Researching Your Disciplines Assignment
Plan of Study Rubric
BA in interdisciplinary Studies with two Concentrations
I. Concentrations in Engineering Management and Business
A Engineering Management Concentration: Credit completed 6, still need 12 credits
1. IEE 456 Introduction to Systems Engineering: this course uses a structured yet flexible approach to provide holistic, solid foundation to the successful development of complex system. This course took me step by step through the system life cycle, from the design to development, production and management. I learned how the different components of a system interrelate, and how each contributes to a project’s goals and success.
2. IEE 300 Economic Analysis for Engineers: this course intended to give me a working knowledge of money management and how to make economic comparisons of alternatives involving future benefits and costs. The impact of inflation, taxation, depreciation, financial planning, economic optimization, project scheduling, and legal and regulatory issues are introduced and applied to economic investment and planning and project management problems. This course combined both of my concentration and make me come up with two outcomes.
I Gain a working knowledge of money management and how to make economic comparisons of alternative engineering designs or projects.
II Appreciation of ethical and other non-economic issues related to professional and personal financial and economic decisions.
B Business concentration: Credit completed 6, still need 12 credits
1. ACC 231 Uses of Accounting Information I: I took this course in a community college which provide me with a conceptual understanding of financial accounting and the skills for applying that understanding to decision-making. I learned how to be proactive accountants to improve the analysis and design of the accounting information systems to add a real value to business organizations, protects business information and its net worth, and advise businesses about security risks which affect the business internal control systems over financial documentation, record keeping and reporting. In addition, I had a hands on using accounting software in designing an accounting information system for a small to medium size business.
2. ECN 212 Microeconomic Principles: I was always afraid to take this course because I had a feeling that I won’t understand it and fail it, but at the end of the course I was able to combine abstract concepts with formal analytical tools in order to understand how consumers and producers make optimal choices and how these choices affect real market outcomes.
II. Upcoming Semester Plans
I still have 33 credit units left in order for me to fulfill my degree requirements. I try my best not to mix both of the concentration courses in same semester in order for me to concentrate on specific concept that way when I take the other concentration I can see the different way of thinking and applying a certain concept since both of my concentrations involve decision making. On fall semester I decided to take engineering course and the BIS, while on spring I decided to take all my business concentration course and one last engineering course. Thatway I can apply for my internship on the summer since I will be done with all my courses.
A. Fall Semester 2016
1. BIS 302 Interdisciplinary Inquiry: I’m planning to take this course in session A since it’s a pre-requisite for BIS 402. After finishing this course I would like to become a better writer and presenter, who will be able to communicate clearly, engagingly, and persuasively about complicated topics, arguments and issues.
2. BIS 402Senior Seminar (Analysis and Decision Making): I choose this topic because it makes me feel that I will be combining both of my concentration. In my opinion I see this topic is a required skill if you will be part of business and engineering organization or either one of the concentration because when I will be in the field, I will be requiring to make decision almost every single day.
3. IEE 431 Engineering Administration: I took this course spring 2016 and I’m retaking because I was so sick and I had to make a medical withdrawn from my classes since the professors didn’t accept to give me “I” my classes. I learned a lot from this course first thing it taught me how to apply the principles of leadership, it also introduces quantitative and qualitative approaches to management functions, engineering administration, organizational analysis, decision making and communication. The good thing about this course is that it has a lot of common concept that is related to my business concentration.
4. IEE 369 Work Analysis and Design:This is one of the courses that I will be repeating this semester. what I liked about this course is that we had a project where we need to find a company that will sponsor our project and write about it. So basically we had a field experience and I’m that kind of person who learn by having hand on rather than just listening to the lectures and testing my knowledge.
5. IEE 380 Probability and Statistics Engineering Problem Solving: I planned to take this course this semester because it is a pre-requisite for IEE 458 not only that but also it is one of the courses that I will be repeating this semester. This course made me understand the difference between probability and statistics, apply basic statistical process control charts and analyses and I also was able to recognize and use common discrete and continuous probability functions.
B. Spring Semester 2017
1. MKT 390 Essentials of Marketing: since most of my other course talked about decision making concept. This course will talk about this concept as well but from different point. So this time it will be about products and services, pricing, promotion and placement. When I finish this course I would like to understand the marketing concept in order to make informed strategic business decisions for the organization I will be working for or for my future company.
2. MGT 380 Management and Strategy for non-majors: At the end of this course I would like to understand how organizations are managed, how strategies are formed and how competitive advantage might be created and sustained.
3. FIN 380 Personal Financial Management: when I finish this class I would like to be able to understand the time value of money, set financial goals, develop a financial plan and preparing a personal budget.
4. CIS 300 Web Design and Development: this course is an elective that will fulfills my business concentration requirements. I hope that after finishing the course I will be able to develop and design a web site.
5. IEE 458 Project Management: since I always have a dream of being a part of big organization and opening my own business after gaining a good amount of experience. I feel so excited about this class course to be able to develop a foundation of concepts and solutions that supports the planning, scheduling, controlling and performance measurement activities required for successful completion of a project
C. Summer Semester 2017
1. BIS 401 Applied Interdisciplinary Studies: I wanted to take this course in my last semester that way I have enough knowledge to be in the field and practice what I learned from both of my concentrations
III. Fulfilling The BIS Requirements
BIS 301 I’m taking this course this semester, I always had a question in my mind what is exactly interdisciplinary studies because I never knew exactly what it means. But now I’m able to understand it, not only that but also understand and learn how to combine both of my concentrations. I’m still at the beginning of the semester but I hope when I finish the class I won’t have no more questions about interdisciplinary and be able to know the combination of my two concentrations.
BIS 302what I know is that this course is about research methods, I’m hoping after I take this course I won’t be afraid of researches anymore. Because whenever I hear that I have a research I get stressed and afraid because I don’t know where to start and how to approach to that certain project. Most of the times I do have ideas but my problem is in the way I suppose to write it and present it.
BIS 401I’m planning to choose applied interdisciplinary studies because I want to spend my time at the internship site that way whatever I studied will be more meaningful to me. I’m that kind of person that learn and understand the concepts more when I have hands on practice rather than just reading and listening to video lectures.
BIS 402this course has several topics, I chose Analysis and Decision Making because this topic is close to both of my concentrations since most of classes mention concept about decision making.
