Management Information Systems, B.S.B.A.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of North Carolina Charlotte

Program Overview

The B.S.B.A. in Management Information Systems at UNC Charlotte combines business knowledge with information technology, preparing students to analyze, design, develop, and manage information systems that support organizational decision-making and operations. It is well suited to students who enjoy both business and technology, with the curriculum developing analytical problem-solving, business-process, communication, organizational, and information-technology skills.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their foundation through university general education and business progression coursework, developing the quantitative, accounting, economics, computing, and communication knowledge needed for upper-level business study. INFO 2130 Introduction to Business Computing introduces computer methods for solving business problems, while courses such as accounting, economics, mathematics, and statistics establish the analytical base for the MIS major.

Year 2: Students progress into the Belk College of Business core and begin connecting technology with business functions. Courses such as INFO 3130 Management Information Systems, COMM 3160 Business Communications, FINN 3120 Financial Management, and MGMT 3140 Management and Organizational Behavior develop an understanding of information flows, management decision-making, finance, communication, and organizational processes.

Year 3: The program becomes more technology-focused as students study how information systems are developed and used to solve business problems. INFO 3231 Business Applications Development introduces business application development using object-oriented and event-driven programming, while INFO 3233 Data and Information Management develops database design and SQL skills; students can also explore INFO 3229 Business Data Communications and Information Security or INFO 3230 Enterprise Systems.

Year 4: Students deepen their systems-development expertise and apply their knowledge to the business systems development life cycle. INFO 3234 Business Information Systems Analysis and Design examines the role of the systems analyst and structured and object-oriented approaches, while major electives such as INFO 3236 Business Analytics, INFO 3237 Business Analytics II, INFO 3238 Social Media Analytics and Application, or INFO 3240 eBusiness Systems allow students to develop additional technology and analytical expertise.

Focus Areas

Business applications development, database design and SQL, information systems analysis and design, enterprise systems, business analytics, programming, information security, data and information management, eBusiness systems, business communications, project management, business process analysis

Learning Outcomes

Develop business applications; design and implement databases and queries; understand the content, processes, and techniques used in business systems development; analyze business information requirements; apply information technology to business problems; communicate effectively in professional business environments.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The program is offered through UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business, which has maintained AACSB International accreditation for more than 30 years. AACSB accreditation emphasizes quality curricula, qualified faculty, student learning outcomes, professional engagement, and continuous improvement in business education.

Reputation (Employability)

UNC Charlotte's official MIS career guide reports that 74% of 2021 Management Information Systems graduates were employed full time, while 5% were enrolled in continuing education, with an average reported salary of $68,571 among respondents; the survey had an 81.33% knowledge rate. The same official MIS guide identifies employers including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, ADP, Atrium Health, Verizon, U.S. Bank, SAS, Food Lion, and GEICO, and lists career paths such as systems analyst, database administrator, business analyst, systems consultant, security analyst, project manager, and IT manager.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

UNC Charlotte's MIS program gives students opportunities to develop practical technology skills through application development, database work, systems analysis, analytics, enterprise systems, and information-security coursework. Several courses are explicitly hands-on: INFO 3230 Enterprise Systems uses experiential learning to show how ERP software supports sales, logistics, production, procurement, finance, accounting, and human resources, while INFO 3231 Business Applications Development gives students experience developing business applications and INFO 3233 Data and Information Management develops practical database and SQL skills.

Students can also gain professional experience through internships and employer engagement. The Belk College of Business allows qualifying business students to earn academic credit for internships involving at least 150 hours of supervised work experience, while the Niblock Student Center provides career coaching, professional-development programming, employer connections, career events, and access to Hire-A-Niner for internships and jobs.

Key practical opportunities include:

Business application development: INFO 3231 uses object-oriented, event-driven programming techniques and high-level development tools such as Visual Basic or Java to develop business applications.
Database development: INFO 3233 covers database design and implementation for business applications and uses SQL to create and manipulate corporate databases.
Enterprise systems: INFO 3230 provides experiential learning with ERP software, including configuration of enterprise systems to support business processes.
Business analytics: INFO 3236 covers data mining, business intelligence, querying, reporting, OLAP, statistical analysis, and organizational data management. INFO 3237 extends this into predictive analytics and machine-learning models through hands-on work.
Information security: INFO 3229 examines data communications and information security, including local-area networks, networked applications, and information assurance.
Internships: Eligible junior and senior business students can earn up to three academic credit hours for a qualifying internship involving at least 150 hours of supervised work directly related to their major.
Employer engagement: Hire-A-Niner provides access to full-time jobs, internships, and co-op opportunities, while employer information sessions, career fairs, and on-campus interviews provide additional recruitment opportunities.
Professional organizations: MIS students can engage with organizations such as the Association for Information Systems, Association of Information Technology Professionals, Information Systems Security Association, Digital Analytics Association, and IEEE Computer Society.
Career coaching: The Niblock Student Center provides academic and career coaching from orientation through graduation, along with professional-development and employer-connection opportunities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MIS degree prepares graduates for technology and analytical positions where business knowledge and information-technology skills are used together. UNC Charlotte's official MIS career guide identifies opportunities in systems analysis, database administration, business analysis, information security, web development, systems consulting, project management, IT management, analytics, and customer analytics.

Typical career roles include Systems Analyst, Database Administrator, Business Analyst, and IT Manager. Other pathways include Security Analyst, Web Developer, Systems Consultant, Project Manager, Analytics Consultant, and Customer Analytics Manager.

Students can strengthen their transition into employment through UNC Charlotte's dedicated business career resources:

Career and academic coaching: The Niblock Student Center provides centralized academic and career coaching from orientation through graduation and helps students develop career-ready competencies.
Job and internship access: Hire-A-Niner provides business students with internship, co-op, and full-time job opportunities, while also supporting online applications and employer interviews.
Employment outcomes: The official MIS career guide reports 74% full-time employment and 5% continuing education among 2021 MIS graduates, with an average reported salary of $68,571 and an 81.33% knowledge rate.
Employer connections: UNC Charlotte's MIS guide lists employers including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, ADP, Atrium Health, Food Lion, Verizon, U.S. Bank, SAS, GEICO, and Sealed Air.
Charlotte business ecosystem: The Belk College describes deep-rooted partnerships with Charlotte-area business leaders that help shape industry-relevant curriculum and provide connections with the business community.
Professional development: The Niblock Student Center's professional-development team connects students with employers and integrates career-development topics into courses, events, and student programming.
Long-term accreditation value: The Belk College's AACSB accreditation is maintained through rigorous review focused on curriculum quality, learning outcomes, faculty, engagement, and continuous improvement.
Graduation outcomes: Beyond immediate employment, UNC Charlotte's MIS guide records continuing-education participation and identifies graduate-level study as another destination for MIS students.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into graduate business and technology-related study at UNC Charlotte. The Belk College offers graduate pathways including the MBA, M.S. in Management, M.S. in Economics, M.S. in Real Estate, Doctorate in Business Administration, and Ph.D. in Business Administration, while UNC Charlotte also offers interdisciplinary graduate programs such as the P.S.M. in Data Science and Business Analytics.