Master of Science in Administration
Information Resource Management Concentration

The Master of Science in Administration degree is an interdisciplinary program that was developed in the early 1970s to meet the educational needs and interests of administrators in both the public and nonprofit sectors. The primary focus of the degree program is applied action grounded in theory. The principal elements of this degree are knowledge, competencies, and practical processes needed for successful careers in administration.

The program includes a core of courses that provides the student with a base of common knowledge and competencies required for successful administration. In addition, the program provides a concentration of specialized courses in the student's area of professional interest. The program culminates in an integrative applied project that links the concepts of the program to the world of work and demonstrates the unity and coherence of the student's course of study.

Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Master of Science in Administration program, a candidate must meet the requirements for regular admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Applicants who possess an undergraduate g.p.a. less than 2.5 may be conditionally admitted. A maximum of six hours taken before admission to the MSA program may be counted toward the degree.

Degree Requirements
MSA 600, 630 and 640 are required for all MSA concentrations. No student may count toward the MSA degree more than 15 semester hours from the following:
a. courses carrying designators from the College of Business Administration
b. MSA 630, MSA 660, and MSA 675;
c. prior learning credits have business titles (EDP only), and;
d. transfer credit of courses with a business connotation from other universities.

In addition:
a. MSA Certificate programs may not use more than 12 credits in College of Business Administration courses.
b. Business courses taken on any certificate program will not apply to any business degree program at CMU.
c. Courses with MSA designators may not be used toward an MBA degree and courses with MBA designators may not be used toward the MSA degree.


I. Administrative Core
MSA 600 (3) Administrative Research and Report Methods
MSA 610 (3) Environments in Administration
MSA 620 (3) Effective Administration and Organizational Behavior
MSA 630 (3) Administrative Control and Analysis
MSA 640 (3) Quantitative Applications in Administrative Decision Making
MSA 650 (3) Organization Theory: Strategy and Structure
MSA 660 (3) Marketing Administration
MSA 675 (3) Strategic Policy Administration
MSA 696 (3) Special topics

II. Area of Concentration (15-18 hours)
Upon admission, each MSA candidate will have an adviser appointed by the MSA Director in the student's area of emphasis. At this time, the specific courses needed to fulfill the area of concentration requirements will be identified.

III. Integrating Experience (3-6 hours)
This requirement may be met by either MSA 685 or MSA 690. These courses are designed to combine practical experience, integrate knowledge from the academic program, and demonstrate ability to design and execute a research project.

Total: 36 credit hours
(Above has been taken from the 1996-98 Graduate Studies Bulletin, page 170)

Information Resource Management Concentration

This concentration has been designed to enable students to develop a comprehensive management approach to the introduction of information systems and technology in an organization. Business Information Systems courses on the concentration include:

BIS 601 (3) Information Systems
Concepts and practices of management information systems for using information in the management of business enterprise resources.

BIS 630 (3) Systems Analysis and Design
Business systems modeling; planning and developing systems prototypes; and investigation and analysis of systems strategies and models.

BIS 633 (3) Decision Support Systems
Concepts and practices of decision support systems used to assist managers in decision making. A decision support system is developed using a fourth-generation computer language.

BIS 634 (3) Information Resource Management
Broad Range of uses and problems associated with the management (including the planning and operations) of information systems and information technology.

BIS 635 (3) Business Systems Applications
Major information systems of an organization and utilization of the tools of systems analysis in a real-world situation.

For further information on the MSA Program, contact:

Dr. Susan Smith, Director
MSA Program, Graduate Studies
IET Building 109
Telephone: 517-774-3554
E-Mail: Susan.Kay.Smith@cmich.edu

OR for information on the Information Resource Management Concentration, contact:

Dr. Frank Andera, Chair
Business Information Systems Department
Grawn 305
Telephone: 517-774-3554
E-Mail: Frank.Andera@cmich.edu

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Last updated/reviewed 4/27/97