Moving forward by looking backward: Using backward design to develop an innovative MSIS program

Program design is a challenging task that involves significant effort and resources. The challenge is compounded if the program is being designed for an interdisciplinary discipline. Multiple approaches are available for program designers, and varying approaches may work well in different contexts and settings. The fundamental core of Backward design is that the selected approach may be successfully applied in different contexts if it begins with the end in mind. This research describes how a Midwestern public university used backward design to construct a curriculum process that gives voice to the expertise, proclivities, and preferences of individual faculty members in curriculum development while aligning course objectives with the program’s mission and vision. As a major contribution, the paper shares lessons learned from a collaborative program design effort using the principles of Backward design. This effort was undertaken to design the Masters of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) program at a Midwestern public research university.