School of Business & Economics - National University … University of Ireland, Galway 1 STUDENT GUIDE School of Business & Economics B.Sc. in Business Information Systems Student

National University of Ireland, Galway 1

STUDENT GUIDE

School of Business & EconomicsB.Sc. in Business Information Systems

Student Guide

2014 – 2015

Scoil Ghnó agus EacnamaíochtaB.Sc. i gCórais Faisnéise Gnó

Treoir do Mhic Léinn

2014 – 2015

2 School of Business & EconomicsBIS Collaborative Learning Facility


STUDENT GUIDEFirst Year Handbook

Contents

Head of School’s Welcome ....................................4

Programme Director’s Welcome ..........................5

University Structure ..............................................6

1. NUI Galway .................................................7

2. J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics ...................................................7

3. Disciplines ...................................................8

4. Structure of the programme .......................9

4.1 Programme Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes: ..........................................................9

4.2 Management of the Programme ...................104.3 BIS Programme Structure – First Year ........104.4. The First Year Experience ..............................124.5. Second Year .......................................................144.6. Third Year ..........................................................154.7. Fourth Year .......................................................16

5. General Information ................................ 16

5.1 Blackboard ........................................................165.2 Code of Conduct .............................................175.3 Necessity of lecture and tutorial attendance .. 175.5 Plagiariam..........................................................175.5 BIS Facilities .....................................................175.6 Your Feedback is Important ..........................175.7 Clubs, Societies and Volunteering ...............185.8 Services and General Advisory .....................185.9 Withdrawing from the Programme..............195.10 Outstanding debts to the University ...........19

6. Career and Postgraduate Opportunities ........................................... 19

7. Graduate Profile ...................................... 20

8. First Year BIS Advisory Session .............. 21

4 School of Business & Economics

STUDENT GUIDE

Welcome from the Head of School

I would like to welcome you to the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics at the National University of Ireland Galway. Our mission is to provide you with a stimulating and memorable educational experience in the key discipline areas of business. You will graduate from here with an internationally recognised qualification.

Our School has built a reputation for teaching and research excellence. Our staff are friendly and approachable so don’t hesitate to ask questions or knock on doors in search of answers. We aim to ensure that each of you have the support and encouragement that you need to achieve your full potential. I hope that you will enjoy your time with us.

We recognise that getting started on the right foot is important to the quality of your university experience. We will endeavour to assist you to make the transition to university life as easy as possible. Apart from our normal activities, we have a number of new initiatives to help you settle into university and into life as a Business student at NUI Galway. You will hear more details about these initiatives at the Orientation Session, on the 1st September 2014 and at lectures and tutorials from 8th September on.

With best wishes,

Dr. Emer MulliganHead of SchoolJ.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics


STUDENT GUIDE

Programme Director’s WelcomeCongratulations! You are beginning a programme of study that will see you graduate with an internationally recognised degree that is fully accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (see www.efmd.org for further information). This prestigious accreditation, know as EPAS, ensures that the education that you will receive, over the next four year, meets the highest international standards for management development. Our EPAS accreditation is the proof of our mission to provide you with a 1st class educational experience, in the exciting field of Business Information Systems, which will prepare you for a rewarding international career.

A dedicated team of experienced and research-active faculty delivers our 4-year programme. In addition, to the broad range of business and technology subjects, our programme offers you the opportunity for a semester of study abroad in second year and all students engage in our professsional experience programme (PEP) during 3rd year. These features, coupled with inter-module assessments, final year project and industry engagement programme, provide you with every opportunity to enhance your educational experience.

The programme is hosted by the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics. Located in the Cairnes building are two computer suites, a seminar room and two collaborative learning facilities that are dedicated to the BIS programme. These facilities are equipped with the latest technology, and rival the facilities of any comparable degree worldwide.

The BIS group maintains very active links with industry and the programme benefits from the guid-ance of an Industry Advisory Board whose members consist of senior managers from leading in-digenous and multi-national companies. This ensures that the skills, knowledge and methodologies you learn are consistent with current industry requirements.

