Business informatics

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Business informatics (BI; also Business Computing Systems) is a discipline combining information technology (IT), informatics and management concepts. The BI discipline was created in Germany, from the concept of "Wirtschaftsinformatik". It is an established, successful academic discipline including bachelor, master and diploma programs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The term Business Informatics is now common in Central Europe. BI has strong synergistic effects from truly integrating business administration concepts and computer science technology into one field.

Contents 1 Organisational informatics and business informatics 2 Differences between business informatics and information systems 3 Universities offering business informatics 3.1 Germany, Austria, Switzerland 3.1.1 Germany 3.1.2 Austria 3.1.3 Switzerland 3.2 Others 4 Research 5 References

[edit] Organisational informatics and business informatics

Business informatics can be seen to be a subset of organisational informatics. Organisational informatics is fundamentally interested in the application of information, information systems and ICT within organisations of various forms including private sector, public sector and voluntary sector organisations ^[1].

[edit] Differences between business informatics and information systems

Business Informatics (BI) shows numerous similarities to the discipline of Information Systems (IS) which can mainly be found in English speaking parts of the world. Nevertheless there are a few major differences that make Business Informatics very attractive for employers:

1. Business Informatics includes information technology, like the relevant portions of applied computer science, to a much larger extent compared to Information Systems.
2. Business Informatics has significant constructive features meaning that a major focus is on the development of solutions for business problems rather than simply describing them.

On the other hand, information systems strongly focuses on explaining empirical phenomena of the real world. IS has often been called an "explanation-oriented" approach in contrast to the "solution-oriented" BI approach. IS researchers try to explain why things in the real world are the way they are and conduct a lot of empirical surveys whereas a BI researcher tries to develop IT solutions for problems they have observed or assumed. Academics in BI, for example, are often fond of applying new technologies to business problems and doing feasibility studies by building software prototypes. BI students are also taught this constructive approach. Their ability to not only explain reality, but rather shape it, is what makes them very attractive employees for companies as well as good candidates for entrepreneurs in the business IT field.

Tight connections between research and teaching is another tradition of Business Informatics. Recent insights gained in research projects become part of the curricula quite fast because most researchers are also lecturers at the same time. The pace of scientific and technological progress in BI is quite fast, therefore subjects taught are under permanent reconsideration and revision.^[2][3][4]

[edit] Universities offering business informatics

A number of undergraduate programs and graduate programs lead directly to the degree of a bachelor or master in Business Informatics. Examples are:

• Master of Business Informaticsat the Information and Computing Sciences Department of Utrecht University (Netherlands)
• Master of Computer Science for Business and Economic at Pisa University (IT)
• Bachelor and Master of Science in Business Informatics at Academia de Studii Economice (Romania)
• International Master of Business Informatics (MBI) by the Virtual Global University (via internet)
• Master of Business Informatics at the Business school of the University of Reading (UK)
• Master of Science in Business Information Technology (BIT) at Middlesex University (UK)
• European Master of Science in Business Informatics (EMBI) at Dublin City University (Ireland)
• Master of Science in Business Informatics (MBI) and Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics at Northern Kentucky University (Kentucky, USA)
• Master of Business Informatics at the University of Canberra (Australia)
• Master of Science in Business Information Systems at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland
• Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Business Informatics at the University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Bachelor of Commerce with Specialisation in Informatics at the University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Bachelor and Master programs in Business and IT Management at Jönköping International Business School (Sweden)
• Bachelor and Master of Science in Business Information Technology (BIT) at University of Twente (Netherlands)
• Bachelor of Business Informatics at the University of Mykolas Riomeris (Lithuania)
• Bachelor and Master of Business Information Technology (BIT) at Northumbria University (United Kingdom)
• Master of Science in Business Information Systems
• Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics at Western Kentucky University (U.S.A via Gordon Ford College of Business)
• University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

[edit] Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Many German, Austrian, and Swiss universities offer equivalent programs in German leading to a degree (Bachelor, Master, Diploma) in Wirtschaftsinformatik, for example (alphabetical order):

[edit] Germany

• • Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
  • Humboldt University of Berlin
  • TU Braunschweig - University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology
  • University of Cologne
  • Darmstadt University of Technology
  • Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts
  • Hochschule Deggendorf - University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Duisburg-Essen
  • University of Erlangen-Nuremberg - Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU)
  • University of Göttingen
  • University of Hamburg
  • Fachhochschule Hannover - University of Applied Sciences
  • Fachhochschule Wedel - University of Applied Sciences
  • Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences
  • Hochschule Bremerhaven - University of Applied Sciences
  • Hochschule Esslingen - University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Koblenz
  • Technical University of Munich
  • University of Magdeburg
  • University of Mannheim
  • University of Münster - Westphalian Wilhelms-University (WWU)
  • University of Oldenburg
  • University of Osnabrück
  • University of Paderborn
  • University of Potsdam
  • University of Regensburg
  • University of Rostock
  • Saarland University
  • University of Stuttgart/Hohenheim
  • University of Trier
  • University of Würzburg - Julius-Maximilians-University
  • Technische Fachhochschule Wildau

[edit] Austria

• • Fachhochschule Kufstein - University of Applied Sciences
  • Vienna University of Technology
  • University of Vienna
  • University of Linz

[edit] Switzerland

• • University of Zürich
  • University of St. Gallen

[edit] Others

• • McMaster University (Canada)
  • Bosphorus University (Turkey)
  • Sabanci University (Turkey)
  • Marmara University (Turkey)
  • Yeditepe University (Turkey)
  • Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkey)
  • Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas (Cuba)
  • State University - Higher School of Economics (Russia)
  • Wadi International University(Syria)
  • German University in Cairo (Egypt)
  • University of Canberra (Australia)
  • Up to 47 different CEGEP in Quebec (Canada)

[edit] Research

• European Research Center for Information Systems, University of Münster and associated research institutions and companies

[edit] References