Decision Sciences

Introduction

The Department of Decision Sciences (DSCI) provides the opportunity for study in two related fields of business administration: Management Information Systems (MIS) and Operations Management (OPS). Additional course work is provided in Quantitative Methods. These fields cover a variety of responsibilities in both public and private organizations. Graduates from the Decision Sciences Department will have completed a broad business program plus a wide range of nonbusiness subjects, reflecting the department’s belief that education should prepare students for satisfying achievements in life as well as business.

Program Objectives

Departmental programs have been designed to prepare students for leadership roles in business and the community. The educational objectives of the department are to:

Offer innovative undergraduate and graduate curricula that reflect state-of-the-art knowledge in our areas of expertise
Prepare students with the necessary skills and knowledge for professional careers
Provide students with opportunities to improve their communication, team, and problem-solving skills to work effectively with different organizations and cultures
Encourage students to develop critical thinking skills and an appreciation of intellectual inquiry
Contribute to our disciplines by creating, publishing and presenting significant scholarly research in the individual fields
Provide professional services to regional, national, and international academic institutions, businesses, professional organizations, and government agencies
Encourage and support student professional organizations

Faculty

CRAIG K. TYRAN (2001) Chair and Professor. BS, MS, Stanford University; MBA, UCLA Graduate School of Management; PhD, University of Arizona.
DEEPINDER S. BAJWA (1999) Professor. BE, University of Mysore; MBA, PhD, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
CHRISTOPHER B. CALIFF (2015) Assistant Professor. BA, MS, University of Georgia, PhD, Washington State University.
GERARD M. CAMPBELL (2014) Professor. BS, Columbia University; MBA, University of Connecticut; MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; PhD, Indiana University.
XIAOFENG CHEN (2014) Associate Professor. BS, Nanjing University; MS, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
LILLIAN FOK (2018) Associate Professor. BS, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; PhD, Georgia State University
WING M. FOK (2017) Associate Dean and Professor. BBA, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; MBA, University of Baltimore; PhD, Georgia State University.
PETER HAUG (1986) Professor. BA, State University of New York at Fredonia; MA, University of Maine; MBA, College of William & Mary; MPhil, University of Edinburgh; PhD, University of Washington.
STELLA HUA (2002) Professor. BS, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; MBA, Baylor University; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ILHYUNG KIM (2004) Professor. BS, MS, Seoul National University; MBA, Oregon State University; PhD, University of California, Los Angeles.
JIEXUN LI (2016) Associate Professor. BE, Tsinghua University; MS, Tsinghua University; PhD, University of Arizona.
J. CHRISTOPHER SANDVIG (2001) Professor. BS, University of Oregon; MBA, UCLA Graduate School of Management; PhD, University of Washington.
MARK C. SPRINGER (1987) Professor. BA, University of Cincinnati; MBA, PhD, Vanderbilt University.
SCOTT T. YOUNG (2016) Dean and Professor. BA, University of Georgia; MBA, Georgia College and State University; PhD, Georgia State University.
ZHE GEORGE ZHANG (2000) Professor. BS, MA, Naukai University; MBA, York University; PhD, University of Waterloo.

Senior Instructors

KRAIG K. PENCIL (1999) Senior Instructor. BA, Occidental College; MBA, Western Washington University.
LEE E. McCLAIN (1991) Senior Instructor. BA, MA, University of Missouri-Columbia; MBA, University of Pennsylvania.
BRIAN L. MORGANS (2006) Senior Instructor. BS, University of Washington; MBA, Western Washington University.
SIPING (SUE) SU (2006) Senior Instructor. BA, Nankai University, Tianjin, China; MS, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Departmental Mission

The mission of the Department of Decision Sciences is to advance and disseminate knowledge in management information systems, manufacturing and supply chain management, and quantitative methods. The DSCI department provides high-quality educational programs, publishes theoretical and applied research, and serves university, professional, and community organizations.

Declaration Process

See the College of Business and Economics introductory section in this catalog for declaration of pre-major and major requirements and procedures. Applicants with 45 or more college level credits must have at least a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA in all college-level course work including previous institutions and a minimum of 2.5 cumulative Western GPA to apply as pre-majors. For the BA in Business Administration, students have several choices of concentration, but are not guaranteed full major status in any specific concentration area in the case of capacity constraints. Some concentrations within the Business Administration BA require an additional application for full major status, while other concentrations automatically accept students as full majors if they have completed all eight foundation courses and meet the GPA requirements. See the CBE application webpage and department webpages for each concentration’s full-major admissions requirements.

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management (MSCM) applicants must have a cumulative MSCM foundation GPA of 2.80 or higher in foundation courses completed (including transfer courses) to apply as MSCM pre-majors. Once a student with pre-major status has completed all ten MSCM foundation courses with a cumulative foundation GPA of 3.00, the student will be admitted as a full major. MSCM applications include information instructing students to contact the department to schedule an interview.

Other Departmental Information

The Curriculum

Development of the department’s curriculum has been guided by the standards of the AACSB International-the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Students normally devote most of the freshman and sophomore years of study to completion of the General University Requirements (GURs) and the business administration major foundation courses. Several foundation courses satisfy GURs, and careful planning can save time for additional elective course work. Electives that emphasize oral and written communication skills are particularly recommended.

The junior and senior years are devoted primarily to upper-division core requirements and elective course work. The Department of Decision Sciences offers two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. Within the BA in Business Administration, students may choose to concentrate their major electives in management information systems or operations management. Students who wish to complete a concentration must pay close attention to class scheduling because of prerequisites and limited offerings of some courses.

Certificate in Website Management

Students concentrating in MIS may also be interested in earning a Certificate in Website Management through Western’s Internet Studies Center. Two of the six courses required for the certificate may be used as MIS concentration elective courses. More information about the certificate can be found on the ISC website, yorktown.cbe.wwu.edu/ISC/.

Business Applications Software

The use of personal computer systems to assist in data management, analysis and reporting of results is widespread in the curriculum of the Department of Decision Sciences. Students are expected to have some proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet and database software at the time they enter upper-division decision sciences classes. This proficiency can be gained through several means, including formal class work at a university or community college, work experience, or commercially offered classes. Proficiency can also be demonstrated by passing an exam which is offered for this purpose each quarter. Students who have not otherwise gained these skills are expected to register in MIS 220 prior to their registration in MIS 320.

Communications Requirements

See the College of Business and Economics introductory section of this catalog.

Student Advising

For answers to routine questions concerning preparation and progress through the major, students should consult the Plan of Study for their major or concentration, available in the Academic Advising Center (OM 380) or online through the CBE website: cbe.wwu.edu/dsci/current-students. Non-routine questions should be directed to the academic department manager. Questions concerning individual areas of study should be directed to faculty who teach in that area. After the declaration of a major, a student will be assigned a faculty adviser with whom the student must consult concerning mandatory and elective courses in the chosen major and concentration. The faculty adviser may also be a source of information concerning career objectives and opportunities.

Enrollment Priorities

Because of high student demand for many business administration program courses, the department must give enrollment priority to students for whom these courses are requirements rather than electives. Priority is given to majors in CBE and other declared majors for whom the classes are required.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Business Analytics Minor

Courses

Decision Sciences

Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400 are described in the University Academic Policies section of this catalog. NOTE: Not all courses are offered every year. Several elective courses are offered only once each year. See the online Timetable of Classes for current offerings. Consult department for answers to specific questions.

Management Information Systems

Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400 are described in the University Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Operations Management

Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400 are described in the University Academic Policies section of this catalog.