During your study of BIS at the J. E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics you will become part of the BIS family. BIS classes are small and over the years of your degree you will have the opportunity to develop a relationship with the BIS group that is quite personal and unique. By graduation, you will feel a close affinity to the BIS Group and hopefully you will maintain contact with us after graduation. Despite a challenging economic environment many of our graduates se-cure career employment prior to graduation.

Best wishes for your studies,Dr. Eoin Whelan, Director of the BSc BIS


STUDENT GUIDE

College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic

Studies

College of Engineering & InformaticsCollege of Business,

Public Policy, & LawDean: Dr. Kieran Conboy

College of Medicine, Nursing, & Health

Sciences

College of Science

School of Law J.E Cairnes School of Business & Economics

Head of School: Dr. Emer Mulligan

Accountancy & FinanceHOD:

Prof. Breda Sweeney

HOD in Economics

Dr. Alan Ahearne

Business Information Systems

HOD: Dr. Murray Scott

Management HOD:

Dr. Tony Dundon

MarketingHOD:

Dr. Declan Fleming

University Structure


STUDENT GUIDEStudent Guide

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

1. NUI Galway

Your university, NUI Galway, was established in 1845 as Queen’s College Galway. Today, NUI Galway is one of Ireland’s foremost centres of academic excellence. With over 15,000 students, it has a long established reputation of teaching and research excellence. NUI Galway is situated on a beautiful riverside campus right in the heart of Galway city and by now you will have witnessed for yourself the extent of the recent building and modernisation programme. Academically, NUI Galway is structured around Colleges and Schools. As a BIS student you are a member of the School of Business & Economics, which is a constituent School of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law.

2. J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

The J. E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics is located in the Cairnes building on the banks of the River Corrib in Upper Newcastle. The School is lead by the Head of School, Dr. Emer Mulligan and the body of the School is comprised of the Disciplines of Management, Marketing, Economics, Accountancy & Finance, and Business Information Systems. All School faculty and administration staff are located in the Cairnes building along with some of your Lecture Halls, Computer Suites, Study Space and Friars Restaurant.

The School administrators are responsible for the overall administration of the School’s programmes including the BSc BIS. As such they will often be best placed to deal with any administrative issues that you may have.

Suzann MurrayOffice No. 359T: + 353 (0)91 [email protected]

Mairéad McKeonOffice No. 355T: + 353 (0)91 [email protected]


STUDENT GUIDE

3. Disciplines

Each of your lecturers is affiliated to an academic discipline. As a BIS student most of your lecturers will be affiliated to the discipline of Business Information Systems. However, as your degree is a business degree you will also have lectures and academics from the other disciplines of the School and on occasion beyond the School.

The Discipline of Business Information Systems is, in effect, your home discipline. There are 9 full-time academic staff, an administrator and a number of part-time staff. Over your time with us you will get to know all of the staff within the discipline. The Discipline is committed to excellence in teaching, research and in stimulating a student-friendly environment. In recent years, research activities have also flourished, evidenced by the body of scholarly work being published by staff within international journals and conferences.

In addition to your B.Sc. degree the discipline also offers three distinct Masters programmes and a PhD programme. Currently, there are in excess of 120 postgraduate students studying information systems within the School.

Head of Discipline: Dr. Murray Scott

Contact: Melissa O’Hea, AdministratorT: + 353 (0)91 [email protected]


STUDENT GUIDE

BSc Business Information Systems

4. Structure of the programmeThe BSc Business Information Systems is a 4-year, National Frameworks of Qualifications level 8 qualification that is internationally recognised and accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development.

4.1 Programme Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes:

Aim:

The objective of this 4-year programme is to produce high-calibre agile graduates with the blend of business knowledge acumen and applied information systems management competence, coupled with a strong individual and team-based skill set facilitating workplace success in innovative enterprises, in addition to prepar-ing students as international managers of the information systems resource in organisations.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this programme, it is expected you will be able to:1. Perform insightful decision making in academic and industry environments in international

contexts2. Use a range of IT skills and display mature literacy and comprehension of business, technology,

and technology management subject matter that compares favourably with national and international peers

3. Work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multi-disciplinary settings together with the capacity to undertake lifelong learning

4. Identify, analyse and solve business, technology, and technology man-agement problems in applied and other settings, through skills- and knowledge-based agility and adaptability

5. Communicate effectively with peers, the national and international busi-ness community and society

6. Effectively manage the information systems (IS) resource in international contexts, and therefore demonstrate an understanding of the roles and management of IS in organisations

7. Display a proficiency in the integration of the theory and practice of IS management and its application to processes, decision making and busi-ness-value creation

8. Apply and present concepts and findings of current salient research in in-formation systems to contemporary business issues in the international workplace


STUDENT GUIDE

4.2 Management of the ProgrammeThe BSc is managed by a programme board, which has the responsibility for the day-to-day management of the progamme. The programme board is also advised by an industry advisory board.

