Curriculum Master Information Systems Ws 19 20
Curriculum Master Information Systems Ws 19 20
2018
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Curriculum developed by:
Dr Alexander Simons
Assistant Professor, Institute of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein
Co-Academic Director of the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems
Dr Nadine Székely
Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein
Executive Director of the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems
Curriculum committee:
Dr Susanne Buddendick
Head of Communication Services, Global IT, Hilti Group
Business representative
Dr Johannes Schneider
Assistant Professor, Institute of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein
Representative for the Electives in Data Science
Support:
Roope Jaakonmäki
Research Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate, Institute of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein
Former Executive Director of the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems
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Content
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1. Profile of the degree programme
1.1. Study profile
Information technology (IT) is ubiquitous in the worlds of business and government, so almost all companies, non-
profits, and public administrations depend on information systems. Therefore, it has never been more important
for managers – not only in Liechtenstein, but everywhere – to make sound decisions about how to develop and
use information systems, how to exploit information systems’ transformative potential, and how to design and
implement efficient operations based on information systems.
The Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems is designed to prepare students to make such decisions
and so to develop the managers of the future. In line with the university’s mission statement, which is to prepare
students to take on leading roles in business, academia, and government and to support them in their personal
growth, Information Systems students acquire subject knowledge and methodological expertise at the interface
of computer science and business administration in a course of study that also shepherds their personal develop-
ment.
The degree programme provides state-of-the-art information on how to design, implement, and manage infor-
mation systems, identify and exploit digital innovations, take on leadership responsibility, and work in teams. The
degree programme also provides a foundation for academic careers by teaching students how to plan and execute
research projects autonomously. Students can choose among various electives so they can specialise in any of
three subject areas that are important for the Liechtenstein industry and far beyond: Business Process Manage-
ment, Data and Application Security, and Data Science.
The Business Process Management electives focus on the analysis, design, and implementation of business pro-
cesses and cover topics like strategic alignment, governance, methods, IT, people, and culture. The Data and Ap-
plication Security electives address security essentials by covering the preventive, reactive, and organisational
aspects of security. The Data Science electives focus on the collection, management, and analysis of data and
cover state-of-the-art methods from fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning, including deep learning.
The degree programme is designed to educate highly qualified IT specialists for industry, non-profits, and public
administrations in Liechtenstein and internationally. Graduates have excellent technical, analytical, and method-
ological skills, along with creativity, leadership ability, and communication skills. The curriculum directly addresses
the requirements of industry while also providing a sound scientific education. Thus, students benefit from a prac-
tical education with the highest academic standards.
To achieve these ambitious goals, the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems leverages the univer-
sity’s small size and Liechtenstein’s strong industry environment to create an innovative and supportive learning
environment in which students acquire cutting-edge skills that allow them to take on leadership roles in business.
The degree programme is based on five core principles:
Strong personal support: Information Systems students benefit from a people-centred environment and di-
rect interactions with lecturers.
Self-determined study: Students can specialise in any of three subject areas through electives, and they can
also choose among cross-faculty electives to train social and soft skills.
Contemporary study content: The curriculum allows the flexibility to address developments in research and
business so courses can be adapted quickly to the job market’s emerging needs.
Flexible organisation: Because most modules are block events, the degree programme leaves students time
to tend to their professional careers and achieve a healthful study-work-life balance.
Continuous improvement: Lecturers participate in the university’s continuing education programme, and
their courses receive regular student evaluations.
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The degree programme is consistent with the university’s strategy in that it follows a competitive approach to
selecting the most talented students and hiring the most qualified teaching staff. The programme focuses on in-
formation systems (“Wirtschaftsinformatik”), a core field that is highly relevant to both the business economy and
society. The core strengths of the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems are
its strong international orientation (through an international student body and teaching staff and visiting
professors from abroad),
its practical relevance (through industry collaboration, knowledge transfer, networking, and a series of prac-
tical project seminars), and
its contributions to the university’s international reputation and recognition (through participation in inter-
national student competitions).
The Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems has a strong international orientation, as the language
of instruction is English, the student body is international, and the teaching staff is supported by visiting professors
from abroad. Courses are also often organised in partnership with international universities. For example, the
Institute of Information Systems is a member of the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS),
an active university network in the field of Information Systems that regularly organises joint project seminars,
lectures, and exchange programmes. Students in the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems can also
take part in annual study trips and spend a semester as guests at one of the university’s partner universities, such
as Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, University of Turku, Finland, and University of Mün-
ster, Germany.
