2 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT & INFORMATICS GOALS AND CONTENTS The Master of Science in Management & Informatics has been designed to provide graduates from a wide variety of backgrounds (informatics, economics, mathematics, business, engineering, etc.) with the necessary tools and skills for understanding complex information technology (IT) problems while, at the same time, knowing about the needs and requirements of a modern organization. The shortage of professionals who can interface these two sides is apparent in many companies and leads to extra costs, development of less efficient systems, and general misunderstandings between the technical and organizational parts of a company. The purpose of the degree is to offer a solution to this problem, and to educate professionals who can take responsibility for the interface between these two sides of an organization. Potential job profiles range from project management to consulting This Master combines lectures to cover the theoretical aspects with hands-on labs for conveying the relevant practical elements This Master offers a balanced combination of courses that cover the necessary background in management as well as the fundamental aspects of current and evolving information technologies. Moreover, the programme provides students with a specialized knowledge in topics at the interface between management and informatics such as enterprise resource planning. Since English is the unique teaching language, graduates are well-prepared to work in international companies. Moreover, the interdisciplinary approach of this Master provides a general skill to work across traditional areas. CAREER PROSPECTS On the one hand, graduates from this Master will have sufficient knowledge in informatics to be able to interact with the IT department of an organization. This includes a profound understanding of the technical issues involved, the evaluation of technical proposals, and the ability to articulate possible solutions to the organization or the customer. On the other hand, they also understand the tactical and strategic use of IT to enhance the efficiency of an organization and know how to explain the requirement of the users in terms that can be understood by the IT department or the client. The primary labour market for the graduates of the programme is found in medium to large companies as well as the public sector, both in Switzerland and abroad. Most companies struggle with integrating IT in the organization and there is a great need for people who can be the interface between the technical and organizational parts of a company. Potential job profiles range from project management to consulting and include areas such as evaluating the benefit and managing the introduction of a new technology into an organization, designing and implementing small and large scale IT systems, and consulting companies and customers regarding the requirements and the limitations of IT systems. STUDY PROGRAMME FIRST SEMESTER Core Courses (12 ECTS) Project Management 3 Enterprise Resource Planning 6 Enterprise Resource Planning Lab 3 Informatics track (18 ECTS) Accounting 6 Strategic Marketing 6 Corporate Strategy 6 SECOND SEMESTER Informatics track (6 ECTS) Financial Mathematics 6 Core Courses (18 ECTS) Modelling, Simulation, and Optimization 6 Operations Management 3 Business Intelligence 6 Business Intelligence Lab 3 THIRD SEMESTER Core Courses (6 ECTS) Six Sigma 6 Capstone Work (12 ECTS) Field Project 12 FOURTH SEMESTER Capstone Work (18 ECTS) Master Thesis 18 Management track (18 ECTS) Fundamentals of Informatics 6 Fundamentals of Programming 6 Optimization or Probability and Statistics 6 Management track (6 ECTS) Data Bases 6 Elective Courses (6 ECTS) Writing Business Plans 3 Human Resources Management 3 International Business 3 Decision Making 3 Elective Courses (12 ECTS) Software Engineering 6 Distributed Systems 6 Intelligent Systems 6 Business Dynamics 3 Change Management 3 Digital Marketing 3 Global Market Strategies 3 Elective Courses (12 ECTS) Human Computer Interaction 6 Information Security 6 Software Architecture and Design 6 Innovation 3 Mergers and Acquisitions 3 Service Marketing 3 Total ECTS 120 Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
4 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT & INFORMATICS FIRST SEMESTER CORE COURSE Project Management Why do so many projects fail? Why do so many others fail to produce lasting results? Why do so many projects suffer from cost and time overruns? How can firms identify and design highleverage policies to improve project performance? Due to high cost and time overruns of most projects, however, many organizations struggle to meet customer needs and market potential. Effective project management can provide managers with the appropriate methods and tools to improve their projects. In this course, we will cover three important aspects of project management: The theory, methods and quantitative tools used to effectively plan, organize, and control projects; Efficient management methods revealed through practice and research; and Hands-on, practical project management knowledge from optimization and simulation exercises. Enterprise Resource Planning The main objective of this course is to provide a functional map of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, by distinguishing core and extended functionalities. The course explains how information systems have evolved over time and how ERPs represent the result of a continuous and still ongoing functional integration process. Enterprise Resource Planning Lab The main objective of this course is to provide guidelines to implement different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) deployment strategies and management. The course will discuss a framework and related methodological guidelines to support the main managerial and organisational choices related to ERP projects. This course is built on the concepts from the course Enterprise Resource Planning, which is held in parallel. INFORMATICS TRACK Accounting Strategic Marketing The marketplace is in a constant state of change and it is critical that marketers understand the changes taking place and develop marketing activities to pursue opportunities and minimize threats. Strategic Marketing seeks to