Business Information Systems

bm365

I was thinking of doing the BIS course next year and I was just wondering what is like. Is it difficult? What sort of jobs would you get when your qualified? etc.....

Fionn MacCool

There's only one Seamus Hill!

bm365

thats very helpful!!!! i dont suppose u could go into more details about the course itself and the sorts of jobs you would get from it?

Fionn MacCool

www.bisnuig.bebo.com sure look at us, we rule. Next time our class rep is online I'll bring his attention to this thread, if he doesn't see it before then.

As far as I'm aware, BIS in galway is different from other places (UCC for example) in that we do Accounting as well. That's not a good thing though.
It's a good course... I think a fair few people in my class are only there because they didn't get the points for B.Comm but to be honest with you I think BIS is a better course/degree.

These are the modules we do (subject to change I suppose):
Accounting
Economics
Business Systems Analysis & Design
Management Information Systems
Information Systems Technology
Business Application Development (VB programming)

There's not as much IT as you may imagine, personally I think I may have been better off doing a course purely in IT as that's what I'm good at, but hey there's nowt wrong with a bit of a challenge.

If you're looking for accommodation, Corrib Village is literally about 2 mins walk from nearly all our lectures (Economics & Acct are in the main campus).

If you do take the course, I could very well be in your class as I'm probably going to fail first year...

Good luck!

qwytre

bm365 wrote: »

I was thinking of doing the BIS course next year and I was just wondering what is like. Is it difficult? What sort of jobs would you get when your qualified? etc.....

I didn't do the BIS course, I did Commerce (minor in MIS and Marketing) but I now work in the MIS area. MIS and BIS are much the same thing.

There are jobs out there for people who are a bridge between IT and Business. A lot of people are in either one or the other but those who understand business and understand IT, they are the one who won't have to worry about their jobs are most programming is moved to Poland\India etc.

There are lots of areas you can go into as a BIS graduate. You may start in a development role but with the business background you can move to a team lead role etc.

I would recommend a mix of IT\Business in a course if you know you dont want to be a nerdy developer all the time.

Most of the jobs are in Dublin, very few good IT jobs in Galway for example.

bm365

does there many people do this course each year?

Fionn MacCool

Couldn't give you an exact number mate, but the classes are small. The only 'big' lectures we have are Economics and Accounting, as we share those with students doing B.Comm and Arts

bm365

is there many in first year BIS this year

Fionn MacCool

I just answered you :S

bm365

sorry i think you miss understood me, i dont mean how many are in certain classes, i meant how many people are doing BIS this year?

Fionn MacCool

Well we had a test today and about 30 people were there, I only noticed about 3 people missing but they may have dropped out.

danh789

has many people dropped out of first year this year because im in college in Dublin and I hope to change to 2nd year BIS next year. So if more people have dropped out the more free places they will have!

Fionn MacCool

Oh aye there's definitely at least 5+ people who have dropped out and there'll probably be a few that fail >_<

danh789

nice one and was the class full in the first place or was there places free even at the start of the year?

TrialVersion

To answer your question - yes, the course was full in September '07. There were 48 registered students on the Roll on day 1.

The numbers have grown alot in the last few years. BIS originally would have taken 25 undergrads (as you can see from the likes of Qualifax) but there is so much interest for graduates with a knowledge of Business & IT that they have companies knocking down the door.

First year does put alot of focus on Business, but second year introduces more I.T. aspects. The course is really well taught, and the lecturers are very approachable.
Theres never a dull moment in BIS either... we are constantly applying what we're learning to real-world scenarios. Then theres plenty of project work, and this year we were brought on a trip overnight to Microsoft in Dublin!

Looking ahead: Currently, there are 5 Second Year Students in the US studying at UMBC and theres a Six-Month Work Paid Work Placement in Third Year.

TrialVersion

bm365 wrote: »

I was thinking of doing the BIS course next year and I was just wondering what is like. Is it difficult? What sort of jobs would you get when your qualified? etc.....

The course isn't difficult if you have an interest in the subject.
I know "Information Systems" sounds like you'll be pulling apart algorithms and writing binary code, but in reality you're looking at how information systems help businesses everyday.

While some Grads go on to do Web Design & Programming, the majority will become Business Analysts / Systems Analysts (Consultants).
Typically, you would work for someone like Accenture or one of the bigger banks, and it would be your job to figure out what the requirements of a new System are, and then pass it along to developers, and so on.
The starting salary for a BIS Grad is said to be between €30k & €35k. Accenture pay all new Grads €33k basic. Not bad for a 22-year-old!

highgiant1985

I graduated from BIS in UCC last year, its a good course, class size in first year the yr I was in it was approx 130 and in 4th yr approx 88 of those graduated, (about 150 started first yr last yr) and dispite what early user posted you do accounting modules for bis in ucc as well management and financial accounting. There are also Economics modules and optional Management modules then you also have your core IS modules.

In third yr there is a 6th month placement program where 70% (prob more tbh Im being conservative with this figure I reckon) of people go to the US on placement to boston/new york/Washington DC to companies like Fedelity/Iron Mountain etc... the rest go on placement in Dublin/Cork/limerick etc... to the likes of Bank of Ireland, IBM etc...

