Course Descriptions - DocJava

Course Descriptions MSMOT
Students in the MSMOT Program are required to complete 12 courses (36
credits). This includes six required courses, three core courses, two
semesters of the Capstone course and one elective. Upon earning twenty-
seven credits, students are qualified to take the first of the two Capstone
courses. The three core courses are selected from the areas of
concentration that are (a) Management of Information Technologies, (b)
Management of Design and Manufacturing, and (c) Strategic Management of
Resources. The 12 courses should be taken within a five-year period to
obtain the degree. Bridge Courses
Students without prior formal knowledge and experience in probability and
statistics, computer programming, and accounting, are required to complete
courses BR 1, BR 2 and BR 3 as early as possible. BR 1 - Probability and Statistics
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an undergraduate level course
in statistics and probability given by any accredited institution of higher
learning. A course at Fairfield University recommended for this bridge is
MA 217. (See undergraduate catalog or SOE website for a description.) BR 2 - Computer Programming
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an undergraduate level course
in a programming language given by any accredited institution of higher
learning. A course at Fairfield University recommended for this bridge is
CS 131 Computer Programming I. (See undergraduate catalog or SOE website
for a description.) BR 3 - Financial Accounting
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an undergraduate-level course
in financial accounting given by an accredited institution of higher
learning. At Fairfield University, AC 400, Financial Accounting is
recommended. (See the graduate catalog, Dolan School of Business, or SOE
website for a description.) Required Courses
AC 500 Accounting for Decision-Making
This course emphasizes the use of accounting information by managers for
decision-making. It is designed to provide managers with the skills
necessary to interpret analytical information supplied by the financial and
managerial accounting systems. The financial accounting focus is on
understanding the role of profitability, liquidity, solvency and capital
structure in the management of the company. The managerial accounting focus
is on the evaluation of organizational performance of cost, profit and
investment centers. (Prerequisite: AC 400 or an equivalent course in
financial accounting.) Three credits. CP 551 Capstone I - Project Definition and Planning
In this first semester of the capstone course, students form project
groups, conceive technical approaches to problem solutions, and develop
detailed plans and a schedule for project activities. Students execute the
planning process using appropriate professional software such as Microsoft
Project. The course includes software refresher lectures early in the
semester. Students in each team produce a detailed project plan defining
the work to be done (task descriptions), the task/subtask organizational
structure, task responsibilities (assigning who does what), the task
execution schedule (using PERT and Gantt charts as managing tools), areas
of risk and risk abatement concepts, and provide an explanation of the
value of the work to be performed to fulfill the objectives. Three credits. CP 552 Capstone II - Project Execution and Results
The second semester of the capstone course concerns implementation of the
project plan developed in the prior semester. This typically includes
hardware fabrication, software development supporting analytical work,
detailed design, experimental studies, system integration, and validation
testing, all of which serve as proof of meeting project objectives in data
and functional demonstrations. Project teams submit a final report for
grading and make a formal presentation to faculty, mentors, and interested
personnel from associated industries. Three credits. DM 460 Project Management
This course focuses on the general methodology of managing a technology
project from conception to completion, with an emphasis on the functions,
roles, and responsibilities of the project manager. Students learn
principles and techniques related to controlling resources (people,
materials, equipment, contractors, and cash flow) in the context of
completing a technology project on time, within budget, and within the
project's stated technical requirements. Through group and individual
activities, including case study review and project simulation, students
apply project management tools and techniques, and assume the roles of
project managers who must address typical problems that occur during the
life cycle of a project. Three credits. GK 415 Information Systems
This course offers insights into the capabilities of modern software and
computing systems, allowing prospective technology managers to discriminate
between effective and ineffective applications of software and network
systems - considerations essential to managing businesses that depend upon
efficient data and information processing. The course covers inputs,
outputs, storage, transmission media and information processing, and
networking. Three credits. MG 508 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation: The Entrepreneurial Firm
This course begins by presenting cutting-edge concepts and applications so
that students understand the dynamics of innovation, the construction of a
well-crafted innovation strategy, and the development of well-designed
processes for implementing the innovation strategy. It then focuses on the
building of an entrepreneurial organization as a critical core competency
in the innovation process. Concurrent with this, it focuses on the
development and support of the internal entrepreneur or Intrapreneur as
part of the process of developing organizational core competencies that
build competitive comparative advantages that, in turn, allow the firm to
strategically and tactically compete in the global marketplace. Topics
explored include technology brokering, lead users, disruptive technologies
and the use of chaos and complexity theory in the strategic planning
process. Three credits. MG 584 Global Competitive Strategy
This course considers the formulation of effective policy and accompanying
strategy actions, and the management of such policies and actions. It
examines the role of the general manager in this process and presents the
diversified issues and problems the management of a business firm may be
required to consider and solve in strategic planning. This course also
examines the problems and tasks of strategy implementation and the general
manager's function of achieving expected objectives and establishing new
ones to assure the continuity of the business organization. Students are
required to prepare a business plan as part of this course. Three credits. RD 460 Leadership in Technical Enterprise
This course introduces major leadership theories and explores the issues
and challenges associated with leadership of technical organizations. The
course integrates readings, experiential exercises, and contemporary
leadership research theory. Participants investigate factors that influence
effective organizational leadership as well as methods of enhancing their
own leadership development. The course prepares executives, supervisors,
and managers to master the complex interpersonal, social, political, and
ethical dynamics required for leading modern organizations. Three credits. RD 500 The Development of Systems
This course presents a succinct definition of systems engineering and the
methods by which it is accomplished. This course instructs in the formation
and development of new concepts and their subsequent use in the creation of
specific products and services. In addition, the course requires essential
research into the subject matter it addresses. This research is to be
undertaken as part of homework assignments on recommended subjects in which
the students will learn the methods that serve to enhance their knowledge
and communicate this to enrich the lecture sessions in each class. This
involves the definition of need for specific applications, market research,
concept formation, and a definition of technical and economic advantages
over existing products. Having established these factors with positive
results the emphasis switches to design, modeling and optimization that
must be applied, often iteratively, in creation of the new conceptions,
addressing their design, performance and cost. The subject matter then
turns to methods of making critical decisions and the formation of plans to
create the prototypes of new concepts and the management of prototype
development. Three credits. The following section presents descriptions of courses that may be used to
fulfill core requirements or serve as electives. DM 405 Supply Chain Design
This course deals with the optimization of process arrays in a supply chain
by means of modeling. The term "supply chain" refers to all the resources
required in moving material through a network of manufacturing processes,
quality assurance measures, maintenance, and customer interfacing to
produce, deliver, and maintain a product. These are modeled by instructed
techniques to create a simulation of this chain, permitting an analyst to
design the supp