Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Business Intelligence

at Shorelight Group - University of Massachusetts - Boston USA

The Psychology major is a 12-course major.  The requirements of these 12 courses provide students with a foundation in each of five core areas of the discipline of psychology, upper-level coursework in one or more areas and basic information about the research practices used in the field.  The basic structure of the major is represented by four parts.

The description below provides an outline of the major.  The phrase “major requirements” refers to the minimum number and distribution of psychology courses a student must complete successfully in order to graduate as a psychology major. We encourage students to take more than the minimum number of courses in psychology and allied disciplines. Only one of the 12 required classes may be taken pass/fail; the other 11 classes must be taken for a grade.  Eight of the 12 courses for the major must be taken in residence at UMass Boston.

The Information Technology major offered through UMass Boston's College of Management is designed to offer pathways to highly-demanded careers in IT for both high school graduates and students of Massachusetts community colleges. Our small classes ensure personalized attention from IT faculty while our ties to the Greater Boston business and technical communities add an extra dimension of learning to our program of business information technology education. The IT major offers an “applications-path” format for students which includes a core of technical knowledge (nine courses), an area of specialization or track within IT (four or five courses, depending on track selection), three professional electives in an application or domain area (preferably outside of IT but within business), and two wrap-up courses (project management and IT capstone), in addition to general education requirements.

The IT major is project based.  Every exercise assigned throughout the BSIT is designed to be of the kind that a student might encounter in his or her work: collaboration, competence, and outcomes assessment are the hallmark characteristics of the program.  Students will learn how to use IT to solve real-world problems within the context of a field in which they wish to work. Graduates will be familiar with, and be able to apply, the following core information technologies to solve business problems:

• Programming
• Networking
• Databases
• Web technologies

In addition, the BSIT program offers four specialization tracks: business intelligence1, computer forensics1, information architecture1 and systems administration.

Computer Forensics Track
The Information Technology (IT) major is a jointly offered program between the College of Management (CM) and the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The IT major consists of a common core of ten courses, a track of four to six courses in a particular area of specialization (the computer forensics track requires five courses), a common capstone course, and three professional electives.

Management major prepares students for specific management responsibilities and results in a bachelor of science degree from the College of Management (CM) at UMass Boston. The program is built on a solid foundation in the arts and humanities achieved by completing CM's general education requirements while also being immersed in business theory and practice.

The learning goals for the bachelor of science in management (BSM) program are for students to:

• Demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication skills.
• Develop critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills.
• Demonstrate sound ethical reasoning skills.
• Integrate understanding of issues concerning diversity and globalization in business.

The international management concentration seeks to broaden students’ horizons and prepare them for the increasingly global business world. This concentration will help students understand both the economic and political forces shaping the world economy and the implications for management practices. Students will gain an appreciation of the diverse economies and cultures of different countries.

UMass Boston's MBA is a streamlined 12-course, AACSB-accredited, immersive business program. focused on equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a business leader. The program is designed for professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of the ever-changing business world to advance their career, change careers, or start their own business. Explore foundational business theories, gain experience with emerging technologies, and develop your analytical skills.

The School for the Environment's nationally recognized Environmental Studies and Sustainability program emphasizes solutions integrating the humanities and social sciences with economics and business. As environmental and sustainability advocates, students customize their course of study, drawing from such diverse fields as anthropology, law, history, management, economics, and the sciences. In addition to coursework, this hands-on degree incorporates internships, research, cooperative education, and capstone course experiences in which students work as members of a multi-disciplinary team partnered with agencies and organizations throughout the Boston metropolitan area.

• Students will understand key sustainability concepts and become practiced at applying these principles to real world problems.
• Students will be able to use interdisciplinary and collaborative decision-making processes to devise practical solutions for managing environmental problems.
• Students will be able to analyze and critique sustainability issues balancing multiple disciplinary perspectives and research approaches (e.g., social, ecological, ethical, philosophical, political, and economic).
• Students will demonstrate analytical proficiencies, both quantitative and qualitative, to support data-driven decisions.
• Students will understand the system interactions and feedbacks between human activities and social institutions and the natural environment.
• Students will be experienced in communicating their learnings both in writing, visually, and orally, and for specific and general audiences.

UMass Boston's MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) is a 10 course, 30 credit degree program. To receive the MSBA, students must complete a minimum of 10 courses: Analytical Core, MSBA Electives, and the MSBA Capstone. One (1) prerequisite course must be satisfied or waived through prior relevant coursework, based on a review of transcripts.*

The MSBA program is designed to prepare students for utilizing analytical techniques, methods, and applications for data-driven practices in diverse organizations and enterprises of all sizes.

