MIS3504 – As part of the program redesign in 2011, I worked with another faculty member to redesign MIS201, our systems analysis and design course and launched the new course as MIS3504 – Digital Design and Innovation. We transformed this course from a traditional analysis and design course to a course that leveraged modern design thinking and taught students how to work as a business analyst in an IT organization.
Over time this course became MIS3506. We have continued to work on developing this course and it is now one of the few “studio” courses in the Fox School where students “Learn by Doing”. Students learn to work a business analyst on a team on a real-world analysis and design project, typically for an external client. This course is also considered to be a “vertical studio” where students in this course are partnered with MIS3535 students creating teams that utilize students in different parts of our curriculum. MIS3535 – As part of the 2011 program redesign, like MIS3504, MIS3535 was transformed into a studio course where students “learn by doing”. Over time we created “vertical studios” where students from 3504 who are learning to work as business analysts are put on team with students from 3535 who are learning to work as project managers and the collective team would work on a 14-week analysis and design project, typically for an external client. As project managers the 3535 students were trained in using the tools and techniques for delivering a project on-time, under-budget and in perfect working order but since they all already took MIS3504 they were also taught to be coaches and mentors to the business analysts on their team. This vertical studio course sequence has become one of the hallmarks of the MIS student experience.