Course Descriptions

INSS Course Descriptions

• INSS 100 COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3)

  This course provides an introduction to the fundamental technologies that underpin modern organizations, as well as those that affect people's personal lives. The course will provide students with the essential knowledge needed to function productively and independently with information technology. Skills learned will include the ability to solve problems using software, to adapt to new technological environments, and to keep information organized and communicate effectively using technology. Topics will include exploring basic programming concepts through robotics, an introduction to data analysis using spreadsheets, an introduction to cyber security, privacy and ethics, and using databases. Students successfully completing this course will have met the UB graduation requirement for technology fluency. [COSC] [PPS] [ELECGE] [TF]

• INSS 209 INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING (3)

  This course develops logical and analytical thinking through basic programming concepts like looping, simple sequence, decision and branching. It also provides an exposure to algorithm development for the design of simple programs. Topics include basic concepts of data and file organization.

• INSS 225 STRUCTURAL PROGRAMMING USING PROCEDURAL LANGUAGES (3)

  This course introduces good coding practices using structured programming concepts. Modules and shared routines with single-entry and single-exit points are emphasized. Sequence, selection, repetition, and nesting, techniques are reinforced as acceptable means of controlling program logic. Students work on projects that involve analyzing, designing, coding, executing and testing programs. Pre-requisite: INSS 209.

• INSS 300 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3)

  Provides fundamental information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) knowledge and skills for business professionals, with a focus on the strategic, tactical, and operational applications of current information technologies and resulting products. Topics will include the role of IS and IT in decision-making process effectiveness; IS for competitive advantage; the economic, social, legal, and ethical impacts of IS and IT; information security; and key technologies that underpin important business applications such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. Students will develop introductory skills in Python and SQL, and intermediate skills in Excel.

• INSS 305 DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING (3)

  An essential skill for any business student is the ability to make data meaningful. This includes the ability to source, analyze, and present data effectively, as well as having an understanding of the major technological platforms used in industry for this purpose. Whether it is manipulating financial data or understanding social media feeds, identifying ethical or broader societal concerns, the data skills needed for modern data driven decision making have these common elements. Students will apply analytical techniques in order to make data-driven business decisions. They will improve their database, data management, data analytics, and data visualization skills as well as learning new methods like machine learning and data mining. They will also acquire basic proficiency in the industry-dominant technology platforms used for these tasks, like Tableau or python. The course will use real live data, whenever possible, to address pressing business issues from a variety of disciplines.

• INSS 310 CODING FOR DATA ANALYTICS (3)

  Data scientists spend up to 80% of their time and effort in collecting, cleaning and preparing data to produce usable datasets which can be leveraged for analytics. This course will focus on using the programming language python for these data preparation tasks. Students will learn to extract data from databases and unstructured data sources such as social media feeds, as well as how to "wrangle" (clean, transform, merge and reshape) data. Topics include python data structures, program logic and libraries, data management and data standardization. No prior experience with programming languages is required. Prerequisite: MATH 111 or MATH 115.

• INSS 315 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (3)

  Information technology stressing the ­personal computer (PC) as a critically important tool in today’s business ­environment. An advanced foundation in information technology enabling students to support personal computer users in selecting, acquiring, customizing, optimizing, maintaining and upgrading their PC hardware and system software. Topics include: characteristics of CPUs, input/output devices; motherboards and ­expansion cards; operating systems and graphical user interface; memory management; system performance benchmarks and techniques; hardware and software technical selection; hardware and software upgrading and installation, and setup of system software. Students are introduced to local area and wide area network technologies. Ethical and legal issues related to computers, especially to PCs, are presented. Prerequisite: INSS 100 or INSS 300 or equivalent.

