Business informatics (BI) is a discipline combining information technology (IT) ? or informatics ? with management concepts. The BI discipline was created in Germany, from the concept of "Wirtschaftsinformatik". It is an established, successful academic discipline including bachelor, master and diploma programs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The term Business Informatics is now common in Central Europe. BI has strong synergistic effects from truly integrating business administration concepts and computer science technology into one field.

Organisational informatics and business informatics

Business informatics can be seen to be a subset of organisational informatics. Organisational informatics is fundamentally interested in the application of information, information systems and ICT within organisations of various forms including private sector, public sector and voluntary sector organisations ^[1].

Differences between business informatics and information systems

Business Informatics (BI) shows numerous similarities to the discipline of Information Systems (IS) which can mainly be found in English speaking parts of the world. Nevertheless there are a few major differences that make Business Informatics very attractive for employers:

1. Business Informatics includes information technology, like the relevant portions of applied computer science, to a much larger extent compared to Information Systems.
2. Business Informatics has significant constructive features meaning that a major focus is on the development of solutions for business problems rather than simply describing them.

On the other hand, information systems strongly focuses on explaining empirical phenomena of the real world. IS has often been called an "explanation-oriented" approach in contrast to the "solution-oriented" BI approach. IS researchers try to explain why things in the real world are the way they are and conduct a lot of empirical surveys whereas a BI researcher tries to develop IT solutions for problems they have observed or assumed. Academics in BI, for example, are often fond of applying new technologies to business problems and doing feasibility studies by building software prototypes. BI students are also taught this constructive approach. Their ability to not only explain reality, but rather shape it, is what makes them very attractive employees for companies as well as good candidates for entrepreneurs in the business IT field.

Tight connections between research and teaching is another tradition of Business Informatics. Recent insights gained in research projects become part of the curricula quite fast because most researchers are also lecturers at the same time. The pace of scientific and technological progress in BI is quite fast, therefore subjects taught are under permanent reconsideration and revision.^[2][3][4]

Universities offering business informatics

A number of English-language undergraduate programs and postgraduate programs lead directly to the degree of a bachelor or master in Business Informatics. Examples are:

• Master of Science in Information Systems (MSc) at the University of Münster (Germany)^[5]
• International Master of Business Informatics (MBI) by the Virtual Global University (via internet)
• Master of Business Informatics at the Business school of the University of Reading (UK)
• Master of Science in Business Information Technology (BIT) at Middlesex University (UK)
• European Master of Science in Business Informatics (EMBI) at Dublin City University (Ireland)
• Master of Science in Business Informatics (MBI) and Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics at Northern Kentucky University (Kentucky, USA)
• Master of Business Informatics at the University of Canberra (Australia)
• Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Business Informatics at the University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Bachelor of Commerce with Specialisation in Informatics at the University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Bachelor and Master programs in Business and IT Management at Jönköping International Business School (Sweden)
• Bachelor and Master of Science in Business Information Technology (BIT) at University of Twente (Netherlands)
• Master of Business Informatics at the Information and Computing Sciences Department of Utrecht University (Netherlands)
• Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Informatics at Dhurakij Pundit University (Thailand)

Many German, Austrian, and Swiss universities offer equivalent programs in German leading to a degree (Bachelor, Master, Diploma) in Wirtschaftsinformatik, for example (alphabetical order):

• Germany
  • Humboldt University of Berlin
  • University of Cologne
  • Darmstadt University of Technology
  • University of Duisburg-Essen
  • University of Hamburg
  • University of Koblenz
  • University of Münster - Westphalian Wilhelms-University (WWU)
  • University of Paderborn
  • University of Regensburg
  • University of Rostock
  • Saarland University
  • University of Trier
  • Technical University of Munich
  • University of Stuttgart/Hohenheim
• Austria
  • Fachhochschule Kufstein - University of Applied Sciences
  • Vienna University of Technology
  • University of Vienna
  • University of Linz
• Switzerland
  • University of Zürich
  • University of St. Gallen
• Others
  • German University in Cairo (Egypt)
  • McMaster University (Canada)
  • Marmara University (Turkey)
  • Yeditepe University (Turkey)
  • Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkey)
  • Higher School of Economics (Russia)

Russian universities have started offering equivalent programs in Russian since 2002: Bachelor and Master of Science in Business Informatics are offered by State University - Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Interesting are also programs of Economical Cybernetics that are offered by several Russian universities. That programs are focusing on Operation Research and Mathematical modeling of business. (e. G. Kazan State University)

Research

• European Research Center for Information Systems, University of Münster and associated research institutions and companies

References

ar:????? ??? ????????? cs:Informa?ní systém de:Wirtschaftsinformatik es:Informática de negocios fr:Informatique de gestion ko:?? ?? ??? he:????? ???? nl:Beleidsinformatica pt:Sistema de informação de gestão zh:??????