4.3 BIS Programme Structure – First YearFirst year concentrates on developing a fundamental knowledge of business and business technologies. First year is based on the semester system. This means that you will have exams for your semester one subjects in December and exams for your semester two subjects in May. Repeat examinations take place in August. Most subjects have a substantial continuous assessment component consisting of ongoing assignments and/or project-based work. Final assessment in most subjects is through written examinations. However, two of your second semester subjects (Business Application Development II and Business Systems Design and Implementation) are 100% continuous assessment. Year one presumes everyone is starting from the beginning, so prior knowledge is not essential. However, you will need to apply yourself consistently from the beginning as the content of each module progresses quickly.

Most importantly, success in first year is directly correlated to attendance and engagement. Most of the subjects in first year BIS do not lend themselves to intensive learning immediately prior to the examinations. Rather they are incremental in nature are require constant, consistent and active engagement. As a result students who miss even one lecture in these subjects can find themselves not only behind but also unable to catch up or understand the later material. The semester system is fast paced and lecturers do not have time to repeat material in subsequent lectures. As a result, fundamentally important concepts are often only covered once! The full regulations for the programme are detailed in a document known as the School Calendar. A copy of this is on the BIS Blackboard site. You are strongly advised to familiarise yourself with this document.

The following extract details your subject for this year:

General Candidates for the Degree of Bachelor of Science(Business Information Systems) shall be required to pass the University ex-aminations of the First, Second, Third and Fourth years of the programme. Candidates must complete all examination requirements each year before proceeding the programme of studies of the following year.

Regulations for First Year 1. The First University Examination must be passed within two academic years from the date of

entering the Course.


STUDENT GUIDE

2. Courses for First Year: Students must present themselves for examination at the end of their first academic year in the

following subjects:

Code Subject ECTS AY104 Introduction to Financial Accounting 5 EC135 Principles of Microeconomics 5 MS115 Business Information Systems 5 MS110 Business Systems Analysis 5 MS107 Information Systems Technology 5 MS111 Business Application Development I 5

AY105 Introduction to Management Accounting 5 MS112 Business Application Development II 5 MS116 Information Systems in Organisations 5 MS119 Business Data Communications 5 EC136 Principles of Macroeconomics 5 MS114 Business Systems Design & Implementation 5

3. Standards Honours are awarded only on the aggregate performance to candidates who have successfully

completed 60 ECTS, in accordance with the following standard:

First Class Honours 70% Second Class Honours, Grade 1 60% Second Class Honours, Grade 2 50% Third Class Honours 40% 4. Compensation and Exemption A candidate must have successfully completed 60 ECTS in First Year to proceed to the Second

Year of the Programme. The Pass standard is 40% in each subject. However the year may be passed by compensation provided:

The aggregate mark for all modules of the year is at least 40% No mark is below 35% Not more than 15 ECTS have marks in range 35 – 39%

Note: Where one or more of these conditions have not been met each modulewhere the mark is below 40% must be repeated. Marks of 40% and above arecarried forward to the next session and are not repeatable.


STUDENT GUIDE

4.4. The First Year ExperienceNow that you know the regulations have a read of what life is like as a first year.

Hello, my name is Orla Fitzgerald. I’m going into my second year of BIS. This time last year I was in the same position as you, going into first year! When I was in Leaving Cert, my guidance councellor suggested this course to me. I had never heard of BIS before then and I was in two minds about putting the course on my CAO. I took business and economics as subjects for Leaving Cert but had no knowledge of accounting, computer programming or information systems. My guidance councellor assured me that I did not need prior knowledge of any of these subjects, so with a bit of apprehension I put BIS down as my first choice in the CAO. Results day finally came and I got offered BIS. I was nervous but excited to be off to college.