• INSS 327 PROGRAM DESIGN AND DATA STRUCTURE (3)

  This objective of this course is on developing object-oriented programming skills. This includes abstract data type construction, data and file structure. It includes developing objects for IS applications using data structures including indexed files. instructor.Prerequisite: INSS 225 or equivalent or permission of instructor

• INSS 370 PROJECT MANAGEMENT (3)

  This course provides the fundamentals of project management, with a focus on managing information systems projects. Upon successful completion of this course, candidates may be eligible to take the Project Management Institute (PMI) exam for Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). Prerequisites: INSS 300 or permission of instructor

• INSS 401 INTERNET AND BUSINESS (3)

  Provides an understanding of the Internet and the information superhighway through hands-on experience with the main Internet services and applications. The course also answers the questions about how to use the Internet for communications; search for free information, files, and programs; and create a presence on the Internet for individuals and businesses using hypermedia and the Web. Prerequisite: INSS 300 / Merrick School of Business student or permission of instructor

• INSS 406 SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND LOGICAL DESIGN (3)

  Introduces key principles and techniques used to develop or modify information systems to support business ¬undertakings. The course covers the lifecycle of software systems, with an emphasis on the analysis and logical design phases. Topics include the determination and modeling of the requirements of information systems and software, business process modeling and reengineering, data modeling, data gathering and requirements specification, interface design, and the development of system prototypes, including electronic forms and reports. Students gain experience with leading industry development tools such as those from Oracle and PeopleSoft. prerequisite: INSS 209 or INSS 225 or equivalent/ Merrick School of Business student or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 421 DESIGN OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (3)

  Introduces the concepts and technologies relevant to the design, development, and implementation of database systems. Data modeling concepts and principles of database design are used to illustrate the construction of integrated databases. Database management systems (DBMS) and their purpose, advantages, disadvantages, and application in business are covered. Prerequisite: INSS 300/ Merrick School of Business student or ­permission of the instructor.

• INSS 422 BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE (3)

  Business Intelligence (BI) refers to the use of information technology to analyze complex information about an organization and its competitors for use in business planning and decision making. This course details the techniques and components of BI systems, as well as the critical variables needed to implement an effective BI program. The course takes a managerial approach to Business Intelligence, emphasizing BI applications and implementations, including data visualization. The course will involve use of industry standard software packages. Prerequisites: INSS 300 or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 427 BUSINESS DATA COMMUNICATIONS (3)

  Provides students with a basic understanding of terminology, techniques, and concepts of business data communications. The emphasis is on both the technical aspects of data communication and related managerial issues. Topics include, but are not limited to, physical aspects of data communication, common carrier services, local area networks, wide area networks, Internet and electronic commerce, network management, and ­network applications. Prerequisite: INSS 300 / Merrick School of Business student or by permission of the instructor

• INSS 431 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE (3)

  This course provides both a managerial and technical perspective on e-commerce applications, with an emphasis on the operational, tactical, and strategic applications of e-commerce, and the major technologies involved in their development. The course will cover the different types of e-commerce., the technologies and techniques involved, and the major issues facing organizations conducting electronic commerce. Managerial topics include mobile commerce; business, consumer, and government ecommerce uses; and legal, ethical and regulatory issues. Technical topics explored include network infrastructure, ecommerce security, and technologies for data transformation and exchange such as XML. Prerequisite: INSS 300/ Merrick School of Business student or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 452 WEB SERVER MANAGEMENT AND CGI PROGRAMMING (3)

  Provides students with intermediate skills in ­developing interactive, server-based, applications using the world wide web common gateway interface (CGI) and includes the installation and management of web server software, e.g., Apache and other freeware web server software. PERL and CGI programming, Visual Basic, C, or C++ may be used as an alternative CGI programming language. Prerequisites: INSS 401 and INSS 225, or 327, or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 453 INTERNET AND NETWORK SECURITY (3)

  Familiarizes students with basic security threats on networks connected to the Internet and basic tools to provide user and system security resources available on the Internet. The main focus is on digital and infrastructure security. Topics include security framework overview; footprinting; scanning; enumeration; hacking framework; backdoor servers and Trojans; root-kits; Windows (98/NT, 2000/XP) and Linux vulnerabilities; dialup, VPN and network devices vulnerabilities; firewalls; Intrusion Detection System (IDS); Denial of Service (DoS) and Ddos; buffer overflow; spyware; phishing; social engineering and protecting the Web end-user. This is a project-oriented course using a restricted-access UB lab to practice the use of hacking and security tools. Prerequisite: INSS 300 or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 454 OPERATING SYSTEMS (3)

