristics with normalization techniques, and implementing and utilizing a relational database using an industrial-strength database management system. The course will also include coverage of basic database administration tasks and key concepts of data quality and data security. In addition to developing database applications, the course helps students understand how large-scale packaged systems are highly dependent on the use of DBMSs.
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WIS 315 - Information Systems Strategy 1 course unit
This module explores the issues and approaches in managing organizational information systems at the strategic level. It explores the acquisition, development and implementation of plans and policies to achieve efficient and effective information systems. The focus is on developing an intellectual framework that will allow leaders of organizations to critically assess existing IS components as well as plan for new technologies and systems that support organizational strategy. The ideas developed and cultivated in this module are intended to provide an enduring perspective that can help leaders make sense of an increasingly globalized and technology intensive business environment.
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WIS 318 - Quality Assurance, Deployment & Disposition 1 course unit
Advanced topics will be investigated to reinforce the management of IT projects. Specific focus will be on the executing, testing, and deploying stages of the project life cycle. Topics paramount to the course include change management, continuous improvement, maintenance, quality assurance, risk, and communications. Students will monitor a project via a project plan throughout its various project life cycles.
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WIS 420 - Multidisciplinary Project (Capstone) 1 course unit
Utilizing their knowledge from the previous modules, students will create an information systems solution to an existing organizational issue compounded by non-existent systems, poor systems or a lack of information. The organization may be profit or nonprofit, and the students will develop a business case that supports their solution. The format of the course will consist of independent study that includes the selection and execution of a project by the student teams.
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WSC 300 - Overview of Supply Chain Management 1 course unit
Supply chain management is a process based approach of providing value to the customer at a competitive price. Its focus extends beyond the traditional boundaries of the organization and is dedicated to efficiency and quality in all operations. Issues of risk and sustainability will be explored. Rigorous cost control employing lean techniques is a common tool. Successful management of the supply chain requires a robust information system(s). This course provides an overview of all the activities that comprise the supply chain and why they need to be looked at as a series of linked activities in a process
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WSC 304 - Operating Philosophies & Quality 1 course unit
Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma, Statistical Quality Control, and Lean Manufacturing are all different operating philosophies designed to improve quality, reduce costs, and provide the customer with value at a price that meets the expectation of the customer and enables the organization to make a profit. Students will learn about the attributes of these different operating philosophies and the necessary conditions for their success.
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WSC 307 - System Implications for Managing the Supply Chain 1 course unit
The information requirements for the successful management of the supply chain are substantial and require a robust IT system or systems to provide the timely information to manage the varied activities that comprise the supply chain. In many cases, these systems are web based and tie together disparate organizations.
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WSC 318 - Planning, Scheduling, & Inventory 1 course unit
These three interrelated topics are all driven by anticipated customer demand both in the short term and long run. The overall objective is to have the proper amount of inventory on hand to serve the customer. This implies that demand forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling, and inventory levels are in sync and that costly buffer inventory levels are not required. This synchronization would not be possible without control of process execution.
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WSC 329 - Strategic Procurement 1 course unit
Strategic procurement is an important business activity that ensures the long term supply of products or services that are important to the business in achieving its core goals. Fundamental to success is good planning and then the development of long term partnerships to meet current and future requirements. This involves a fundamental switch from managing vendors to one that involves managing mutually beneficial relationships.
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WSC 333 - Logistics & Distribution Management 1 course unit
Logistics and distribution management is concerned with efficiently moving raw materials into the facility from suppliers, the movement of materials during the conversion cycle, and finally moving finished goods to customers. The importance of information systems will be emphasized and examples of current best practices will be explored. Topics such as the role of the U.S. Department of Transportation and import/export documentation and duty will be examined.
Data Analytics
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WDA 202 - Descriptive Analytics 1 course unit
The goal of this course is to help students learn a variety of statistical tools useful in summarizing past events and information. Students will learn how to transform raw data into descriptive summaries that can be easily presented and understood. The course will cover Aggregate Analysis, Correlation, Trends, and Distributions (normal, binomial, chi-square, etc.). Confidence Intervals, Hypothesis Testing, and Sampling (one sample, two sample, many samples, etc.), and Sample Sizing will also be explored, with the goal of enhancing the student’s ability to convey statistical information to others. The conclusion of the course will include an introduction to Estimation (including bias and error), and Simple Linear Regression.
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WDA 304 - Business Intelligence 1 course unit
In today’s highly-competitive business landscape, it is crucial that an organization makes sense of the sea of data in which it operates. Raw transactional data acquired from both structured and unstructured sources must be vetted, categorized, enhanced, stored, secured and ultimately transformed into organizational knowledge. This is only accomplished if the integrity of the information is ensured and that the information is properly used. This survey course provides an overview of the concepts, processes and technologies necessary to provide decision-makers with actionable intelligence to make good decisions and understand the drivers of their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Consideration will be given to both tactical and strategic intelligence with special emphasis on environmental requirements including data governance, regulatory compliance and ethics.