I didn’t know what to expect when I was walking into college on my first day, but I was relieved to find that other people in the course were the same as I was and didn’t know any programming or other computer subjects. The best way to settle into BIS is to mix with each other and get to know everyone in the class. Get your class rep to organize a class party early on where you can all get together and get to know the people in your course outside of the Cairnes building. The class sizes are a small size which means you can really get to know a lot of the people you’ll be working with day to day on assignments and sitting next to in lectures. You should make as much use as you can of the BIS computer suite on the first floor of the Cairnes building that’s dedicated specifically to first year BIS students. It was nice to know that there’s always a computer there if you need it for assignments or for a group project. The lecturers are very approachable and friendly, which added to the good atmosphere of the course. If you ever find yourself feeling out of your depth in the course or in a certain subject, go and talk to a lecturer or tell your class rep. Their job is to help you! I went to one of my lecturers when I felt lost in programming and she really helped me to understand the basics and to not worry about it too much!

As semester one went on I began to wonder was BIS really the course for me. I was struggling in programming, I didn’t understand the notes for accounting and felt like I was completely unprepared for the Christmas exams. I found the three best thing you can do if you start feeling this way is: go to all of your tutorials (a smaller tutorial class means you can ask questions or ask the tutor to go over something you don’t understand), do your assignments (a lot of the material in your Christmas exams are based on the things you learnt in your assignments) and help each other in the course. You might understand how to do something but someone else might not, help them to understand and then they can help you with something you don’t understand. Orla Fitzgerald


STUDENT GUIDE

I sat my exams at Christmas and thought I had failed a few subjects. I couldn’t believe it when we got our results and found out I had passed all six subjects. This gave me the confidence boost I needed in the course that I was retaining and understood more information than I thought!

By the end of second semester I felt comfortable with the course. I knew what to do if I didn’t understand something and also, our class was really starting to become close friends. Overall I loved my first year of college and I hope you will too! Something you may want to work towards is the opportunity of qualifying for the study abroad programme in second semester of second year. To do so you need to have a 55% grade average in first year. It’s an amazing opportunity but takes a bit of hard work throughout the two semesters to get there.

Above all, enjoy your time in BIS at NUIG!

Collaborative learning in action


STUDENT GUIDE

4.5. Second YearSecond year strengthens the concepts already learned, expands further on the skills acquired and examines more advanced mechanisms for business systems implementations, business management and overall business organisation.

The study abroad programme occurs in semester two of second year. Students who successfully complete first year with a minimum of a 55% average are eligible to apply for the study abroad programme. In January – May of 2011, three BIS students from NUI Galway attended Clarkson University in upstate New York and three students attended Montana State University. This is what Alan had to say about his experience in Clarkson in 2010:

“We’re having a fantastic time here in upstate New York. We’re all settled into American college life and it has been an incredible experience for us all so far. Clarkson has quite a contagious atmosphere of ambition and motivation. We have made some great friends here with people from all over the world. We travelled, in groups, on fantastic trips to Montreal and New York City. There are lots of opportunities to go travelling throughout the semester. Destinations like Lake Placid and Niagara falls are only a few hours away! I never expected to be regularly walking the snowy pathways of a prestigious New York university, standing at the top of the Empire State building, or experiencing the magnificent scenery of Montreal as a direct result of choosing BIS at NUI Galway. My advice to 1st year students is that this is the opportunity of a life time, don’t pass it up!”

Colum, Michael and Alan in Clarkson University


STUDENT GUIDE

4.6. Third YearThe first semester of third year concentrates on the development of applied skills in the usage of various technologies in business, from developing web-business opportunities to streamlining data access and storage for organisational benefit. All BSc. BIS students must take part in the Profes-sional Experience Programme in 3rd year. Placement provides you with an excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience, develop your technological competence and enhance your interper-sonal skills. 2010 also saw the introduction of an option to undertake the PEP abroad in partnership with the University of Bonn.