  Functions of operating systems, including process management and concurrency, memory management, scheduling, and user and file management security are studied, as are hardware features required by modern operating systems. Course content also includes a study of symmetric multiprocessing, clusters’ hardware and operating systems concepts, and the capabilities of several commercial operating systems. Provides hands-on experience in a specialized laboratory that includes PC, workstation, and mini- and mainframe computer operating systems, including system setup and basic system administration functions. prerequisite: INSS 225 or INSS 327 or permission of the instructor

• INSS 460 COMPONENT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING (3)

  The current real –world software development environment is characterized by complex, sophisticated frameworks of interdependent tools, functionalities, and languages. Architectures such as J2EE and .NET facilitate the design and development of component-based, distributed, reusable software code for business applications. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the concepts, principles, and practices of component-oriented applications development, and to foster hands-on skills using one or more architectures. Topics include software design, development, assembly, and deployment issues, comparison with object-oriented approaches, component standards and libraries, and interoperability concerns. Prerequisite: INSS 225 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.

• INSS 470 IT SERVICE DELIVERY (3)

  As businesses become more dependent on technology, it is crucial that a company’s IT systems are designed and delivered to consistently support its business processes. One increasingly popular way to achieve this, particularly as applications hosted and managed "in the cloud" become more pervasive, is to take a service management approach. This course presents the fundamentals of IT service management, including service management strategies, the service lifecycle, metrics and performance indicators, and the impact a service mgt approach has on issues such as data management, virtualization, and security. The course material will prepare students for the ITILV3 Foundation certification exam. prerequisite: INSS 300 [CAP]

• INSS 490 MIS CAPSTONE PROJECT (3)

  Student teams undertake an MIS project in a public- or private-sector organization. Projects emphasize the integration of concepts and skills developed in prior courses. Projects typically include elements of analysis and design as well as database, telecommunications or management of information systems. prerequisites: Permission of instructor/ Merrick School of Business students

• INSS 493 HONORS SEMINAR (3)

  An advanced interdisciplinary seminar that focuses on important books and issues and encourages independent thinking, clear presentation and an understanding of the concerns and methods of various disciplines. The course may be team taught; topic and instructor(s) may change from semester to semester. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. prerequisites: 3.3 GPA and permission of the Denit Honors Program director

• INSS 494 HONORS PROJ (3 - 6)

  Directed individual instruction in an advanced project of the student's choice; the project must be academically related to this discipline. Each student works closely with a faculty director who guides his/her progress. The project must be of honors quality and must be finally approved by both the faculty director and a second faculty member. Course is eligible for a continuing studies grade. prerequisites: 3.3 GPA and permission of both the Denit Honors Program director and the faculty director

• INSS 495 INTERNSHIP IN MIS (3)

  Provides students with practical real-world experience in an organization. The course requires a minimum of 120 hours of practical work with a qualified firm based on explicit statements of student responsibilities and faculty/firm monitoring mechanism. Students will work closely with both the firm and a faculty member. prerequisites: completion of 15 hours of INSS courses (excluding INSS 300) with a minimum GPA in those courses of 3.0 and permission of the instructor

• INSS 497 SPEC TOPIC: (3)

  The INSS faculty, from time to time, offer an opportunity to integrate new material into the undergraduate program reflecting changes in the field and in the educational needs of students. prerequisites appear in each semester’s class schedule. Prerequisite: Merrick School of Business student and by permission of the instructor.

• INSS 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY - INFORMATION SYSTEMS (1 - 3)

  An ­independent study completed under the direction of a faculty member. For eligibility and procedures, refer to the Merrick School of Business Independent Study Policy.Prerequisite: Merrick School of Business student and by permission of the instructor.

