Prof. Dr. N. Öykü İyigün, Head of the Management Information Systems Department at the Faculty of Business of Istanbul Ticaret University, answered our questions about the Management Information Systems Department.
Vision and mission are very important concepts. Vision is related to where the department positions itself, and as we established this MIS (Management Information Systems) department in English, we aimed for our graduates to be among the leading MIS graduates in Turkey. Our mission is to achieve this by working with our stakeholders, especially our advisory board, and with the support we receive from the business world, as well as our quality academic staff and education programs.
We are very confident in our department’s curriculum. We developed and designed it by getting feedback from the business world, comparing it with the curricula of various top universities, and conducting various meetings. Subsequently, we sent this program to various opinion leaders for approval, and after a review process, we confidently created our curriculum. The curriculum has three pillars: academic, business-oriented, and the Information Systems pillar. Therefore, we aim for our students to graduate in the most equipped manner through these three pillars.
Currently, the country is making a strategic step towards digitalization. Therefore, we believe that Management Information Systems will be one of the leading and pioneering departments for this strategic move in Turkey. The Presidential Digital Transformation Office has issued an artificial intelligence strategy document. Hence, our curriculum includes courses related to artificial intelligence and its application areas. We are happy to encourage our students to choose this department.
We genuinely strive to offer career opportunities to our students to actively participate in the business world as Management Information Systems graduates. One of the first steps is mandatory internships. We do not leave this mandatory internship to the student alone. We collaborate with our University’s Career Center to provide and capture this opportunity. Additionally, our advisory board members and academic staff support us in this regard.
Firstly, it is a new department. Innovation naturally brings activeness. Therefore, we are in a very active field. Secondly, as we always say, we are “The University of the Business World.” Thus, Istanbul Ticaret University already has a natural and organic connection with the business world. We believe that our students will benefit from the opportunities provided by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce before or after their internships.
Given the nature of our department, I always use this phrase: 50% management and the remaining 50% is information systems. Therefore, we are highly proficient in technology, well-versed in software and coding. With the facilities of our university, laboratories, computers, and software, we believe that technology is a game-changer.
The Management Information Systems Department operates as a major at Istanbul Ticaret University. We have already launched our master’s program and graduated students. Last year, we received approval from YÖK for our undergraduate program, so our first students will be in their second year this year. Hence, we have a very new and exciting department. By the end of five years, we will have our first graduates. Our goal is to see them working in good positions, contributing to the country. Technically, we aim to increase our collaborations, start accreditation efforts, and prepare for doctoral programs, submitting our file to YÖK when ready.
As a new department, we are trying to be meticulous and boutique. Therefore, our quota is 30 students, not 60, 70, 80, or 90. We are fully booked. Because we aim to be a boutique department, we have high interaction with our students. We have an open-door policy, allowing students to consult and discuss with any professor whenever they wish. Additionally, we have established our department’s club to ensure they benefit from school facilities and engage in various extracurricular activities. We aim to provide a pleasant, efficient, and happy university experience. This is in our hands.”
