Abstract: This paper describes James Madison University’s undergraduate major in Computer Information Systems as an example of a high-quality Information Systems (IS) program and discusses our planned evolution in the context of the rapid changes of technological, business, and social factors. We have determined what we consider to be five essential ingredients of what makes JMU’s program a high-quality IS major. These are: (1) building an integrated, rigorous curriculum with a strong technical foundation; (2) developing a vibrant community of faculty, students, alumni, employers, and community service organizations; (3) respecting and supporting pedagogical scholarship; (4) committing to continuous improvement and assessment; and (5) accreditation. We believe these ingredients will continue to be highly relevant as the IS discipline moves forward, but also that curriculum content will need to adjust to meet changing demand. We discuss the increasing relevance of topics such as analytics, security, and the cloud to the IS curriculum and their implications for pedagogy, accreditation, and scholarship. We hope that sharing JMU’s experience, insights, and future directions will be useful to JISE’s readership.

Keywords: IS programs, Curriculum design & development, ABET, Assessment, IS education research, Community

Download this article: JISE - Volume 30 Issue 4, Page 266.pdf

Recommended Citation: Lending, D., Mitri, M., & Dillon, T. W. (2019). Invited Paper: Ingredients of a High-Quality Information Systems Program in a Changing IS Landscape Journal of Information Systems Education, 30(4), 266-286.