The placement office administers this process and further details will be given to you nearer to that time. However, please note that, paid placements are attained on a competitive basis and it is im-perative that students can demonstrate an ability to add value to prospective organisations. The quality of your CV including your academic record and personal development since coming to Uni-versity will be key to your success. Placement durations vary but companies are informed that you are available for placement from early January to late August. But it will be up to you to negotiate your start and finish dates with your placement company. In some years, a small number of students fail to secure a paid placement. In such circumstances the student is required to complete an unpaid placement for a period of 8 – 10 weeks.

Laura Conroy

3.7. Fourth Year


STUDENT GUIDE

Students then return for the final year of the programme, which draws together the experiences thus far with the strategic business planning and adaptation necessary for the evolution of successful organisations. Again, the final year is semesterised, with examinations in December and May. Additionally, a major group project runs from September through to May where students can implement the knowledge and skills learned over the previous years. A project is a major component of fourth year and it is designed to develop and refine your competence in completing business-orientated research.

5. General Information

On the BIS programme we encourage you to get involved in student competitions such as the Microsoft Imagine cup. These competitions are an excellent way of demonstrating your passion for business and technology and for enhancing your knowledge and skills. We also encourage you to get involved in some of the many clubs and societies located on campus and in particular we strongly encourage you to partake in the NUI Galway volunteering programme ALIVE. Last year we ran a BIS ALIVE initative where BIS students taught computing skills to local primary school children. Check out www.nuigalway.ie/alive for more details.

The Business SocietyBizSoc aims to get more students in the university thinking about business by opening their mind to new ideas and opportunities. It helps students who want to get involved in any form of business in the future by allowing students with similar interests to mix with each other, organise high profile events and to hear and learn from successful people outside of the lecture hall.It is also one of the best social societies in NUI Galway. The main events hosted by the Business Society are trips away in Ireland, speaker engagements with well known business people, the NUI Galway International Mystery Trip, and of course the occasion of the year: The NUI Galway Commerce Ball.The society is proudly sponsored by KPMG who are a leading international firm of chartered accountants and business advisers.The more people involved in the society the better for everyone. You can get involved at committee or class rep level, or take part by simply attending and enjoying our events. For more information and to sign up please visit: www.nuigbizsoc.com or email [email protected].

5.1 BlackboardBlackboard is the NUI Galway virtual learning environment. On Blackboard you will find modules for each of your subjects. These modules are maintained by the subject lecturers and are the primary recourse for lecture notes and course materials. You will also have a Blackboard module for your class which you will be automatically enrolled on.


STUDENT GUIDE

5.2 Code of ConductPlease be advised that as a student of NUI Galway you are required to abide by the NUI Galway Code of Conduct. The code of conduct applies to all university related activities whether located on or off campus. You can familiarise yourself with the code of conduct on www.nuigalway.ie/code of conduct

5.3 Necessity of lecture and tutorial attendanceStudents are required to engage fully with their course of study by attendance and participation at lectures and tutorials as timetabled. Experience has shown that success on the BSc BIS is predicated on attendance and the completion of continuous assessments. First year attendance and continuous assessment performance will be monitored.

5.4 PlagiarismPlagiarism is taking the credit for someone else’s ideas, and making out that you thought of these ideas yourself. This is a form of intellectual theft. In third level colleges, plagiarism is a serious offence. It merits a severe penalty. In some colleges, the student loses the entire marks for that assignment. In other colleges, the student is brought before the disciplinary committee. You need to be aware of how serious an offence plagiarism is, and take care to avoid it in your assignments, and particularly in a thesis. The J. E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics has two plagiarism advisors, Anatoli Nachev and Mairéad Hogan, who are responsible for dealing with suspected and reported cases of plagiarism and acting in accordance with the University’s Code of Practice for Dealing with Plagiarism. Please see http://www.nuigalway.ie/plagiarism for further details

5.5 BIS FacilitiesAs a student of the BIS programme you have access to some of the most modern facilities that the university has to offer. The programme enjoys dedicated access to two traditional layout computer suits, two collaborative learning facilities and a seminar room. The first year lab is CA240 and is located on the second floor of the Cairnes building. Your student swipe card controls access to all BIS labs. Generally, CA241 is the second year lab and third and fourth years have priority on CA242 whose layout is designed to support collaborative work. CA243 is primarily used as a teaching space for collaborative learning.

