Revising the IS Model Curriculum: Rethinking the Process and the Approach

Heikki Topi, Bentley College
Joseph S. Valacich, Washington State University
Kate M. Kaiser, Marquette University
J. F. Nunamaker Jr., University of Arizona
Janice C. Sipior, Villanova University
Gert-Jan de Vreede, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Ryan T. Wright, University of San Francisco

Article published in Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 20, 2007) 728-740

Abstract

This paper summarizes the key elements of a panel presentation at the Americas Conference for Information Systems (AMCIS) 2007 that reviewed the current status of the joint Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)/Association for Information Systems (AIS) undergraduate information systems model curriculum revision project. After providing a brief historical overview of IS model curricula and describing the reasons why a revision is overdue, the paper focuses on three main aspects of the current revision proposal. These include: 1) extending the reach and applicability of the curriculum model beyond business schools and making it a genuinely global model; 2) separating core topics from career track electives and including career tracks in the model; and 3) revising the curriculum development model to be significantly more inclusive using modern Web-based technologies.