MIS 415 Master Syllabus

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MIS 415: Information Systems Audit and Control Master Syllabus


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Course Description

Covers IT governance, controls, auditing applications, systems development, and operations. It examines trends and defines recent advances in technology that impact IT controls and audits - including cloud computing, web-based applications, and server visualizations. It covers IT strategy, business value of IT, as well as controls for IT projects, outsourcing, contracts, cloud computing, etc. Offered by ISOM. A third attempt will require advisor approval. Limited to two attempts.


Course Overview

Organizations allocate a sizeable budget on IT in order to take advantage of the potential benefits that IT will bring to their operations and services. It is essential that organizations establish and execute IT audit and governance plans to ensure that their IT systems are reliable, secure, and in compliance with the government requirements/regulations. This course explores the IT audit and governance practices and frameworks suggested by ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association). This course covers the 5 domains of CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) exam: (1) Information systems auditing process, (2) Governance and management of Information Technology, (3) Information systems acquisition, development, & implementation, (4) Information systems operations & business resilience, and (5) Protection of information assets. In addition, this course also covers Artificial Intelligence (AI) system related topics, including AI system legislations, AI system governance frameworks, AI system risk management frameworks, Audit of AI systems, and Protection of AI systems.


Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to 

  • Explain the role of the IT auditor and how IT governance practices impact the IT audit process 
  • Describe the theories, components, strategies, frameworks and activities of the information technology governance 
  • Explain the relationship between the IT governance and the business governance 
  • Utilize an IT governance framework as a roadmap for an IT audit and governance  
  • Apply the IT governance tools and techniques in carrying out tasks, such as alignment with business goals, risk management, resources management and performance management 

Mason Core Learning Outcomes

  • Students will understand the principles of information storage, exchange, security, and privacy.
  • Students will become critical consumers of digital information; they will be capable of selecting and evaluating appropriate, relevant, and trustworthy sources of information.
  • Students can use appropriate information technologies to organize and analyze information and use it to guide decision-making.
  • Students will be able to choose and apply appropriate algorithmic methods to solve a problem.

MIS (Management Information Systems) Learning Goals

  • Systems Design: Apply knowledge of information technology and business functions to assess, design, and improve business processes.
  • Information Management: Develop data organization, storage, and processing solutions to support organizational needs for information management.
  • Systems Analysis: Acquire an understanding of the systems development life cycle to effectively support business functions with system solutions.

BS Business Learning Goals

By the end of the BS Business program, students will master:

  • Ethical Reasoning: Students will utilize ethical principles when making business decisions.
  • Communication: Students will employ effective written and oral communication skills for professional business environments.
  • Critical Thinking: Students will analyze, evaluate, and generate solutions using core business disciplinary knowledge.
  • Global Perspective: Students will integrate global perspectives in making business decisions and recommendations.
  • Data Analytics Skills: Students will apply analytical tools including AI to make data-informed decisions and recommendations.
  • Concentration-Specific Knowledge & Skills: Students will utilize knowledge and skills appropriate for specialization in their concentrations.

Grading Policy

All assignments are closed at the listed due date and will not be accepted late.
The letter grades are assigned based on the total points earned, not the percentage of possible points. No curving or rounding will be applied. 

Assignment Value
Homework (4) 20 points
Quizzes (8) 32 points
Exam (2) 30 points
Project (1) 18 points
Total 100 points
Grade Scale by Total Points
A+ 98.00 and above B- 80.00 to 82.99
A 93.00 to 97.99 C+ 77.00 to 79.99
A- 90.00 to 92.99 C 70.00 to 76.99
B+ 87.00 to 89.99 D 60.00 to 69.99
B 83.00 to 86.99 F Below 60

Course Topics

Week/Date Lesson
Governance & Management of IT
1 Lesson 0: Course Orientation and Requirements
Lesson 1: Network Technology Basics
2 Lesson 2: IT Related Laws
3 Lesson 3: IT Governance
4 Lesson 4: Configuration and Change Management
Information Systems Auditing Process
5 Lesson 5: IT Audit Overview
6 Lesson 6: IT Audit Process
7 Exam #1 (Lesson 1 to 6)
8 Lesson 7: IT Audit Techniques
9 Lesson 8: Audit of Artificial Intelligence Systems
Protection of Information Assets
10 Lesson 9: Protecting Information Assets
11 Lesson 10: Risk Management and Disaster Recovery
Information Systems Acquisition, Development, & Implementation
12 Lesson 11: Information Systems Development
Information Systems Operations & Business Resilience
13 Lesson 12: Information Systems Operations
14 Exam #2 (Lesson 7 to 12)
15 Project

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