The Information Systems Core: A Study from the Perspective of IS Core Curricula in the U.S.

To keep up with technology changes and industry trends, it is essential for Information Systems (IS) programs to maintain up to date curricula. In doing so, IS educators need to determine what the IS core is and implement it in their curriculum. This study performed a descriptive analysis of 2,229 core courses offered by 394 undergraduate IS programs in the United States. The result presents a panoramic snapshot of the IS core in the nation from the perspective of IS core curricula. By mapping those core courses to the most recent IS model curriculum, IS 2010, this study also reports how many IS programs offer each of the seven core courses in IS 2010. Moreover, these core courses were examined from three different perspectives: school type, accreditation, and research orientation.