IDS & Finance Course Options for the Fall 2014 Semester

The fall semester is fast approaching! While some of you may have your class schedules set for the fall, others may be searching for that last course to fill their schedule.  Below are some course options that you may find intriguing.  The courses below focus on the areas of information decision sciences and finance.  For students seeking careers in any of these areas or are just looking to diversify their business knowledge, check out some of the options below.

IDS 520: Enterprise Information Infrastructure Planning & Security (CRN: 14090) Wednesday:  6:00pm – 9:00pm, Instructor: Matthew Liotine

Businesses rely on a complex infrastructure of applications, systems, software, database, and networking technologies to provide the services and information required to achieve business objectives.  While this infrastructure is a means to an end, most businesses recognize that a competitive advantage can be gained if a firm can integrate information technology (IT) into an infrastructure that successfully achieves business application requirements.

To this end, this course introduces students to methods and practices involved in the planning, design, and security of information infrastructure commonly found in large and medium enterprises. The course blends concepts and techniques found in project planning, system design and development, technology planning, and security technology with those found in enterprise architecture planning, with the goal of providing students with the ability and understanding of how to plan and design a secure information infrastructure for a firm.

IDS 515: Information Systems Strategy and Policy (CRN: 25422) Monday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Ranganathan Chandrasekaran

IT and digital technologies are commonplace in businesses.  This class will cover how to use technology to maximize business performance.  The course covers many aspects of strategy including formulation, implementation, and inter and multi-organization strategies.

IDS 521: Advanced Database Management

(CRN: 14091) Saturday:  12:15pm – 3:15pm, Instructor: Ali Tafti

(CRN: 37886) Thursday: 3:30pm – 5:50pm, Instructor: Ali Tafti

Advanced database management deals with developing web-enabled database applications. Topics covered include: data analysis for database design; logical data modeling, transaction modeling; implementation models; physical database design; database tuning and performance evaluation; database decomposition; distributed database; database security.

IDS 575: Statistical Models and Methods for Business Analytics (CRN: 37447) Tuesday: 3:30pm – 5:50pm, Instructor: Stanley Sclove

The course covers theory, techniques, and application of statistical methods for business analytics, particularly methods of regression, multivariate statistical analysis, and time series analysis.  Various software will be used in the course including Excel, Minitab, R, and SPSS.

For students interested in careers as business analysis, this course will provide you with the necessary skill set to operate within this role.

IDS 552: Supply Chain Management (CRN: 27838) Tuesday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Unsal Ozdogru

Have you ever wondered how certain goods are put together and end up packaged in the store? Take for example your smartphone.  To create this product many people and materials are involved.  Once the phone is created, it has to get from its manufactured home to the point of consumption to be purchased by you and me.  Supply Chain Management includes the processes that make this happen.

This class explores the critical role of supply chain design, planning, and operations for businesses. The key drivers of supply chain performance include: facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing, and pricing, which are studied on both a conceptual and practical level.

FIN 494: Applied Options and Future Markets (CRN: 34070) Monday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: John Miller

Applied Options and Future Markets cover the use and pricing of futures, options, and swaps.  There is a focus on applied computation with concrete applications.   In particular, students will utilize such tools as Bloomberg Professional and the R statistical programming language in the course.  The class is supplemented with tutorials for Bloomberg and R which will be offered prior to class and will also be available online.  The class also meets in the CME Trading Lab (Douglas Hall, room 170) as these tools will be integrated into the class discussion.

Also new to this course will be the text, Derivatives Markets, 3^rd ed., by Robert McDonald.  The course will closely follow the first 13 chapters of the text. Derivatives Markets integrates the treatment of forwarding contracts with options early in the course, with the mathematical and conceptual difficulty increasing as the course progresses, while always being mindful of application to practical risk management and valuation issues.

If you are interested in taking this course, please contact John Miller at jpmill@uic.edu.

FIN 512 Portfolio Analysis (CRN: 11513) Thursday: 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Hsiu-Lang Chen

Portfolio Analysis develops the concept of investing from the perspective of a portfolio manager.  Both portfolio theory and investment practice will be the centerpiece of this course.  The course involves detailed quantitative analysis that is essential for a successful career in this area.  FIN 510: Investments is a prerequisite requirement before taking this course.

The investment strategies in this class will focus on large portfolios, particularly dealing with risk management issues.  Students will have abundant opportunities to learn investment methodology through hands-on practice with financial data.  Current developments in the financial markets will be reviewed and introduced to help explain the dynamics of the market.