List of Relevant Technology Courses @ Kellogg

1. KMCI-930-5: Programming for Analytics

2. KMCI-930-5: Technology for Analytics

3. KMCI-940-5: Data Analytics Decisions

4. DECS-925-0: Analyzing and Operating Digital Platforms

5. MKTG-953-0: Customer Analytics

6. MKTG-955-0: Digital Marketing Analytics

7. MKTG-468-0: Technology Marketing

8. KIEI-932-0: Product Management for Technology Companies: An Entrepreneurial Perspective

9. KIEI-924-5: Introduction to Software Development

10. KIEI-925-0: Startup Programming and Management

11. MKTG-957-0: eCommerce and Digital Marketing

12. MKTG-961-5: Entrepreneurial Tools for Digital Marketing

13. MEDM-915-5: Managing Digital Media

Detailed Class Descriptions

1. KMCI-930-5: Programming for Analytics

Analytics systems are software systems. In this course, you'll learn what engineers know about building software that is reliable and accurate, integrates multiple technologies, scales and performs well, and adapts to changing requirements. We'll move beyond simply programming languages to design of software systems for analytics. While the course offers students an overview of the most popular programming languages for data analytics, most of the course will utilize Python, a language that has become popular because it allows for both application development and data analytics. Topics will include: typical idioms and design patterns, designing for scalability and change, testing, and performance tuning. Through rigorous examples, students will build the perspective necessary to lead technical teams and avoid costly engineering failures. Students are expected to take an online Python introduction as a prerequisite.
 
 

2. KMCI-930-5: Technology for Analytics

Information technology is inextricably linked with the generation and management of data for use in analytics. The course provides an overview of enterprise and cloud technology building blocks and how they enable data analytics. We also discuss today's typical technology infrastructures for data analytics and where the technology seems to be headed. Finally, we talk about the benefits and costs of different ways to organize a data analytics function as wells as privacy and security considerations around data. The overall goal is to develop an understanding for how information technology decisions affects the performance of Data Analytics in organizations.
 
 

3. KMCI-940-5: Data Analytics Decisions

Evidence-based decisions are no longer a luxury, as firms are capitalizing on the tremendous value that data analytics can bring to their decision-making. These analytic techniques and tools are widely applicable to myriad industries and business contexts. This course will give students the opportunity to practice their existing data analytics skills to solve diverse real-world cases. Students will also deepen their ability to select the appropriate method to solve each problem, clearly and concisely present results, and clearly articulate the strengths and limitations of their analyses.
 
 

4. DECS-925-0: Analyzing and Operating Digital Platforms

Digital platforms have increased in importance to many firms, given the ubiquitous rise of mobile devices, apps, and the detailed and high velocity of data capture now enabled. The movement from Internet sites to mobile applications has also changed the nature of data capture. Machine to machine data creation and the Internet of Things has created a whole space of data creation void of human interaction or even initiation. Such passively gathered data provides novel opportunities for firms. Firms collecting data passively from consumers may encounter legal or ethical roadblocks, but are sure to find new insights in the data, making evaluation of the legal and ethical roadblocks an important part of operating digital platforms.

Indeed, many firms have arisen as strictly digital platform companies, with the goal of creating data assets. Examples like Foursquare, Pinterest, and even social media sites are some of the most well known. The value of data created by digital platforms has unleashed a plethora of start-up firms, with great interest in the measurement of personal health, personal habits, shopping patterns, driving patterns, and even moods. The opportunities to monetize such novel data through business transactions and business operations requires an analysis of the data and its economic importance.

This class will examine real-world digital platform firms (such as healthcare apps, media apps, payment apps, and shopper tracker apps). The class will focus the examination and analysis of data created by these digital platforms and subsequent business decisions to be made about the use and monetization of the data. The class will have a lecture component and an experiential component (as in a Kellogg lab). In this blended-lab approach, 1) the student is exposed to up-to-date frameworks and analytical capabilities used in digital platforms and 2) can apply these in a real-world setting.
 
 

5. MKTG-953-0 Customer Analytics

Marketing is evolving from an art to a science. Many firms have extensive information about consumers' choices and how they react to marketing campaigns, but few firms have the expertise to intelligently act on such information. In this course, students will learn the scientific approach to marketing with hands-on use of technologies such as databases, analytics and computing systems to collect, analyze, and act on customer information. While students will employ quantitative methods in the course, the goal is not to produce experts in statistics; rather, students will gain the competency to interact with and manage a marketing analytics team.
 
 

6. MKTG-955-0 Digital Marketing Analytics

In this course, we will practice using quantitative tools to facilitate informed marketing decisions. We will examine such questions as how to transform a Web site to build trust and sales, how to segment and target consumers using online recommendation systems, and how to combine database models and managerial intuition to make better business decisions. The objective is to develop a strong conceptual and practical understanding of the empirical tools we use to make business decisions. Although prior exposure to statistics is helpful, this class should be accessible to students with little background in statistics.
 
 

7. MKTG-468-0 Technology Marketing

This course provides students with conceptual frameworks and analytical tools for marketing decision making in high-growth and turbulent technology businesses. The course is cross-functional, decision-focused and strategic in its orientation. Topics include marketing in the networked economy, understanding unarticulated user needs, technology standards and network externalities, demand forecasting and strategic planning in technology markets, product design and architecture, product platform strategy, managing new product realization programs and managing the technology adoption lifecycle. Student assignments include developing quantitative spreadsheet-based forecasting models and playing an interactive strategy simulation called DigiStrat--PhotoWars, an action-learning exercise that teaches students about strategic decision making in dynamic technology markets. Students are also required to create a case study in collaboration with a technology firm, or to write a scholarly white paper on a knowledge domain of their choice. MKTG-450 is recommended.
 
