Information Systems (in-f?r-'ma-sh?n 'sis-t?ms) n. The integrated study of technology and business and the use of technology to solve business problems.

Nathan Shepherd didn't feel like he quite fit in studying computer science. The junior from Seattle, Wash., enjoyed technology and wanted to learn to program software, but something was off. As he looked into a wide variety of majors on campus, he decided that information systems, commonly referred to as IS, was the match for him.

Shepherd has not regretted it.

Information systems students learn skills to be "the vital link between business and technology," according to the program's Web site. Students learn to program software, though not to the extent of computer science students, but they also take an array of classes to understand how business works-and how technology can help a business.

Marshall Romney, director of the IS program, said using technology in a business is like building a house. Management is like the homeowner, who decides what he or she wants, then goes to the architect to actually design the house.

"The information systems person does that," Romney said. "He acts as the architect until management gets what they want."

The design for the system then goes on to programmers who actually write the code for the necessary software, much like construction crews actually build the house, Romney said.

BYU's information systems program is getting some attention nationally. TechRepublic, a news organization focused on technology, included BYU's program among its top 10 IS programs in the country, along with schools such as MIT and Penn State. The list did not rank the schools, but grouped the 10 schools together as the best in the country for information technology.

TechRepublic cited a rigorous application process and an even more rigorous curriculum as one of the reasons for its high status.

Stephen Liddle, a professor in the program, agreed.

"Students come out really fired up and ready to go on an internship experience," Liddle said. "And they discover that they are much better prepared than their peers coming from other institutions. It's because we've put together this core experience that is so intense and helpful in information systems."

That core experience is a class structure that integrates what students learn in different classes. Unlike most programs where students can decide to take classes at different times and there is some flexibility to their schedules, IS students take a set of core classes that act as a single class for two semesters. Each semester culminates with an intense weeklong project in which students synthesize what they have learned to solve a business problem.

The project is so involved that professors suspend classes for a week and tell students not to schedule anything important for the entire week, said Trent Labrum, a junior from Murray.

Graduates with a degree in information systems have several options for a career path, ranging from systems analyst to program manager to network administrator, according to the program Web site.

However, some students see information systems as a way to branch out into other areas.

Adam Chavez, a junior from San Francisco, said he is studying information systems to prepare himself for a career in venture capital.

"It seemed like a really good hard skill to have in conjunction with some of the other soft skills I have," he said.

Chavez also estimated that many students have entrepreneurial objectives in mind, like starting their own e-businesses.

Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Dec 2008