What especially distinguishes the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems from similar programmes
is that students solve throughout the course of their studies practically relevant IT problems in cooperation with
regional industry, giving the degree programme a high level of practical relevance. In a series of project seminars,
students tackle the contemporary IT problems of several companies. The project seminars are conducted in small
groups, and the regional industry provides several industry participants, thereby creating a unique educational
and practical learning environment. The degree programme thus supports dialogue between industry and univer-
sity, enabling students to work with some world-leading companies even at the beginning of their studies.
In the past, Information Systems students from Liechtenstein have enhanced the university’s international repu-
tation and recognition by being repeatedly chosen as winners at renowned competitions like the SAP Demo Jam
and the Accenture Campus Innovation Challenge, while the teaching staff has received international teaching
awards like Association for Information Systems (AIS) awards for “Innovation in Teaching” and “Outstanding Con-
tribution to Information Systems Education.” The curriculum is designed to encourage participation in interna-
tional competitions – in particular, the practice-oriented project seminars promote the use of innovative teaching
methods and prepare students for such participation.
Students in the Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems acquire cutting-edge skills that allow them to
pursue careers as chief information officers, chief digital officers, chief technology officers, consultants, data sci-
entists, IT project managers, IT architects, IT security managers, and process analysts. The programme also pro-
vides a basis for academic careers, as graduates are eligible for doctoral degree programmes. In preparation for
these careers, students acquire a wide range of professional and academic skills at the interface of computer
science and business administration. In short, students achieve four main educational goals through the degree
programme:
The ability to design, implement, and manage information systems. Students use appropriate techniques to
analyse business requirements, model data structures and processes, and create and test prototypes using
the technical, analytical, and methodological skills they acquire during their studies.
The ability to identify and exploit digital innovations. Students assess the opportunities offered by advanced
and emergent digital technologies and apply appropriate methods to seek and develop digital innovations
using the creative and entrepreneurial skills they acquire during their studies.
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Acquisition of skills in leadership and collaboration. Students collaborate to solve practically relevant IT
problems using what they learn about how to work in teams, how to lead a project team, and how to present
project results.
The ability to design and conduct Information Systems research projects. Students identify pertinent re-
search questions, conduct systematic literature reviews, apply appropriate research methods, and report on
their results using what they learn about scientific research and writing.
While undergraduate degree programmes in Information Systems typically cover basic and even generic IT con-
cepts and methods — that is, a broad overview of Information Systems research and practice and an elementary
academic foundation for professional entry – a master’s degree programme typically offers a more focused edu-
cation and imparts more specialised knowledge and methodological skills. The Master’s Degree Programme in
Information Systems at the University of Liechtenstein equips students with profound insight into the design, im-
plementation, and management of information systems; basic skills related to project management, teamwork,
leadership, communication, and data analysis; and methodological and technical expertise in any of three core
subject areas: business process management, data and application security, or data science.
These three topics were selected as key subjects for the study programme because they are particularly relevant
to regional and international business needs. As these topics are both practical and much sought after, the current
and future demand on the labour market for graduates in Information Systems from Liechtenstein is high. Gradu-
ates who specialise in Business Process Management can design, improve, and innovate processes and manage
processes in a variety of organisational contexts. Graduates who specialise in Data and Application Security un-
derstand the technical features of modern attacks against information systems and can design and manage instru-
ments to detect, prevent, and mitigate security incidents. Graduates who specialise in Data Science can gain val-
uable insights from data by applying state-of-the-art technology and methods for collecting, managing, and ana-
lysing data.
As information systems continue to revolutionise large parts of our private and professional lives, the degree pro-
gramme focuses on digital innovation so graduates can recognise, understand, develop, and exploit digital inno-
vations and use information systems to digitise and transform business processes and functions and enable en-
tirely new forms of innovation and creativity in enterprises. Graduates acquire these skills in part through partici-
pation in practical project seminars held in cooperation with regional companies that foster creativity and “out-
of-the-box” thinking. These project seminars ensure that the degree programme covers current and practically
relevant IT topics and teach students how to work in teams, manage projects, present project results, collaborate
with others, and lead project groups. As the degree programme is designed to give students job experience right
from the start, it has a high degree of practical relevance. Regular guest lecturers by business leaders give students
important insights into business practice, and the close and ongoing contact with regional companies promotes
students’ personal development and helps them to plan and pursue their professional careers.