As businesses become more and more reliant on data-driven strategies, the needs and opportunities for graduates in Business Analytics have grown rapidly. Breakthroughs in data collection, storage, and analysis to uncover and capture business value have fueled this growth, and post-recession companies have recognized this potential and increasingly emphasize data-driven decision-making in their business strategies. The current annual rate of job growth in this area is approximately 11.8%, a rate that is only expected to accelerate in the future.

This program covers theories of powerful techniques and quantitative methods in Business Analytics and how they are applied in the real world. The program focuses on using current software tools to study effective techniques of problem formulation, developing solutions with mathematical and algorithmic techniques, and methods for implementing those solutions with technology.

The MSBA program offers students a choice of two specializations, Big Data Analytics and Supply Chain Analytics. Each includes a core of analytical courses, elective courses in that specialization, and a capstone course.

Big Data Analytics
The Big Data Analytics specialization focuses on data mining and analytical techniques, big data management, storage, and modeling. The objectives consist of enabling students to process big data in an effective and efficient way, discover knowledge patterns in big data, build predictive models, and use big data to answer business questions.

UMass Boston's MS in Finance (MSF) is a 10 course, 30 credit degree program. The 10 courses are composed of Finance Requirements, Finance Electives, and a Capstone course. Four prerequisite courses must be satisfied or waived through prior relevant coursework, based on a review of transcripts.*

The CFA Institute University Affiliation Program can be completed full-time or part-time, with classes that meet primarily in the evenings and online. Scheduling is highly flexible, with most classes meeting once per week.

Students will be required to select from 2 tracks, General Finance or Investment Management & Quantitative Finance.

Admission to the program is highly competitive and is based on several factors, including prior academic record, professional experience, standardized test scores, essays, and recommendations. The curriculum has been designed by the College of Management Accounting and Finance faculty in consultation with the AF Department’s Advisory Board to assist students in furthering careers in finance and in preparing for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.

UMass Boston's MBA is a streamlined 12-course, AACSB-accredited, immersive business program. focused on equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a business leader. The program is designed for professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of the ever-changing business world to advance their career, change careers, or start their own business. Explore foundational business theories, gain experience with emerging technologies, and develop your analytical skills.

The Information Technology major offered through UMass Boston's College of Management is designed to offer pathways to highly-demanded careers in IT for both high school graduates and students of Massachusetts community colleges. Our small classes ensure personalized attention from IT faculty while our ties to the Greater Boston business and technical communities add an extra dimension of learning to our program of business information technology education. The IT major offers an “applications-path” format for students which includes a core of technical knowledge (nine courses), an area of specialization or track within IT (four or five courses, depending on track selection), three professional electives in an application or domain area (preferably outside of IT but within business), and two wrap-up courses (project management and IT capstone), in addition to general education requirements.

The IT major is project-based.  Every exercise assigned throughout the BSIT is designed to be of the kind that a student might encounter in his or her work: collaboration, competence, and outcomes assessment are the hallmark characteristics of the program.  Students will learn how to use IT to solve real-world problems within the context of a field in which they wish to work. Graduates will be familiar with, and be able to apply, the following core information technologies to solve business problems:

• Programming
• Networking
• Databases
• Web technologies

Business Intelligence (BI) is the technology that companies such as Amazon.com and Google use to take advantage of the enormous amount of data they collect and analyze. It is the technology with which Amazon.com knows what book to recommend you every time you login, Google knows how to rank the pages you are searching for, and banks decide whether to approve loan applications almost instantly.

The English major invites students to engage in the study of literature, composition, language, and film. English majors learn how to write well, read critically, develop research skills, and work hands-on in digital environments. The English major allows students to create print, visual, and digital texts across a range of genres including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Through a diverse range of course offerings, the English major develops a student’s abilities to engage with the world while also cultivating a variety skills, including:

• Analytical writing
• Critical interpretation
• Original inquiry and research
• The ability to develop, discuss, and debate complex ideas

Program Highlights

• Choose to explore an area of concentration: Creative Writing, Professional and New Media Writing, or Race, Ethnicity, and Literature.
• Choose to pursue initial teaching licensure in the English Teaching program.
• Work side-by-side with professors and fellow students in small, discussion-based classes on a diverse range of topics.
• Participate in extracurricular activities, ranging from the Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society to the Literary Theory Reading Group.
• Be prepared to enter the workforce, with a one-credit mini-course on “English 457: Careers in English and Preparing for the Job Market.”
• Engage with a dynamic and accomplished faculty. The English Department hosts vibrant events—such as guest speakers, creative writing readings, and contests—that are free and open to the UMass Boston community.
• Participate in The Watermark, a journal of literature and artwork created by UMass Boston students.