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WDA 306 - Predictive Analytics 1 course unit
The goal of this course is to explore a variety of statistical techniques useful in making predictions about future events. The culmination of the course will lead students to employ predictive analytics to assist in decision making and transforming statistics into useful prescriptive analytics. The course will cover Data Analysis (simple visualization, graphing, etc.) and Model Building. Statistical models will include Simple Linear & Multiple Linear Regression Analysis consisting of an examination of dummy variables, Non-Linear Regression, residual analysis, multicollinearity, and forecasting. Additional models including Logit & Probit Regression, Poisson Regression, Ordinal Regression, Survival Analysis (time to event and hazard rate), Data Segmentation (k-means clustering), and Time Series Analysis will also be utilized as predictive techniques. Emerging concepts of machine learning and cognitive analytics will be explored. The emerging topics of Autoregressive Models (AR & ARMA) and Regression Trees will also be explored.
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WDA 308 - Data Warehousing and Mining 1 course unit
Technology has become integral to our lives and as crucial to modern society as the most basic utilities. As a result, data is being generated at an unprecedented rate, and for an organization to compete, it must make sense of it. This course will take an information technology approach to examining the theory, concepts and technologies required to transform data into actionable intelligence in support of decision-making. The warehousing and mining of data represent two ends of a symbiotic process and are examined in detail, from data extraction, transformation and loading to the establishment of an appropriate mining architecture, algorithm and technique. A variety of current tools and technologies will be reviewed and evaluated. The unique challenges presented by “Big Data” will be explored in this course.
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WDA 310 - Data Visualization 1 course unit
In the world of big data, there is a need to “tell the story” clearly and efficiently with the goal of influencing decisions. The data behind the story can represent customer behaviors, healthcare trends, or research findings. The ability to organize and present data in an understandable, visual, and coherent manner is an essential skill required in today’s world. This course teaches the student to explore innovative techniques to display data in an effective and compelling analysis of past performance, current state, and project future trends. It also incorporates the soft skills that are necessary to influence decision makers. Data visualization methods allows for the communication of the message using aesthetically pleasing charts, graphs and diagrams featuring various mediums of color, line boldness and shape orientation. The student will learn and use a mix of statistics, data mining, and visual/graphic design skills with an introduction to several of the most popular tools.
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WDA 412 - Data Analytics Capstone 1 course unit
The individual/ small team will utilize knowledge gained from the previous course modules to provide actionable information for decision makers to enhance an organization’s effectiveness. The topic chosen may be an “existing real” topic or use data sets from open source data repositories. The process will scope the project, formalize a question, locate data sources, determine the method of analysis, implement analytical procedures, visualize and communicate the results of the organizational issue. This process will help students integrate what they have learned over multiple courses.
Project Management
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WPM 101 - Project Management Theory and Practice 0 course unit
This course provides the foundational management principles and theory of project management. Students will learn the fundamentals of project management, including project definition, project selection, project planning, estimating, scheduling, resource allocation, stakeholder management, risk management and project control. Students will apply the learned principles and theories to case studies and simulations, and will actively participate in a culminating project.
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WPM 201 - Managing Relationships with a Fully Automated and Integrated System 0 course unit
The goal of the course is exposure to a fully automated and integrated stakeholder, vendor management, and procurement (SVP) system. A large percentage of a project manager’s job is spent communicating with both internal and external relationships, including all internal stakeholders, vendor management, and procurement. Students will trace the changing nature of how these relationships have been influenced by the technology available and how decision-making has been impacted by increased speed and efficiency and the identification of risk in the supply chain. Students will investigate the ways social enterprises engage with larger corporations, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) organizations. New insights from Big Data will be explored, as well as the use of machine learning/automated intelligence to continuously enhance and aggregate data and to improve the flow of information to all SVP parties. Vendor aggregation, negotiation tactics, savings, efficiency/compliance expansion of stakeholders, changes in procurement practices, and procurement key performance indicators (KPIs) will also be explored.
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WPM 203 - Earned Value/Budgeting 0 course unit
The goal of this course is to help students learn the methods used to financially plan and account for a project, how to determine the value of the project at any point in time, and how to create a budget for any project. It is crucial for an organization to know the economic value of the projects it pursues and the effect that value has on the bottom line of the organization. Once underway, the value the project has created for the organization and the remaining financial obligation the organization has to the project are necessary elements for financial planning.
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WPM 205 - The Project Management Office (PMO) 0 course unit
The purpose of this course is to give students an appreciation for functioning successfully within and under the auspices of a PMO. The PMO is an integral part of an organization’s strategic management team. In this course, students will examine what it means to work under a PMO and how to manage a PMO, and will navigate through the activities under a PMO’s purview. Specific focus will be on assigning projects; understanding expectations from project managers; analyzing performance metrics to apply effective decision making; recognizing risk to deduce the ratio of impacts; communicating with all levels of the organization for successful project interactions and change management; and extrapolating critical measures to gain project savings. The challenges of program and portfolio management will be explored as well.
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