USC
University of Southern California
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Areas of Concentration

Department of Information and Operations Management

The Information and Operations Management Department focuses on the development of total enterprise quality through effective utilization of resources and technology. The courses offered by this department reflect the systems view of organizations in terms of operational processes and information exchanges. The department offers undergraduate options in operations management (OM) and information systems (IS). Operations management focuses on the management of quality and productivity in manufacturing and service organizations. Information systems focuses on the management of the various resources, people and computing technology that satisfy the information needs in all organizations.

Information Systems Concentration

Information technology has evolved to become one of the greatest opportunities and challenges facing business today. The information systems senior concentration prepares students for management careers related to information systems (IS) and to design, implement, evaluate and manage information technology (IT).

Although appropriate for a wide array of career paths, many graduates choose to pursue careers in information systems consulting (e.g., Big Four), work in corporate IT departments or provide critical IT expertise in functional areas such as finance, marketing and accounting.

The IS senior option classes are designed to prepare students for positions as business analyst, applications systems analyst, Internet marketing analyst, risk management analyst, information security analyst and project coordinator.

The senior concentration requires a minimum of 16 units of information systems classes. The classes may be taken in any order. No prerequisites are required, but a recommended course sequence is listed.

Recommended Course Sequence -- 16 units required to complete the concentration
Semester 1Units
IOM 401Business Information Systems: Spreadsheet Applications 2
IOM 402Business Information Systems: Database Applications 2
IOM 431Business Information Systems4
IOM 435Business Database Systems4

Semester 2Units
IOM 428Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence and Data Mining 4
IOM 433Business Information Systems Analysis and Design4
IOM 444Business Systems Networking and Information Security4
IOM 445Business Information Systems Management and Strategy4
IOM 455Project Management4

Operations Management Concentration

This concentration prepares undergraduate students for management careers in manufacturing or service operations, including operations consulting, supply chain management and distribution and logistics. Career tracks include production manager, project manager, management consultant, warehouse manager, buyer/planner, logistics director, quality assurance associate and supply chain manager. Course work topics include supply chain analysis, lean operations facilities design, new production technology investment decision, quality management, material procurement, inventory control, logistics, and optimization and simulation tools for operations analysis.

To gain the operations management concentration, take four of the following courses in any order.

IOM 427Spreadsheet Modeling, Optimization and Analysis4
IOM 431Business Information Systems Management and Strategy4
IOM 455Project Management4
IOM 482Supply Chain Management4
IOM 483Operations Consulting4