• INSS 605 IT FOR BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION (3)

  Examines the key roles that information systems and technologies play in the current business environment as well as the disruptive and innovative nature of information systems in promoting the fundamental transformation of industries, businesses and society. Covers current major issues in the field of management of information systems, such as social computing, cybersecurity, big data and mobile technologies. Prerequisites: graduate standing.

• INSS 611 DATA SCIENCE TOOLKIT I (1.50)

  This course will introduce the basis of using the python programming language in data science, specifically to collect and manipulate data in preparation for exploratory data analysis and prediction. No prior programming experience is required. Topics will include python data structures, program logic and libraries, as well as data wrangling and data management. Types of data sources covered will include databases as well as unstructured data sources such as social media feeds.

• INSS 612 DATA SCIENCE TOOLKIT II (1.50)

  The effectiveness of business analytics depends on the quality of the data fed into the analytics models used. Data scientists can spend as much as 60% of their time cleaning and organizing data. This course focuses on preparing data for analytics tasks, to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results. Using python students will learn to "wrangle" (clean, transform, merge and reshape) data. Techniques will include data parsing, data correction, and data standardization. Prerequisite: INSS 611

• INSS 621 DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION (1.50)

  Digital technologies are playing a transformative role in the modern world. The changes associated with digital innovations such as social media, block-chain technology and smart embedded devices are rapidly disrupting a variety of industries across the globe and challenging institutions, organizational structures, and most importantly, the skillset needed for a successful workforce. This course focuses on bleeding-edge technologies and digital business transformation. It enables students to understand the challenges and opportunities of the dynamic complex and disruptive technological business environment of the digital age. Prerequisite: INSS 605.

• INSS 622 DIGITAL INNOVATION (1.50)

  The digital revolution is constantly challenging businesses and managers to adapt to new realities. Many organizations are establishing market leadership in today's competitive environment by mastering digital innovation. This course is designed to assist students in understanding that the fundamental nature of digital innovation is not about information technology, but is about thinking differently about how to organize to create value. It aims to equip students to competently identify technological and organizational opportunities, lead digital initiatives and develop new business models for existing and emerging organizations. Topics include digital disruption and innovation, digital platforms, digital business models and digital product and service development. Prerequisite: INSS 605

• INSS 625 INTRODUCTION TO AI FOR BUSINESS (3)

  In a business landscape increasingly driven by data and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force with the potential to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage across industries. This introductory course aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools needed to harness the power of AI to make informed decisions, enhance processes, and create value. Upon completing this course, participants will have a foundational understanding of AI and its practical applications in the business world. They will be equipped with the knowledge to engage in informed discussions about AI strategies, make data-driven decisions, and explore opportunities for AI integration within their organizations, as well as practical skills using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.

• INSS 630 MACHINE LEARNING FOR BUSINESS (3)

  This course provides a systematic understanding of why and when machine learning models can help business decisionmaking processes in various areas. Students learn the use of unsupervised techniques, such as clustering, association, and dimensionality reduction, and supervised techniques, such as regression and classification. Algorithms covered include logistic regression, support vector machines, decision trees, K-Means, KNN, random forest, etc. Hands-on exercises using Python also teach students how to perform machine learning analyses, from data preprocessing to model evaluation. An introduction to deep learning concepts, including tools such as neural networks, caps off the course.

• INSS 641 LEADERSHIP OF THE IT FUNCTION (3)

  Focuses on the role of the chief information officer. Today’s CIO proactively assesses and balances the organization’s technological and business environment in a partnership with the CEO. Topics include structure of the IT function, planning and measuring IT-business alignment, enterprise architecture, systems integration, applications portfolio, project planning and management, systems development and implementation, change management, insourcing, outsourcing, vendor management, operations and control management, IT human resource management and legal and ethical issues. Various facets of the CIO’s role are explored through published case studies of real organizations. Background readings are assigned as preparatory work for class-based case discussions. prerequisite: INSS 640 or INSS 605

