Recommendations for a new undergraduate IS curriculum

This paper presents analyses on the trends of IS curriculum development that has evolved since its inception from the classical report by the AIS/ACM task force led by Heikki Topi and colleagues published in 2010. Based on an integrated synthesis of the literature, we categorize it into three theoretically-driven dimensions: (i) IS Curricula; (ii) Topic-Based IS Curricula, and (iii) IS Identity Crisis, followed by the identification of four empirically-driven contingencies: (i) Dangers of Legacy; (ii) Resource Competence; (iii) Technological Availability; and (iv) Trend Sensitivity. The paper presents IS curriculum development recommendations specifically driven by the four identified contingencies. Our findings inform how we design and re-design IS curricula worldwide. This in turn can influence the way we cross-fertilize with other disciplines forming a consolidated IS education that can offer the right competence to our future graduates, and will likely trigger more attention on information systems across the industry. (Less)