The degree programme also prepares graduates for academic careers. Students receive a profound scientific ed-
ucation during a research-methods lecture, develop research proposals for their master’s theses with faculty in a
research-seminar course, and receive regular and personal feedback on their progress outside the lecture hall.
Students learn about qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research designs and how to design and eval-
uate innovative and purposeful IT artefacts as part of Information Systems research. They become aware of the
fundamentals of scientific writing and learn how to conduct rigorous literature reviews and how to cite sources
according to common citation styles. They become familiar with the most common issues related to research eth-
ics, including plagiarism, and the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Code of Research Conduct. Students
are also encouraged to prepare short versions of their master’s theses for submission to student tracks at academic
conferences, where they take part in external review; meet other students, academics, and practitioners; and
receive important input about whether they are likely to qualify for an academic career.
The degree programme also prepares students to work in international and intercultural teams. The teaching
language is English, the student body is international, and the teaching staff is supported by visiting professors
from abroad, so students learn in a personal international and intercultural environment. They can also spend a
semester abroad at such universities as Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and the Uni-
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versity of Würzburg, Germany, and take part in annual study trips to get to learn about other universities, coun-
tries, and cultures. Against this background, Information Systems graduates from Liechtenstein are well-prepared
for professional careers in international settings.
Finally, the degree programme is complemented by a number of cross-faculty elective subjects. Cross-faculty elec-
tives are conducted with students and faculty from the university’s other departments, so they focus on interdis-
ciplinary topics and, among others, promote social and ethical awareness.
The Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems builds on a relevant bachelor’s programme or an equiv-
alent university programme. Proof of sufficient language proficiency is required. More information can be found
in the university’s admission guidelines, which are available online.
In the NQ.FL-HS guidelines, “Nationaler Qualifikationsrahmen für den Hochschulbereich im Fürstentum Liechten-
stein” (“National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in the Principality of Liechtenstein”), from Sep-
tember 2013, learning outcomes are defined in terms of knowledge and understanding, applied knowledge and
understanding, assessment and judgment, communication, and learning strategies. The master’s degree pro-
gramme’s learning outcomes build on students’ knowledge at the bachelor’s level:
Communication
Graduates use appropriate methods to communicate to a range of audiences with varying levels of knowledge
and expertise.
Graduates can communicate results at an expert level in a variety of roles and contexts and can deliver pro-
fessional presentations to representatives from practice and research.
Learning strategies
Graduates exercise autonomy and initiative and work independently and reliably on practical IT projects and
Information Systems research projects.
Graduates efficiently manage their time and resources as individuals and as group members and collaborate
with peers and others in sharing information, expertise, and research results.
The Master’s Degree Programme in Information Systems is arranged in a modular structure that comprises four
semesters of full-time study, which corresponds to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits. The cur-
riculum was developed based on a comparative analysis of the curricula of top universities around the world and
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a review of available model/reference curricula, as proposed by academic associations like the Association for
Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Association for Information Systems (AIS). Table 1 provides an overview of
the resulting structure of the programme.
The curriculum covers several basic Information Systems courses that build on undergraduate knowledge and skills
like Information Systems Modelling, Information Systems Design, and Management Information Systems, as well
as more specialised Information Systems courses like Human-Centred Design and Emerging IT Topics. These
courses cover the concepts, theories, and methods that a student must master to design, implement, and manage
information systems successfully, so they correspond to the first educational goal of the degree programme
(“Graduates can design, implement, and manage information systems”). As the students acquire subject and
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method knowledge at the interface of computer science and business administration, some foundational courses
are technical (e.g., Data Management), while others are more business-oriented (e.g., Enterprise Architecture
Management). The content of the Emerging IT Topics course changes from semester to semester so the degree
programme can be adapted quickly to the job market’s emerging needs and, as such, it can also flexibly address
new developments in research.