• INSS 650 NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS (3)

  Provides a solid understanding of fundamentals as well as state-of-the-art networks and telecommunications used in business. Topics include communications layers and architectures, physical and data link layer, network and transport layer, local area networks (LANs), local intranets, wireless LANs, backbone networks, virtual LANs, collapsed backbones, telephone service, voice-over IP, wide area networks, packet-switching concepts, frame relay, ATM, VPN, Internet infrastructure (NAPs, MAEs and backbone), network management and infrastructure security. This course focuses on the TCP/IP architecture, but the OSI model is presented and discussed. It also covers Microsoft Windows networking TCP/IP concepts, including architecture, fixed and dynamic IP addresses, subnet mask calculation, NetBIOS Resolution, IP routing and resolution, and DHCP and DNS services. prerequisites: INSS 605 or INSS 640.

• INSS 651 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (3)

  Examines the theories and concepts employed in database management systems (DBMS) and the efficiencies and economics of such systems. The course specifically addresses steps in the database cycle, including normalization, database design, implementation and developing queries using SQL. The functions of various types of DBMS are described, including their purpose, advantages, disadvantages and applications in business. Data administration, data requirements for ERP systems and data security issues are also covered.

• INSS 671 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN (3)

  Introduces students to key principles and techniques used to develop or modify information systems to support business undertakings. The emphasis is on the determination and modeling of the requirements of information systems and software. Topics include business process re-engineering and the modeling of business processes; data modeling; data gathering and requirements specification; interface design; and the development of systems prototypes, including electronic forms and reports. Students will gain experience with leading industry development tools such as those from Oracle and Peoplesoft. prerequisites: computer literacy and word processing, spreadsheet and database competencies

• INSS 701 INTERNET DEVELOPMENT FOR BUSINESS (3)

  Covers the issues involved with managing an organization’s website. Issues include content management, scalability, security, reliability and usability. Topics include tools and techniques for developing and managing large-scale websites, such as Dreamweaver, ColdFusion and XML. prerequisites: computer, browser and network literacy

• INSS 703 PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT (3)

  Awareness and management of information security has become critical to the management of any organization. This course focuses on the need for businesses to adapt to the changing security landscape, and provides an introduction to the different domain areas in information security from a managerial perspective. Topics will include security governance, legal regulations and compliance, environmental security, operations security, access controls, network security, disaster recovery response, and cryptography. Prerequisites: INSS 605 or INSS 640.

• INSS 722 VISUAL BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE (3)

  This course will introduce students to the use of data visualization and visual business intelligence in a business environment. Students will develop a framework and language for analyzing and critiquing the visualization of data, and learn to use data visualizations to effective support decision making. Topics will include data abstraction and validation, and how to handle different types of data, dataset and attribute types. Students will use software tools to create visualizations.

• INSS 737 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (3)

  Covers information systems strategy and management from a top management perspective. Information technology is an integral part of most products and services of the post-industrial society of the 21st century and has changed the top management job. Topics include business models and organization forms in the information age, IT as a business enabler, IT and competitive strategy, information for management control, analysis and redesign of business structure and processes, knowledge management and information networks, interorganizational networks, sourcing strategies, interfacing with the IT function, reliability and security, and ethical and policy issues. The course relies extensively on the case method, and students supplement their analyses with current information obtained from the Web or directly from the firms under study in the cases. prerequisite: INSS 640 or INSS 605

• INSS 738 ADVANCED DATABASE SYSTEMS (3)

  Examines current trends and major issues in databases, including data warehousing; data mining; data quality; data stewardship; Web-based systems; and object-oriented, distributed and enterprise-wide systems. This course uses software systems like ORACLE and PeopleSoft to demonstrate some of these concepts. prerequisite: INSS 651

• INSS 739 SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE (3)

  Covers the process and techniques used in the design and implementation of information systems. Emphasis is on systems architecture and on the integration of new systems into an existing infrastructure. Topics include types of system architecture, large-scale system design, including middleware and software components, database design and integration. prerequisite: INSS 671