BIS In UCC is v highly recognised and v well respected degree and Job prospects from the course are v good to if you put in some work (2h2 or better really for the bigger firms). People from my class last yr now work in london/dublin/cork/further study in roles including business analysts/consultants/accountants/programmers/implementors etc...

the one thing I will say about BIS is the course has a fair few hours a wk in cork so dont expect it to be just 9 hours a wk. In BIS you're looking at approx 23 hours each yr of lectures/tutorials and then lots of projects on top of that. That said as long as you go to all the lecturers and put in a small but of effort you'll do fine.

Private message me your email address and any questions you have if you want to know anything about the course/the college

Ouu.. I think I like the sound to this course..

And only 330 = result.

iAmMine

just starting in BIS myself, havent made it to any lectures yet like, but still...im living in town, bloody Cairnes is miles away...

any other freshers here?

iAmMine

I made it to my first lecture! A bloody 9 o'clock at that!! Factor in the dirty hangover and 4 hours sleep, I'm quite proud of meself!

iAmMine

iAmMine wrote: »

I made it to my first lecture! A bloody 9 o'clock at that!! Factor in the dirty hangover and 4 hours sleep, I'm quite proud of meself!

I also made it.. but looked quite like a homeless person...
NO SLEEP and still drunk! I win!

iAmMine

Deleted User wrote: »

I also made it.. but looked quite like a homeless person...
NO SLEEP and still drunk! I win!

i wouldda much preferred to have been still drunk! Such an effort to stay awake....

iAmMine

Fionn MacCool wrote: »

There's only one Seamus Hill!

he's some boy for one boy so he is...

Sleepy

I suppose I did the precursor to this in some ways - a B.Comm majoring in IS with a H.Dip Systems Analysis afterwards. Think the BIS has some advantages over the path I took as there was a fair amount of repetition between the MIS component of my degree and the DSA.

I graduated about 5 years ago and got a job doing Application Support for an ERP/FMS package which I did for about 2 years before moving into Technical Consultancy (basically an uncertified DBA, Sys Admin, Network role in relation to the system) and am now the bridge between a development team and the implementation consultancy base where I'm involved in both the specification and development of add-on packages to the main system and on-site implementations of both the core system and our add-ons.

My starting salary would have been quite low (around 22k) but after a 6 month probationary contract that rose to about 25/26 and while I'm not going to give my salary details on-line I'd now earn over twice that and am still happily with the same company.

Many of those I was in college with have gone on to work in different areas entirely - finance, construction, the Gardai etc. but I suppose my experience would be fairly representative of what you can expect a BIS to prepare you for.

A few pieces of advice in relation to the course and subsequent career path:

1. Enjoy your time in college. The course isn't nearly as intensive as something like engineering so you've plenty of time to live it up, get involved with Clubs/Socs etc. Take the opportunity to go on a J1 to the states etc. You'll quite possibly never have that kind of opportunity again so don't waste it (I did, and still regret it).

2. Go to your lectures or as many of them as you possibly can and, more importantly, while you're there: pay attention. An 70 - 80% attendance while paying attention is infinitely more use to you than a perfect attendence record whilst you doodled your way through the lectures.

3. Focus on the concepts, not the details. Half my management accounting class failed in second year because they didn't understand why they were manipulating the figures in the way they were on the worked examples given during lectures and when presented with an exam where the questions didn't exactly mirror worked examples, they were stumped. Learn what and why and the how becomes something you can work out yourself if you can't remember the exact format used in examples. (this will stand to you immeasurably in the 'real world' of work too.)

4. Don't get caught up on starting salaries. Look at the big picture. Firms like Accenture will offer large starting salaries and work you to the bone in rather defined career paths. Sometimes you're better off in a smaller company where there's more flexibility to career paths and less defined 'roles'. This can give you more opportunities to prove yourself and get a broader degree of experience and you can often be in more of a position to negotiate pay raises baised on your performance rather than that of your team or grade. Your first job is about gaining experience, not earning big salaries.

This post isn't intended as a how-to, it's just some of my thoughts on the course area and own experiences in the industry. Hopefully it'll be of some use to some of you guys starting out

iAmMine

im not gonna lie, having 3 years of accounting under me belt means that im alright at it, but watching people who've never done it before? My god it's funny. Harsh i know, but funny nonetheless!!:D

RafaLover

Could someone please explain the career oportunities in simple English? would be appreciated thanks

Sleepy

Essentially you'll be either designing, developing, testing, implementing or supporting software Rafalover. You'll usually find that you move between a number of those areas throughout your career.

mr kilo

im looking at BIS in IT tralee. Just wondering if businesses would choose uni students over IT students or would there be no difference.

leninbenjamin

mr kilo wrote: »

im looking at BIS in IT tralee. Just wondering if businesses would choose uni students over IT students or would there be no difference.

if they did then they are a business you wouldn't want to work for.

projects and course work (and how much you know your sh*t) are usually what matters most, at the end of the day that's up to you so it really shouldn't matter a huge amount.

mr kilo

Cheers

Sleepy

mr kilo, the main difference you'll find in an employers attitude towards IT versus Uni students is that they'll view the IT students as likely to be more competent initially but Uni students to have more management potential...

Personally, I think it's BS but I've heard the opinion expressed numerous times.

mr kilo

im sure il find out soon

Cathkins

Looking at getting hoodies made for the BIS classes at the moment so if anyone here has any ideas for slogans for the backs please post em here! Thanks

mr kilo

Cathkins wrote: »

Looking at getting hoodies made for the BIS classes at the moment so if anyone here has any ideas for slogans for the backs please post em here! Thanks

Heres a wild idea, put this on the back of them:D
BIS;);)