5.6 Your Feedback is ImportantThe lecturing staff and the BIS board are here to help. If you have a query relating to a particular subject your should discuss this directly with the lecturer. If it is something that you would rather not raise personally with the lecturer you can use the class representative. Each year group also has a specific member of the programme board appointed as their liaison lecturer who can be approached with specific or general queries. You are always free to approach the programme director.


STUDENT GUIDE

5.7 Clubs, Societies and VolunteeringWith 45 clubs and over 80 societies there will never be a better time to take up a new activity. Get active, get involved, get to the clubs and societies days.

Wed 10th Sept Societies Day www.socs.nuigalway.ieThu 11th Sept Clubs Day www.clubs.nuigalway.ie Wed 24th Sept Volunteering Fair www.cki.nuigalway.ie

5.8 Services and General AdvisoryThere are several sources of advice that will be available throughout your time at NUI, Galway. Some students may find the transition from school to University unsettling; it can be lonely at times and hard to be away from home. Don’t feel you need to keep these problems to yourself. Talk to someone about them. Often the best source of advice can be from fellow students. The Student Union at NUI Galway are very active in assisting students in getting the most out of college life and we encourage you to become familiar with your union. You will find a wealth of useful information on www.su.nuigalway.ie and if you want to know whatf ’s really happening on campus be sure to click on the SIN link.

Student Connect

The mission of student connect is to provide a friendly and caring introduction to NUI Galway for first-year students through the facilitation of student-to-student help and encouragement. Student Connect is a simple programme aimed at speeding up the rate at which first year students make friends.http://www.student-connect.nuigalway.ie/For more information please email: [email protected] or contact Una McDermott on 091 495282, Extn. 5282.Student Counselling Service: T: +353 (0)91 524411 ext. 2484 [email protected]

Student Health Unit: Aras na Mac Leinn. T: +353 (0)91 750451 Ext. [email protected]

Career Development CentreT: +353 (0)91 493589

Chaplaincy CentreT: +353 (0) 091 [email protected]

Disability Support Service: Áras Uí ChathailT: + 353 (0) 91 [email protected]

Student Union: T: +353 (0)91 [email protected]

Student Connect Mentoring Programme. Una Mc Dermott. T: +353 (0)91 [email protected]


STUDENT GUIDE

5.9 Withdrawing from the ProgrammeFor a variety of reasons, some first years withdraw or consider withdrawing from the programme. If at any stage you are considering withdrawing from the programme, please come and chat to the programme director before you finalise your decision. Martin will try to help you to come to the best decision for you. Since first year is now semester based you are advised not to make any firm decision on withdrawal at least until you receive your semester one results.If you do decide to withdraw then it is very important that you give formal notice of your withdrawal in writing to the fees office. To do this you should visit the Student Contact Centre on the ground floor of Áras Uí Chathail.

5.10 Outstanding Debts to the UniversityIn circumstances where debts are owed to the University the sanction will be applied: • Final year students who have outstanding debts on the date of graduation will not be allowed to graduate. • Students may be delayed or prevented from registering for their next year of course de-pending on the amount of money owed.The University makes every attempt to engage with these students in order to avoid applying the above sanction and others which may be imposed in the future.

6. Career and Postgraduate Opportunities

The mix of business and technology skills in this programme allows the successful graduate to work in a wide variety of organisations – from banks to airlines to publishers to large software companies to small start-up enterprises – as Business Analysts involved in systems implementations, Business System Programmers developing and implementing business software applications, E-Business Specialists and Internet Application Developers helping organisations to exploit the opportunities of the Internet, Data Architects, Web Developers, Technology Managers, or Consultants working with large organisations to manage and leverage technology to the benefit of the company.

Recent graduate employment companies:

Alternatively, graduates have the opportunity to progress to various postgraduate programmes, for example, a Masters Degree in Business Information Systems, a Masters Degree in Electronic Commerce, or other Diploma and Masters programmes offered at NUI, Galway and at other institutions and universities.

• Accenture• Avaya• Deloitte• Distinct Consulting

• Google• IBM• Intel• KPMG

• SAP• Storm Technology


STUDENT GUIDE

7. Graduate Profile

Ailish Kelly

Congratulations. you have just made a great degree choice! My name is Ailish Kelly and I graduated from the BSc BIS in 2009. I then went on to complete the Masters in International Business also at NUI Galway. I loved my time on the BIS degree and doing it has proven to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I am now in a Technology Consultant with Storm Technology and to be honest my feet still haven’t touched the ground.