build a strategic framework of integrating business objectives, strategies, positioning and activities necessary for effective marketing implementation. Strategic marketing provides a perspective and emphasis that extends beyond the traditional focus on managing the marketing mix. Corporate Strategy This course focuses on business strategy, examining issues central to long and short-term competitive position. We will explore a variety of conceptual frameworks and models to analyse and gain insight into how to achieve or sustain competitive advantage. This journey starts by analysing the impact of the internal context (resources and capabilities) on firm performance and subsequently analysing the external environment influence on a firm s performance. After covering both the external and internal perspectives, we bring these concepts together to discuss firm level competitive advantage. This first part of the course focuses on single business or business unit strategy and will take up the first ten weeks. The final weeks explore corporate or multi-business strategy and international strategy. Some of the central questions for the course are: 1) How and why do firms differ? 2) Why are some firms more successful than their competitors? Is this advantage sustainable or short-lived and why? 3) What makes a particular industry attractive? 4) What determines success in corporate diversification? 5) What determines success or failure in international competition? For each of the topics covered, you will get an overview of the current thinking and practice in the application of the concepts. By the end of the course you will be able to assess and successfully analyse ill-structured strategic problems by selecting and effectively applying the appropriate tools and frameworks. The class uses variety of teaching methods including lecturing, video, group work, games and presentations. MANAGEMENT TRACK Fundamentals of Informatics The course gives an introduction into the main theoretical topics in Computer Science. The goal of the course is to acquire basic knowledge on the mathematical basis of Informatics, such as Logic and Discrete Mathematics, as well as of the important notions and concepts of Algorithmics, Computability, and Complexity theory. Fundamentals of Programming The course is intended to provide non-informatics majors with an introduction to algorithmic problem solving and programming. It will use the Python language for programming. It will focus on the language s imperative features but it will also touch on its functional features and conclude
6 by introducing its object-oriented features. The course is an introduction to computational thinking. Students learn about declarative problem description (what) and procedural problem solving (how). It introduces the phases of requirements gathering, problem specication, software design, programming, testing, and debugging, with the focus on the programming phase. Optimisation This course provides an introduction into fundamental techniques in discrete and continuous optimisation. Optimisation problems show up in many application areas, starting from discrete networks, the design of circuits, ranging over control problems to design and shape optimisation in engineering. In this course, we will discuss linear and nonlinear problems, constrained and unconstrained optimisation as well as numerical methods for solving these problems. Probability and Statistics Randomness and uncertainty are ubiquitous in computer science as well as in our everyday lives. Many events and observations are steered by random phenomena. The dynamic behavior of systems can often be modeled as a random process. Experimental analysis requires basic knowledge of probabilities and statistical methods. Further, in computer science, randomness often is an important tool for efficient solutions. The course will cover the basic mathematical techniques to argue about these topics. Most of the course will be devoted to a general introduction to probability theory. In a second part, we will give an introduction to statistical methods and discuss some of the most important statistical tests. The main goal of the course is to learn, understand, and apply the necessary basic tools to cope with randomness, probability, and uncertainty. SECOND SEMESTER INFORMATICS TRACK Financial Mathematics MANAGEMENT TRACK Databases Querying, organizing, designing, and managing data collections, ranging from small to very large sizes, is a key aspect of the expertise of computer science professionals. The goal of this course is to introduce the fundamental concepts related to Data Base Management Systems, which constitute the core technology in several ICT applications, as well as in enterpises. The course will introduce data-centric abstractions, models, and languages that are useful in order to design and use databases. The course moves from initial motivations - justifying the relevance of information systems in modern society - to the essential aspects of data management, which are covered by including both theoretical and practical aspects. At the end of the course, we expect the student to develop basic abilities about how to design and query a database, and to be informed about the use of such components within information systems architectures. CORE COURSE Modelling, Simulation and Optimisation Modelling, simulation and optimisation are fundamental to solving problems in a number of fields of science, technology and life. Students will learn to design, implement, simulate, and optimise a model of dynamic system. Simulation, the exploration of the dynamic behaviour of the model in time and space, is discussed for both continuous and discrete-event systems. Simulating a model allows the evaluation of indicators of the performance of the modelled system, improving our understanding of its behaviour and dynamic complexity. Optimisation techniques allow to explore the space of the system trajectories generated by simulation in order to find the best way of managing the system under study. Operations Management This course addresses the management of operations in manufacturing and service organizations. Our objective is to introduce students to concepts and techniques related to the design, planning, control, and improvement of manufacturing and service