Information Systems Model Curricula

From IS Curriculum

There is a long history of curriculum development within the IS community. The Association for Computing Machinery(ACM) has been a major organizer for these task groups including the first efforts in the 1970s. Other organizations, including AIS (Association for Information Systems), AITP (formerly DPMA) and IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing), have aided model curriculum development. The work of IS curricula task groups began in the early 1970s and has continued for more than 30 years.

The last published report prior to the development of the wiki-based model was IS 2002 Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Systems. IS 2002 was a collaborative effort by ACM, AIS, and AITP. All three organizations have worldwide membership. ACM, has both professional and academic members in the broad field of computing. Through its Education Board, it supports a wide range of curriculum development including computer science, information systems, and software engineering. AITP is a professional organization primarily composed of information systems practitioners that focuses on education and professional development of its members. AIS, established in 1994, is composed of faculty members in information systems. The partnership of ACM, AIS, and AITP, therefore, combined a breadth of pedagogical and curriculum interests of these organizations.

Although ACM, AIS, and AITP are worldwide organizations, IS 2002 did not represent a universal curriculum; its design reflected a typical undergraduate degree programs in information systems that was intended for a U.S. or Canadian university. It did not seek to specify requirements for different educational systems around the world, nor did it intend to specifify requirements outside a business domain. The model curriculum did, however, serve as a useful reference for designers of information systems degree programs outside the USA and Canada, as well as for those outside a business domain.

This version of the IS Model Curriculum is a joint effort of Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and Association for Information Systems (AIS). More information on the history of model curriculum development within the IS discipline can be found in IS 2002.