Business Information Systems Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Options available:
The Business Information Systems (BIS) curriculum teaches you to marshal technology to help organizations achieve a competitive advantage in today's rapidly changing environment.
You will gain a firm foundation in business administration and learn to analyze, develop, manage and protect information systems.
The BIS program offers two focus areas:
- The IS Management Focus concentrates on developing and managing information systems that will help organizations succeed.
- The Cybersecurity Management Focus emphasizes Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and aligning IT processes with organizational goals.
Depending on the skills, interests and focus you choose, you might become a business process analyst, IT security administrator, IT project manager, IT auditor, application specialist, data modeler, security/GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance specialist, systems analyst, software quality tester, developer, database or systems administrator, or choose from other technology-oriented business careers.
You will not just learn theory. You have plenty of opportunities to build, troubleshoot, refine and manage information systems through targeted exercises based on real-world projects.
Major Code: 183
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Analyze and model the flow of information through business processes.
- Formulate plans and architectures for the capture, storage and retrieval of data.
- Develop computer programs to support or automate business processes.
- Apply networking concepts and technologies to support business needs.
- Align information systems and services with business strategy and formulate plans for the retrieval and analysis of supporting data.
- Document, monitor and assess the effectiveness of IT controls.
- Apply standard project management tools and approaches to IS projects.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Business Information Systems Curriculum | 30 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 18-26 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| or BA 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 102-106 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
Business Information Systems Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIS Core | ||
| BIS 272 | BUSINESS APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| or CS 161 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I | |
| BIS 371 | BUSINESS DATA MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BIS 471 | BUSINESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING 1 | 4 |
| or BIS 421 | NETWORKING BASICS PRACTICUM | |
| BIS 472 | INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY 1 | 4 |
| or BIS 422 | CYBERSECURITY BASICS PRACTICUM | |
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 12 credits from the following (see Focus Areas for guidance): 2 | 12 | |
| IT AUDITING 1 | ||
or BIS 423 | IT AUDIT BASICS PRACTICUM | |
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT | ||
| INFORMATION SECURITY GOVERNANCE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL FORENSICS | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (eg. BIS 004) 3 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. BIS 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. BA 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. BA 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. BIS 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. BIS 410) | ||
Department Approved Certification | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ORIENTATION and IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BUSINESS | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
With departmental approval, students may substitute a course with an equivalent certification and practicum hours and choose another elective to reach the 28 credit minimum
- 2
Some elective courses require a prerequisite grade of C or higher
- 3
Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship (e.g. BIS 004) course for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Focus Areas
Focus Areas are suggested course combinations directed at specific areas of interest and professional goals, but other combinations of focus area courses may be selected.
The Cybersecurity Management Focus emphasizes Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and aligning IT processes with organizational goals.
The IS Management Focus concentrates on developing and managing information systems that will help organizations succeed.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity Management | ||
| ACTG 420 | IT AUDITING | 4 |
| BIS 482 | INFORMATION SECURITY GOVERNANCE | 4 |
| CS 473 | INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL FORENSICS | 4 |
| IS Management | ||
| BANA 270 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 4 |
| BIS 372 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Major Code: 183
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 260 or BA 267 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET or INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 240 or BA 360 | FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BIS 272 or CS 161 | BUSINESS APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT or INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BIS 371 | BUSINESS DATA MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BIS Elective | 4 | |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BIS Elective | 4 | |
| BIS Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| BIS 471 or BIS 421 | BUSINESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING or NETWORKING BASICS PRACTICUM | 4 |
| Elective | 5 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| BIS 472 or BIS 422 | INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY or CYBERSECURITY BASICS PRACTICUM | 4 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course