In pursuit of the second educational goal (“Graduates can identify and exploit digital innovations”), the curriculum
offers a lecture on Digital Innovation and a series of project seminars in concert with regional companies. These
seminars focus on innovation and creativity, as the students must develop “out-of-the-box” solutions to contem-
porary IT problems. Accordingly, the project seminars provide practice-oriented learning. As students learn in
small groups and work closely with companies, the seminars also contribute to achieving the third educational
goal (“Graduates demonstrate skills in leadership and collaboration”). The first project seminar, Innovation Lab, is
designed to foster basic skills in creativity, organising and planning, problem-solving, project management, team-
work, and communication. Students acquire social, methodological, and personal competencies in working with
multiple large companies on practical IT projects. In the second project seminar, Digital Business, students collab-
orate with small and medium-sized companies to develop new business models, open up new markets, and inno-
vate with existing products and services, so students learn to recognise, understand, develop, and exploit digital
innovations. The last project seminar equips students with technical and methodological expertise in one of three
subject areas: Business Process Management, Data and Application Security, or Data Science.
For each of the three subject areas, the curriculum consists of a six-ECTS-credit compulsory module, but students
can further specialise in these areas by taking additional three-ECTS-credit electives. While the subject areas are
not certified as majors in the diploma, the electives taken are listed in the diploma supplement. The Business
Process Management electives focus on methodological competencies for the analysis, implementation, improve-
ment, and continuous management of business processes; the Data and Application Security electives focus on
methodological competencies in addressing security threats and in assessing the risks associated with these
threats; and the Data Science electives focus on methodological competencies in artificial intelligence and machine
learning for turning information into competitive advantage. While a small part of these electives is offered in the
summer semester, most of the electives are offered in the winter semester. Table 2 provides an overview.
The fourth semester is focused on the Master’s thesis, which is typically related to one of the three subject areas
that constitute the core of the curriculum (i.e., Business Process Management, Data and Application Security, and
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Data Science). Modules like Research Methods and Business Statistics help students prepare for the master’s the-
sis, and students work on their research proposals in the Research Seminar course. They are continuously sup-
ported in writing their master’s theses and receive regular feedback on their progress. Accordingly, these modules
are in line with the fourth educational goal of the degree programme (“Graduates design and conduct Information
Systems research projects)”. The master’s thesis requires an oral defence.
Finally, students can choose twelve ECTS credits among various cross-faculty electives that focus on interdiscipli-
nary topics, including social and ethical issues.
The programme corresponds to Qualification Level 2 of the Bologna Programme and to Qualification Level 7 of the
“European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning” developed by the European Union. Table 3 provides
an overview of the programme’s formal aspects.
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3. Module structure
The first-semester modules consist of basic Information Systems courses like Management Information Systems
and Data Management; two courses that provide an introduction to Data and Application Security and Business
Process Management; a Business Statistics course that covers quantitative methods to provide a methodological
basis for the Master’s thesis; and the first project seminar, Innovation Lab. Table 4 provides an overview of the
first-semester modules.
The second-semester modules consist of complementary fundamental Information Systems modules like Infor-
mation Systems Modelling, Information Systems Development, and Enterprise Architecture Management; two
courses that provide an introduction to Data Science and Digital Innovation; and the second project seminar, Dig-
ital Business. Table 5 provides an overview.
The third-semester modules consist of a course on Emerging IT Topics, with course content that changes from
semester to semester to address recent technological trends; an advanced course on information systems devel-
opment, Human-Centred Design; a Research Methods lecture, in which students learn how to conduct and report
on scientific studies; and two seminars, the Research Seminar and the Project Seminar. Table 6 provides an over-
view.
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Table 5: Second-semester module structure
In addition, students take four elective modules in the second and third semesters. They can combine these courses
however they like as long as they take at least four electives that are worth a total of twelve ECTS credits. Third-
semester elective modules are only held when at least five students register for them, but second-semester elec-
tive modules are held in any case. Table 7 provides an overview of the electives students can choose.
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Table 7: Electives module structure
The fourth semester focuses on the master’s thesis, which must be presented and defended before a panel of
experts. Table 8 provides an overview.
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Finally, students must take four cross-faculty electives during their studies – one elective per semester. The course
offerings for cross-faculty electives vary and are available online. One cross-faculty elective can be substituted
with one of the elective modules listed in Table 7.
4. Module handbook
The current module descriptions are accessible via the university intranet.
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