The vast amount of data gathered and generated by different mechanisms calls for effective transformation of this data into useful information and knowledge for the organizations. An information system is comprised of a set of methods and practices that translates data into information and knowledge to support decision making and control. Such systems may also store and distribute information to the related entities within or outside the organization. Information Systems study area concerns analysis and design of these systems. Thus it is an interdisciplinary area that combines the study of technology and management of an information system in a specific domain.
Information Systems program at Middle East Technical University was established in 1997 as a graduate program within Informatics Institute. In 2000, students were accepted for the Information Systems Ph.D. program for the first time. Informatics-Online and Software Management non-thesis M.S. programs were opened under the Department of Informations Systems in 2000 and 2001 respectively .
Main objective of Information Systems Department is fostering the usage of information systems to improve the conditions of the society and contributing to the scientific and technological developments. To achieve this goal, the department, educates graduates from different disciplines to create scientists and meet the interdisciplinary graduate needs of the industry, and the public and private sectors. It also coordinates interdisciplinary research and technology development efforts among related scientific disciplines.
From the Head of the Department
Department of Information Systems was founded by a group of METU faculty members with the vision of an interdisciplinary education and research environment in the area of Informatics. Ten years after its establishment, Information Systems Department has over ten full-time faculty members and 300 graduate students from diverse backgrounds. The Department offers degrees at both MS and PhD levels. With four different programs, the interests of a wide spectrum of studentsare satisfied. The Information Systems MS and PhD programs are geared toward students who would like to pursue research and development carrier in academic or industrial settings. A great majority of the Informaton Systems MS program graduates apply to pursue a PhD in the same area. This indicates that the Department inspires appreciation of the area and love of research in the students. Working professionals in the software industry benefit immensely from an MS in Software Management. Informatics Online program enables the students to earn an MS degree in Informatics without having to attend classes on METU premises. As such, Department of Information Systems has students based in remote parts of Turkey or abroad. This diversity also enriches the multidisciplinary research environment. Research projects w?th national and international industrial partners are carried out by the Informat?on Systems faculty. The application areas vary from health, education, defence, entertainment to food safety. In addition to the industrial partners, funding is secured through a variety of agencies such as EU Framework Programs, UN, TUBITAK and Turkish Armed Forces. The Information Systems Department is proud to be the leader in Turkey in all its undertakings. In its second decade, the Department is going to grow with new programs and continously evolve with the area of Information Systems itself. As information systems proliferate all aspects of life, the need for specialists will further increase. We consider being at the center of these breath-taking developments in this "Information Age", both a privilege and a challenge. We encourage all individuals from all disciplines and education levels to join us in this adventure.
Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yardimci
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