By graduating the BIS I, without doubt, attained the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to secure full time employment. The BIS degree with its blend of business, technology and placement experience was highly regarded by current employer. I feel that being a BIS graduate has given me the competitive edge, which is crucial especially in this harsh environment.

As a BIS graduate, I found I had a greater variety and pool of career paths to choose from. By combining my work experience and various skills, I presented myself to potential employees with teamwork, com-munication, and time management skills, which enabled me to secure my role as a Business Technology Consultant.

I extend my best wishes to any incoming and current students participating in the BIS degree. One piece of advice I will give is to work hard for both you and your team/class mates and use the many resources provided to you by the BIS department. All lecturers and staff stand by their open door policy until the day you graduate and beyond. Finally, use each new experience and skill to carve your career path and secure a successful future. Good luck in your studies.


STUDENT GUIDE

8. First Year BIS Advisory Session

20/08/2014

1


First Year Student Orientation 2014/2015 Welcome to Business Information Systems

Dr. Eoin Whelan| September 2014

Congratulations

•� Well done! •� Joining a great programme

–� Accredited •� European Foundation for Management Development

–� Blend of business and technical knowledge –� Skills shortage in Ireland and Internationally –� Market ready on graduation


Accreditation

•� EFMD –� European Foundation for Management Development

•� EPAS –� Programme level accreditation for business schools –� Rigorous examination of every aspect of the programme –� Prestigious quality badge –� Highly impressive to employers

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

Now Cairnes School

Programme Management

•� Eoin Whelan (Programme Director) –� Office 361 Top Floor Cairnes

•� Melissa Hea (Administration) •� Martin Hughes, Murray Scott, Niamh O’Riordan, Ann Torres,

•� Dr. Murray Scott, Head of Discipline •� Dr. Emer Mulligan, Head of School •� Dr. Kieran Conboy, Dean of College


Aim of Programme

•� is to produce high-calibre agile graduates with the blend of business knowledge acumen and applied information systems management competence, coupled with an excellent individual and team-based skill set facilitating international career success.



STUDENT GUIDE

20/08/2014

1


First Year Student Orientation 2014/2015 Welcome to Business Information Systems

Dr. Eoin Whelan| September 2014

Congratulations

•� Well done! •� Joining a great programme

–� Accredited •� European Foundation for Management Development

–� Blend of business and technical knowledge –� Skills shortage in Ireland and Internationally –� Market ready on graduation


Accreditation

•� EFMD –� European Foundation for Management Development

•� EPAS –� Programme level accreditation for business schools –� Rigorous examination of every aspect of the programme –� Prestigious quality badge –� Highly impressive to employers

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

Now Cairnes School

Programme Management

•� Eoin Whelan (Programme Director) –� Office 361 Top Floor Cairnes

•� Melissa Hea (Administration) •� Martin Hughes, Murray Scott, Niamh O’Riordan, Ann Torres,

•� Dr. Murray Scott, Head of Discipline •� Dr. Emer Mulligan, Head of School •� Dr. Kieran Conboy, Dean of College


Aim of Programme

•� is to produce high-calibre agile graduates with the blend of business knowledge acumen and applied information systems management competence, coupled with an excellent individual and team-based skill set facilitating international career success.



STUDENT GUIDE

20/08/2014

3

Lecture Times

•� Academic Council –� All lectures will commence on the hour (e.g. 9am, 10am,

11am etc.) and finish at ten minutes to the hour (e.g. 9.50am, 10.50am, 11.50am etc.)’

