DURHAM, N.H. - The Information Systems Management Program at the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics invites businesses and industry organizations to work with students on projects during the spring semester 2012.

"Our students have helped New Hampshire organizations address some challenging problems and developed many useful solutions that are in operation today. Everyone gains, the businesses and our students. For our students, nothing beats real-world experience," according to Barry Shore, professor of decision sciences who manages the program.
The corporate project course is the capstone course in the undergraduate Information Systems Management option. It is taken in the spring semester each year by those business administration seniors who specialize in Information Systems Management.

The course provides students with real-world experience in business enterprises, including private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, in the area of information systems. Students work in groups on projects identified by sponsoring organizations. Examples of recent projects include Web strategy development and implementation, database applications, e-commerce solutions, systems analysis, technical and financial feasibility studies, and marketing information strategy studies.

The course provides students with an opportunity to integrate concepts and skills learned in prior business and technology courses. Student teams participate in meetings and discussions with end-users and project team members, including project managers. Students also learn project management concepts and skills, work with project management tools, and use presentation techniques. Each student group makes at least one presentation to the sponsoring organization, in addition to preparing a detailed written report.

Students usually commit at least eight hours a week to the projects. Project work includes periodic on-site project team meetings, interviews with end-users and off-site research. Each project will have an instructor and a sponsor organization representative to help students define project scope and deliverables, monitor project progress, and advise on reports and presentations.

Interested businesses may submit a one-page proposal (in Word or PDF format) containing the name of business, address, contact information, and brief (not more than 200 words) description of their problem/needs. All submissions, including questions and clarifications, should be sent electronically to Barry Shore at bshore@unh.edu. Deadline for submission is Jan. 20, 2012.

The UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, information systems management, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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