operations. Managing operations effectively requires both strategic and tactical skills and is one of the most critical aspects of an organization. Effective and efficient utilization of resources by an organization determines its success in the long run and operations management is a means to achieve this end. This is especially true today, when we see that significant competitive advantages accrue to firms that manage their operations effectively. While the primary objective of this course is to familiarize students with the basic concepts, techniques, methods, and applications of operations management, it will provide you with an understanding of operations and the role that they play within an organization Business Intelligence The course aims at developing a working knowledge of the principles, architectures, methods, and tools for Process and Information Management in the Enterprise, with a special focus on Model Driven Engineering (MDE) and on the modern trends in enterprise architectures and applications, as embodied in such areas of Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Social Tools for the so called Enterprise 2.0. The course will start with an overview of the architectures for information management, from mainframe, to client-server, multi-tier, and cloud computing. Next, software architectures for data and process management will be introduced, with a focus on Service Oriented Architectures and enterprise Application Integration and Data Interchange. The couse will then present the basic principles and concepts of agile and model-driven enterprise application development, using OMG s classic Model Driven Architecture (MDA) as conceptual
8 scaffolding for explaining the development processes and activities. The notion of model will be thoroughly illustrated, with the help of different modelling languages (including BPMN, UML 2.0, and Domain Specific Languages). As a case study, the multi-level modelling and transformation of process specifications into JEE applications will be presented, which will permit to gain a concrete vision of how MDE can be applied to address the analysis and development of process-driven, distributed, and multi-actor enterprise applications. To support practical activities, a panorama of existing tools supporting MDE best practices will be offered, addressing the popular Eclipse-based MDE functionalities and DSL-based solutions, like the WebRatio tool suite. Finally the couse will address the problem of enterprise data integration and knowledge managmement, by illustrating the modern data storage and querying solutions for operational databases and data warehouses. Data mining and business intelligence applications will be discussed. An outlook on emerging data architectures will be provided, touching upon information retrieval architectures, real-time stream-reasoning architectures, and big data distributed architectures. The course will conclude with an overview of the so called Enterprise 2.0 concept, including Social Business Process Management, Enterprise Social Software and appliction gamification. Business Intelligence Lab The course aims at developing a practical experience in the application of some of the principles, architectures, methods, and tools addressed in the Business Intelligence COURSE. ELECTIVE COURSE Writing Business Plans This course offers participants the opportunity to learn to develop and evaluate business plans. The course is built on the knowledge already acquired by a student of the Master in Management and it simulates an entrepreneurial experience. Students are required to develop business plans for two different start-ups: one for a manufacturing company and the other in a services company. Human Resources Management This course discusses core issues in the management of human resources. The relationship between the parts of the employment relation is followed throughout its development. Example of topics discussed in Human Resources Management include investment in human capital, hiring decision, employee training, the design of compensation and incentive systems, and career planning. The function of a human resource department but the main part of the course is concerned with the responsibility of every manager s responsibility in managing human resources. Furthermore, we will in the course also cover aspect of international human resource management. The corse will make use of case studies, exercises and articles. International Business This course aims to form students knowledge in the area of International Business. Specifically students will develop capabilities to identify, frame and understand problems related to the management of international operations. Throughout the course issues are discussed in both theoretical and practical terms to stimulate students to relate models and concepts with practical situations. By the end of the course the students will be able to: discuss implications of globalization and cultural differences understand the implications of operating across national borders compare different internationalization processes describe how firms operate in different markets analyze different international strategies and organizational structures evaluate and criticize different leadership and control models describe the specificity of different functions and units within the international firm understand the basis for the competitive advantage of international firms Decision Making The course is a general introduction to modeling in the social sciences and to decision making. Main topics include individual decision making under risk and uncertainty, learning, and diffusion. The teaching method will be a mix of lectures and class exercises. The class requires a basic knowledge of mathematics. THIRD SEMESTER CORE COURSES Six Sigma Six Sigma is a method based on quality management and a process view of the organization which aims to provide a framework for continues improvement. Originally developed by Motorola in 1986 it is today widely used in many sectors of industry. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and develops a infrastructure of people within the organization ( Black Belts, Green Belts, etc.) who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified financial targets (cost reduction and/or profit increase).
