Decision Sciences

Introduction

The Department of Decision Sciences (DSCI) provides the opportunity for study in four major fields of business administration: Business Analytics (BA), Management Information Systems (MIS), Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management (MSCM), and Operations Management (OPS). Also, the department offers a minor in Business Analytics. 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

STELLA HUA (2002) Chair and Professor. BS, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; MBA, Baylor University; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
DEEPINDER S. BAJWA (1999) Professor. BE, University of Mysore; MBA, PhD, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
CHRISTOPHER B. CALIFF (2015) Professor. BA, MS, University of Georgia, PhD, Washington State University.
XIAOFENG CHEN (2014) Professor. BS, Nanjing University; MS, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
LILLIAN FOK (2018) Professor. BS, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; PhD, Georgia State University
WING M. FOK (2017) 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.
DEANNA KENNEDY (2023) Dean and Professor. BS, University of California, Davis; MBA, Golden Gate University; PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
ILHYUNG KIM (2004) Professor. BS, MS, Seoul National University; MBA, Oregon State University; PhD, University of California, Los Angeles.
JIEXUN LI (2016) Professor. BE, Tsinghua University; MS, Tsinghua University; PhD, University of Arizona.
MARK C. SPRINGER (1987) Professor Emeritus. BA, University of Cincinnati; MBA, PhD, Vanderbilt University.
SCOTT T. YOUNG (2016) Professor. BA, University of Georgia; MBA, Georgia College and State University; PhD, Georgia State University.
CRAIG K. TYRAN (2001) Professor. BS, MS, Stanford University; MBA, University of California, Los Angeles; PhD, University of Arizona.
ZHE GEORGE ZHANG (2000) Professor. BS, MA, Nankai University; MBA, York University; PhD, University of Waterloo.

Senior Instructors

KATE BAKER (2015) Senior Instructor. BA, Western Washington University; 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 business analytics, management information systems, manufacturing and supply chain management, and operations management. The DSCI department provides high-quality educational programs, publishes theoretical and applied research, and serves the university, professional, and community organizations.

Application Process

Students must confirm admission to Western Washington University before applying to the College of Business and Economics (CBE). Students are encouraged to apply as soon as they meet the requirements listed below. The electronic application is located on the CBE website and submissions are processed on a continual basis.

Application Requirements

Students with 45 or more college-level credits, a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher for all college-level coursework, and a Western cumulative GPA (if any courses have been completed at Western) of 2.50 or higher may apply regardless of how many business courses have been completed. Students who have not completed the eight business foundation courses will be admitted as pre-majors. Students who have completed all eight foundation courses will be admitted as full majors.
Please note: No individual course grade lower than a C- will be accepted and credited toward degree requirements. Cumulative GPA requirements for College of Business and Economics degrees are listed below.

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.

Retention Standards

To remain in good standing in CBE, students must maintain a minimum Western cumulative GPA of 2.50. Should a student fall below the 2.50 Western cumulative GPA retention standard, the student will receive a warning and have one quarter in which to repair the academic record. If the student’s academic record remains below the 2.50 Western cumulative GPA retention standard, the student will be dropped from the college.

All majors in the College of Business and Economics (CBE) must maintain good academic standing with the University. A student with a Western Washington University cumulative GPA average below 2.0 will be dismissed from the college immediately and not permitted to register for additional courses in the College of Business and Economics until the deficiency is repaired. A transfer student with no Western GPA (no graded Western courses) at the time of CBE application must maintain good standing with the University moving forward.

Please note: No individual course grade lower than a C- will be accepted and credited toward degree requirements.

Academic Status

Pre-major: A student who has applied and been accepted to CBE but has not completed the foundation courses required for their major/concentration.
Provisional major: A student who is enrolled in their last foundation course(s). Note: If at the end of their provisional quarter a student does not meet all requirements for full major status, they will revert to pre-major status and cannot register for any major-restricted courses until they repair the deficiency. A student is eligible for provisional major status in CBE only once.
Full major: A student who has completed all foundation courses required for their major/concentration and has a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher for all college-level coursework and a Western cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher.

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 their 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 Business Analytics, 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.

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 & Student Achievement Center (OM 387) or online through the CBE website: cbe.wwu.edu/dsci. 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.