 

8. KIEI-932-0 Product Management for Technology Companies: An Entrepreneurial Perspective

Product Management for Technology Companies provides the frameworks, theory, tools and hands-on experience to prepare students to hit the ground running in technology companies. With a holistic and entrepreneurial perspective of product management, we provide insight into the nine major aspects of product management (including opportunity analysis, customer discovery & requirements, product launch & marketing, leading cross-functional teams, product planning and more). This comprehensive approach prepares students for product management and co-founder roles - as well as related roles such as product marketing, product planning & strategy, business development, and similar.

Students will gain hands-on experience via an industry-sponsored project and targeted cases - including several cases developed specifically for this course. The industry project allows students to customize your learning from the course. The projects are real, with executive sponsorship and dedicated resources lined up prior to the start of the first lecture. Alternatively, students may propose your own projects. Sponsors include startups such as kPoint, Shoedazzle.com and Misfit Wearables; as well as leading tech firms such as Amazon, Intel and Salesforce.com.
 
 

9. KIEI-924-5 Introduction to Software Development

This short course is geared for non-programmers who will be founders of, employed in, or consulting to companies that are "tech-enabled". Building an understanding of not only the language of the modern web, but also the processes involved in programming projects is essential in all aspects of technology companies' strategy and general management. This course is the prerequisite for KIEI-925.

Students will learn how to build and deploy their own "static" website, gaining essential coding literacy and experience with modern tools and nomenclature. Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours a week on assignments. IMPORTANT: Attendance is a significant part of the grade, and all students are especially expected to attend the first class.
 
 

10. KIEI-925-0 Startup Programming and Management

This course provides students with an introduction to web development and software project management. Students will learn:

• the key concepts of programming and application development

• the essentials of the Ruby on Rails web framework

• the core principles of agile management

• how to use Git and other go-to tools of modern tech companies

By the end of the course, students will be able to build a functional prototype of a simple database-backed web application and deploy it to a production server. Perhaps more importantly, students will gain a literacy in the concepts that go into building a technology product; which will allow them to ideate more constructively, converse more effectively with developers, and manage teams more efficiently.

An interesting aspect of this course is that it will itself be managed as an agile project, using tools such as GitHub and Pivotal Tracker. Other features include: unlimited access to screencasts tailored specifically for the course, lectures will be interactive, with short pair exercises sprinkled throughout
optional (but strongly encouraged), weekly discussion sections with the professor to reinforce concepts
 
 

11. MKTG-957-0 eCommerce and Digital Marketing

In this experiential learning class you and your business team members will create an online retail strategy and working internet commerce site; including positioning your retail brand against target consumers, choosing category assortment, negotiating certain terms with vendors, setting prices and promotions, managing inventories, developing messaging and advertising, factoring in competition, and constructing a viable online business model. Then comes the hard part: real consumers will shop your stores at a KSM online shopping Mall. Depending on how they shop and what they buy, you must react, fast and effectively as the "pop-up" online store will only be open for a few weeks during the course. But even in that short time, you are likely to find that your effective strategy by the end of the course turns out altogether different from the one you developed at launch. That's real life and real business. And just as in business, you will be evaluated on your team's ability to optimize performance and results, as measured by a range of relevant retailing results metrics and shopper insights.

This new experiential Marketing course builds on material covered in Marketing 430, Marketing 466, and other Marketing classes, and is a unique opportunity for Kellogg students to interact with an impressive list of top digital marketing and commerce executives who will speak about current topics and current practices within a structured academic setting. The course will be highly relevant to students with career interests in internet marketing, online commerce, consumer products, product and merchandising management, new business development, and entrepreneurial start-ups.
 
 

12. MKTG-961-5 Entrepreneurial Tools for Digital Marketing

Most people agree that the Internet has been the single biggest change to business in the last 100 years, yet very few know how to effectively leverage the web as a tool for customer acquisition, retention and growth. This course is based on the framework of the customer relationship funnel but will focus solely on the web/mobile channel. Customer discovery and validation in the web/mobile channel involves strategies and tactics that are faster and less expensive than physical channels. Consequently, digital marketing is an integral part of both the entrepreneurial and corporate environments. This class will be very hands on and tactical, giving you exposure to the basic concepts of UI/UX, A/B testing, conversion funnels, SEO, SEM, Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and much more. Expect to be working in groups in practical settings. There is not a textbook for this class, guest speakers and lectures will provide the information, and hands on exercises will provide the learning.
 
 

13. MEDM-915-5 Managing Digital Media

The media industry is transforming. With news and entertainment delivered via web, tablet and phone, opportunities for entrepreneurs increase and traditional media seek to adapt. This class examines digital media companies' strategies, prospects, and business plans, including how they obtain financing as well as the companies and business models influencing our world today Executives from innovative companies (and divisions) will join in addressing these, sharing their vision of future markets for areas like: digital news, movies and entertainment, mobile and social media, web sales, and new uses for older media.

Topics Include:

• What venture capitalists are seeking

• How streaming is changing the video landscape

• The internet of things

• Crowdsourcing

• Bitcoin

Students will produce a group report and presentation on either (1) a media company or industry segment of their choice, focusing on how it is doing now and its future prospects or (2) a new media business or app they envision, analyzing its potential market and what it would need to attract funding. There will be a hashtag for sharing news, information and ideas between meetings. An individual paper will be required; there is no exam.