10 CAPSTONE WORK Field Project Conducted by a group of four to five students under the supervision of a professor ( tutor ) of the specific Master track. The tutor assists the team in managing contacts with the client-company, in the development of the project and in the preparation of the final report and presentation of findings to the client company. During the field project, students attend Research Laboratories where they exchange information on their experiences with other students and tutors and receive input on research design and methods, and on presentation skills. The project work will be evaluated by the tutor, taking into consideration the quality of the final report, client satisfaction and the functioning of the team. The Field Project represents an important occasion for connecting up with a real-life corporate environment and issues; it is evaluated and graded on the basis of the quality of the final report, client satisfaction, and team work. ELECTIVE COURSE Software Engineering Software engineering is the discipline of building software in a methodical way to ensure that software satisfies its users needs, is dependable and maintainable. The course teaches the students how to organize software development projects, how to analyze and specify software requirements, and how to verify software. The course will focus on the use of formal models and methodsin software development. Distributed Systems This course is an introduction to distributed systems. It covers basic principles, architectures, and algorithms of distributed systems. The course is structured in four parts: (i) foundations of distributed systems, focusing on system models; (ii) system infrastructure, such as operating system support, distributed file systems, and distributed shared memory; (iii) basic distributed algorithms (coordination and agreement); and (iv) distributed data management, including distributed transactions and concurrency control. Intelligent Systems Intelligent Systems solutions arise in a wide range of modern applications: web search, robotics, embedded computing, pattern recognition, scientific computing, scheduling, optimisation, game playing, etc. In the theoretical part of this course, foundations of machine learning and computational intelligence will be covered. In the practically oriented part examples of learning systems will be covered. Essential for many jobs at Google etc! Business Dynamics Business Dynamics helps participants learn to use system dynamics tools and techniques so that they can begin to develop a dynamic view of strategy. Participants are taken through every phase from strategy development to implementation. Teaching will include methods ranging from traditional lectures to workshops and case studies. Frequent group work sessions will offer plenty of opportunities for learning from peers as well. By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of the complexities of dynamic strategy and will be familiar with the best and latest tools for strategy design and implementation. The course content covers feedback mapping, archetypes, and building and using simulation models. The emphasis will be on developing the skills to create simulation models of business situations to help managers make better decisions when faced with uncertainty. Change Management In this course, we will analyze the forces that drive organisations to change, examine impediments to change, and survey a range of approaches for making organisational change more effective. Change occurs in many forms from minor transitions to major transformations and upheavals. Effectively managing change involves different activities depending on the scope of change and the organisation s readiness for it. The course will provide participants with practical skills and hands-on tools for planning and guiding large-scale systemic change, managing specific change projects (innovations, pilot projects, new and emerging ventures), and diffusing or scaling up specific projects for company growth or change. Both consultants and internal change leaders will benefit from these skills. Digital Marketing This course is designed as an introduction to the rapidly evolving world of Digital marketing. The opportunities, problems, tactics and strategies associated with incorporating electronic methods into the marketing practices are examined. The course includes discussion of the importance of web business models, web brand building and online customer relationships. Also the new methods of advertising in the era of social media (blogging, social networking, content sharing and virtual worlds) are addressed. These objectives will be met through text readings, lectures, group assignments and class discussions. Global Market Strategies The course provides future managers with a clear conceptual understanding of: The fundamental economic, financial, and political factors affecting the international expansion of the firm, as distinct from purely domestic factors. The persistence of cross-national differences that affect the strategy and structure, performance, and value of the multinational firm. The optimal sequence, speed, and mode of international expansion.
