What is MIS (Management information systems )

Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people, technology, and organizations.

A management information system (MIS) is a computerized database of financial information organized and programmed in such a way that it produces regular reports on operations for every level of management in a company. It is usually also possible to obtain special reports from the system easily. The main purpose of the MIS is to give managers feedback about their own performance; top management can monitor the company as a whole. Information displayed by the MIS typically shows "actual" data over against "planned" results and results from a year before; thus it measures progress against goals. The MIS receives data from company units and functions. Some of the data are collected automatically from computer-linked check-out counters; others are keyed in at periodic intervals. Routine reports are preprogrammed and run at intervals or on demand while others are obtained using built-in query languages; display functions built into the system are used by managers to check on status at desk-side computers connected to the MIS by networks. Many sophisticated systems also monitor and display the performance of the company's stock.

If you enjoy technology like iPhones, iPods, and Facebook, you have what it takes to major in information systems. All you need is an interest in technology and the desire to use technology to improve people's lives. Many people think that MIS is all programming. However, programming is just a small part of our curriculum and there are many, many jobs in MIS where you do not program. 

Everyone who works in business, from someone who pays the bills to the person who hires and fires, uses information systems. For example, a supermarket could use a computer database to keep track of which products sell best. And a music store could use a database to sell CDs over the Internet. 

Information isn’t worth much if it doesn’t serve a purpose. MIS students learn how businesses use information to improve the company’s operations. Students also learn how to manage various information systems so that they best serve the needs of managers, staff and customers. MIS students learn how to create systems for finding and storing data and they learn about computer databases, networks, computer security, and lots more.  

 All of these are great majors, however MIS is the ONLY major that focuses on both business processes and information technology. If you are interested in business and technology, like theory but not too much, like technology enough to want to keep up with what's hot but don't want to be writing programs or putting together chips all your life, then MIS is for you.  We believe that the most upwardly mobile career path for those who like to work with business and technology is definitely in MIS.