•� Please be on time for all your lecture –� it is impolite and disruptive to arrive late


Examinations

•� Honours Classification: –� H1 70% on the aggregate

H2.1 60% on the aggregate H2.2 50% on the aggregate H3 40% on the aggregate

•� Fail first sitting: repeat failed subjects in August –� Not allowed to repeat subjects that you have passed

•� Fail in Autumn: exemptions in all subjects passed; repeat any failed subjects at first or repeat sessions of next academic year


Progression to 2nd Year

•� Must pass ALL subjects in First Year to progress to second year

–� Not allowed to progress with outstanding modules

•� 2 year rule: must complete each year within 2 academic years


Pass by Compensation

•� Pass by compensation: –� Allows you to pass the year as a whole in 1st or 2nd sitting

–� You are allowed to progress to the following year with modules at 35-39% in up to 15 ECTS credits (3 modules)

–� Do not pass the year as a whole at 1st sitting – any module below 40% will have to be taken again at 2nd sitting


Example: 1st Sitting (Semester I&II)


35: which is in the compensation range But because of this 19 the student cannot pass the years

as a whole and therefore must re-sit both modules

Blackboard (See guide)



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Enhance Your Career Prospects

•� Additional Qualifications –� ECDL –� TERP10 –� OpenHPI

•� Leadership Roles


2nd Year Study Abroad Programme

•� Opportunity to gain international experience via study abroad

•� Must pass 1st year with a 55% average –� UMBC, Clarkson Lehigh,

UMass, American, Montana, Hong Kong, Hertfordshire UK.

3rd Year Internship – Potentially January to August (note eligibility criteria in calendar)

What You Become

•� High Calibre Graduate with: –� Business analysis skills –� Problem Solving Skills –� Applied IS skills –� International experience –� Professional experience –� Team performance expertise –� Specialist emphasis


Some employers of our graduates

•� Accenture •� Avaya •� Boston Scientific •� Cisco •� Deloitte •� Ernst and Young •� Fidelity Investments

•� Google •� IBM •� Intel •� KPMG •� Microsoft •� SAP •� Storm


Course Regulations

•� Regulations for First Year –� See first year handbook & school web site

•� University Code of Conduct –� Applies to all activities related to your progamme

•� On and off campus •� www.nuigalway.ie/codeofconduct

•� Plagiarism –� http://www.nuigalway.ie/plagiarism/



STUDENT GUIDE

For further information visit: http://www.bis.ie and http://www.blackboard.nuigalway.ie

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Class Representative

•� Duties of a Class Rep: –� To become known to your class, and to facilitate this by

providing your name, phone number and college email address to your class.

–� To speak to your class on a regular basis sharing information and receiving feedback.

–� To raise issues to lecturers, director, school or Students’ Union as, and when they occur.

Facilities

•� CA240 1st year lab •� CA241 2nd year lab •� CA242 3rd & 4th year lab •� CA243 Collaborative

Learning Facility •� CA113 Seminar room

•� Use or loose •� Self enforcement •� Do not leave the door

open –� In other words make sure

you close it

•� Do not let your friend in


1BF1 2012-13 Performance

•� Class Size 54 •� Progressing 40 (74%)

–� 36/40 progressing at H2.2 or better

•� Not Progressing 14 (26%) –� 5/14 presented for all required modules but failed one or

more. (highest number of modules failed was 3) –� 9/14 were absent for one or more modules

•� self selected non-progression J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

Some words of advice

•� Those who engage by attending lectures, tutorials and submitting assignments get on well

•� Those who don’t engage… •� Cramming will not work on BIS!

–� You CANNOT master subjects like Accounting and Programming by cramming

–� Work consistently throughout the semester •� Top employers will look at your preformance over the 4

years of the degree

Get involved: Clubs and Societies

•� Over 45 active clubs & loads of societies –� www.clubs.nuigalway.ie –� www.socs.nuigalway.ie

•� Great way to make new friends •� Watch out for clubs day and societies day

–� Socs day: Wed 10th Sept –� Clubs day: Thur 11th Sept


CKI And ALIVE

•� Volunteering Fair •� Wed 24th Sept

–� Venue: Foyer, Aras na Mac Léinn,

–� www.cki.nuigalway.ie



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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NUIGalwayBIS


Director Meetings

•� Dedicated time for 1st year BIS to drop in

•� Wednesdays 3-4pm

•� You will be scheduled a short individual meeting with the programme director at this time.



For Further Information

•� College web site –� http://www.nuigalway.ie/cbppl/

•� Blackboard –� https://nuigalway.blackboard.com/

•�Questions?


STUDENT GUIDE

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Documents

School of Business & Economics - National University … University of Ireland, Galway 1 STUDENT GUIDE School of Business & Economics B.Sc. in Business Information Systems Student