12 The models for organizing and managing a multinational network of subsidiaries, including their coordination across borders. A model for change in strategy and structure for firms operating across the globe Lugano University and Switzerland are literally in the center of Europe, and therefore an obvious center for international management research and education. USI is exceptionally international in terms of faculty, students and curriculum. The course intends to demonstrate that decisions affecting the international expansion of the firm are neither obvious nor totally determined by the technological or economic forces generally associated with globalization. Detailed case studies (which include Swiss, Italian as well as firms from other countries) are used to illustrate that the internationalization of the firm is a sequential decision-making process operating at the country, industry, corporate, business, and subsidiary levels of analysis. Firms manage knowledge accumulation and transfer as they grow international through a mixture of planning and trial-and-error. Students will experience in the classroom the most daunting decisions that multinational firms face in the course of conducting business across borders. The course is unique in that it presents and explains the unexpected ways in which international competition unfolds over time and across countries. Teams of students are expected to take the lead in a case discussion to make the class an effort at distributed learning. FOURTH SEMESTER CAPSTONE WORK Master Thesis The thesis is an academic piece of work, an original contribution to the body of the Master programmes, either in the Informatics or Economics track. Such a contribution can be more theoretical or experimental, but always builds on a solid research effort, and on the use of appropriate concepts, methods, and tools acquired during the Master. Faculty members support and coach the students during their MasterOs thesis work. The thesis can be started in the third semester once the student has obtained 60 ECTS worth of credits, and completed by the end of the fourth semester. Up to 6 ECTS of credits towards the thesis may be gained in the third semester. A student willing to start working on the Master thesis should contact a professor interested in supervising the work. The faculty maintains a database with projects proposed by faculty members. ELECTIVE COURSES Human Computer Interaction Information Security The goal of this class is to expose students to the fundamental concepts of computer and communications security. The growing importance of networks and distributed systems, and their use to support safety-critical applications, has made computer and communications security a central issue for systems today. Additionally, the rise of social networks and location-based services has increased the amount of our personal data held by third parties significantly. It is therefore imperative that students know the technical foundations of computer and communications security, as well as the basic goals and mechanisms of privacy-aware data processing. Software Architecture and Design This class teaches the students to structure complex software systems using components and to keep track of the rationale behind their design. Architecture is not only necessary as the global blueprint to guide the design and manage the complexity of large software systems, but should also be seen as the focus of the main design decisions influencing the properties (modularity, maintainability, extensibility, portability, interoperability, reuse, performance) of the resulting system. Innovation Today s world is one of rapid change - technological, social, economic and political. Organisations, large or small, must respond to these changes in order to survive. The most successful organisations, however, are those which exploit and even create change. This course will expose students to a mix of approaches and techniques that promote innovative thinking and entrepreneurial behavior in organisations. The course examines how patterns of change in technologies and industries create both opportunities and threats for existing firms and entrepreneurs. Theoretical models and actual examples emphasize how technological and organisational systems are key components of an entrepreneurial mindset. Furthermore, the course focuses on tactics and strategies that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship within (and between) organisations. Cases and articles highlight critical success factors for both new and established firms, and also how inter-organisational activities shape markets and opportunities. Mergers and Acquisitions The course in centered on the M&A process. The first part is focused on the development of strategic analysis to support the decision of external development and/or of diversification. A specific focus will be dedicated to the methodologies used to identify M&A possible targets. The second part is dedicated to the transaction, and in particular it is focused on the management of financial and legal aspects. The final part explores the post-merger integration phase. The course is based on business cases discussion; legal and financial M&A consultants will be invited as testimonials.
14 Service Marketing More than half of the GDP of developed economies originates in the service sectors. Furthermore, most businesses contain elements of service. The production process and the market relationships for services differ in several aspects from those for tangible goods. That poses some specific problems in marketing and management of services that will be exposed and discussed in this course. The course revolves around three main themes: peculiarities of service processes; managing service quality and relationships; organisational aspects of marketing in service companies. Students will be expected to actively participate in discussions of case studies as well as to carry out field work and present the results. GENERAL INFORMATION LANGUAGE This programme is entirely held in English ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Bachelor s degree granted by a recognised university in Informatics, Economics, Mathematics, Business, or Engineering. Good knowledge of English is required. Applicants whose first degree was not taught in English, are required to at least have earned a B2 certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference or an equivalent level of another proficiency certificate e.g. TOEFL, IELTS. CONTACTS USI Università della Svizzera italiana Study Advisory Service Tel. +41 58 666 4795 studyadvisor@usi.ch Please find more information on: www.mmi.usi.ch