Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree of 180 credits. Knowledge of English equivalent to what is required for general entry requirements for Swedish higher education at first-cycle level. 

Learning outcomes

In terms of knowledge and understanding, the student is expected to be able to: 

• account for central concepts with respect to organization, activity systems, information systems, information technology (IT) and its use, 
• account for different development strategies in business-oriented system development, 
• account for critical factors for the implementation of information systems and organizational change,   
• account for design knowledge in connection with the development of socio-technical systems and digital artefacts,
• account for the fundamental role of communication and the business language for management and information systems. 

Regarding skills and capabilities, the student is expected to be able to: 

• create requirements specifications for business systems and information systems, 
• carry out process and business modelling, 
• carry out information modelling, 
• develop databases with database management systems,
• develop business logic and user interfaces with low-code platforms. 

Regarding judgement the student is expected to be able to: 

• critically review and relate to socio-technical business development and organizational change, 
• evaluate requirement specifications on the basis of organisational and technical aspects, 
• critically review and evaluate prototypes and information systems, 
• evaluate the opportunities and risks of system development in businesses. 

Content

Digitalization has changed organizations and their operations in a profound way. This requires the ability to analyze the problems and opportunities that arise from the change. The course will provide both understanding and practical knowledge of how Information Technology (IT) and management interact in connection with the transformation of modern organizations. The course provides an in-depth study of a number of central concepts and perspectives in system and business development. 

The organization is regarded as a socio-technical activity system where digitization of organizations is considered strategically important by relating it to digital infrastructures, data strategy and business strategy to system and business development. In connection with change management, change analysis, change resistance, change communication, and business management and organizational change are treated. Risks and opportunities with the use of AI technology in connection with system and business development are analyzed from an organizational perspective. 

From a technical perspective, the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills in developing digital artifacts with a focus on three-layered architectures built with separate layers for databases (data layers), business logic (logic layers) and user interfaces (user layers). The course uses database management systems and SQL in combination with low-code platforms to develop prototypes for three-layered information systems. The course provides knowledge about the Internet and the World Wide Web with associated protocols (e.g., TCP/IP and http) (e.g., HTML). Cybersecurity, as well as digital authentication and authorization, are also covered. 

The course provides knowledge about the IT industry and its activities, i.e. system and business development and IT Service Management as well as new roles, professions and areas for IT graduates in the digitalized society. 

Instruction

Lectures, laboratory sessions, seminars and supervision. 

Assessment

Examination takes place through compulsory lectures, laboratory sessions, seminars, project assignment and written exam. The examination takes place individually and in groups.  

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator or a decision by the department's working group for study matters.