• INSS 740 INTRODUCTION TO SECURITY MANAGEMENT (3)

  An overview of principles and issues in business and organizational security management. Students examine the challenges embodied in various aspects of security mentioned above. Planning for loss prevention and the protection of assets is examined. Students use situational analyses, case studies and other research-oriented approaches. prerequisite: INSS 640 or INSS 605

• INSS 742 DATA MINING FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE (3)

  An overview of data mining and how these techniques can be used to predict behavior patterns. Emphasizes both theoretical and practical understanding related to pattern recognitions, trends, predictions, categorization and exploration used in data mining. Security, ethical and legal issues related to data mining are examined. Applications of data mining tools in business security, marketing and government are presented. Students use situational analyses, case studies and other research-oriented approaches. prerequisites: OPRE 504 and INSS 640

• INSS 751 OPERATING SYSTEMS (3)

  Provides a solid understanding of modern operating systems (OS) concepts and trends—distributed computing, parallel architecture and open systems. Topics include kernel, process and threads, concurrency and deadlock, scheduling, memory management, storage area network (SAN), network attached storage (NAT), disk performance, redundant array of independent disks (RAID), file systems, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), clusters, middleware, distributed processing and client/server and OS security. Covers Microsoft Windows and Linux basic concepts including overview at both the graphical user-interface and command-prompt levels, basic tools to manage applications and processes, devices, services, users, drives and partitions, virtual memory (swapfiles), networking and security. This is a project-oriented course, offering hands-on experience in both Windows and Linux. prerequisite: INSS 640 or INSS 605

• INSS 752 WEB SERVER MANAGEMENT AND CGI PROGRAMMING (3)

  Provides an understanding of Web server installation, setup and management (particularly Apache and IIS); developing interactive, server-based applications with the Web Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Active Server Pages (ASP) or PHP; and applications manipulating databases on the Web (particularly MySQL). Topics include HTML and forms review, Apache and IIS Web Server, CGI specifications, Practical Extraction and Report Language (Perl) scripts syntax, commands and CGI libraries, creating and porting CGI scripts, installation and use of MySQL database server, Perl DBI and MySQL, integrating Apache and MySQL, ASP and PHP concepts. prerequisites: INSS 651 and INSS 701

• INSS 753 INFORMATION SECURITY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY (3)

  This course focuses on information security at a strategic level, particularly information security governance and risk management, and business continuity. The key issues associated with protecting business information assets will be examined, including how risk and security assessments should be done in terms of impact on systems, staff, reputation and market share. Topics will include information security management, disaster recovery response, governance and compliance frameworks, and information security policy. prerequisite: INSS 605

• INSS 765 E-COMMERCE TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS (3)

  Provides a managerial and technical perspective on e-commerce applications. Emphasis is on the operational, tactical and strategic applications of e-commerce and the major technologies involved in their development. Covers the different types of e-commerce, the technologies and techniques involved and the major issues facing organizations conducting electronic commerce. Managerial topics include mobile commerce; business, consumer and government e-commerce uses; and legal and regulatory issues. Technical topics include network infrastructure, e-commerce security and data representation, and transformation and exchange technologies such as XML. prerequisite: INSS 605 or INSS 640 or equivalent

• INSS 784 PROJECT MANAGEMENT (3)

  Strong project management is key to a successful IT project. This course examines the principal elements in effective project management as well as tools and techniques for managing the process. Topics include stakeholder analysis, project design and organization, estimating and budgeting, scheduling, identifying and managing risk, project communications and project metrics, and control. prerequisite: INSS 640 or INSS 605

• INSS 797 ADVANCED TOPICS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3)

  An exploration of advanced topics in information systems of interest to faculty and students. Topics are selected and printed in the schedule of classes. Pre-requisite: INSS 605 or INSS 640

• INSS 799 INDIVIDUAL .RESEARCH : INFORMATION SYSTEMS (1 - 3)

  Prerequisites: approval of information systems instructor, department chair and academic adviser