Services science (Twente Graduate School)

Services science has emerged from the realization that the economy of physical products is being replaced by an economy of services that can be delivered with these goods. Information technology is the key enabling factor in this. It enables further globalization of commerce and production, but at the same time global connectedness in a service economy introduces new levels of architectural complexity and security risks, that need to be managed.

Nowadays services can be found everywhere and experienced and used anytime, in daily life, professional life, at consumer and business levels, and at technology levels. Traditional examples are transportation services, health services and education services.

Some newer examples are ICT outsourcing services, in which design or programming tasks are outsourced to specialized companies, and helpdesk services, which concentrate large numbers of calls from clients asking for help with products. We observe nowadays a trend to package products in services, so that added value can be offered to potential clients. An example is in contract manufacturing, such as for the automotive industry, where parts and equipment are provided on behalf of an original equipment manufacturer, possibly covering a range of activities such as design, prototyping, assembly, and quality assurance for complete products.

ICT is an enabler for the further growth of the services sector. Most business services and processes are supported by ICT services. The shift from products to services often implies an ICT-enabled provision of e-services. High-speed networks and powerful computer systems have made these processes ubiquitous. From the methodological side, the advent of the Service-Oriented Architecture has facilitated the mapping from business processes to ICT services, with the benefits of effectiveness and flexibility.

Services are essential, important and becoming quite complex as more interrelated services appear and more stakeholders or parties get involved. This means that services have to be approached from scientific, management and engineering points of view. Our Services Science programme has Management Science and Computer Science as cornerstones. It offers two study tracks, one going through a BIT Master and the other going through an CS Master, with each track following the rules of its related master’s programme, but having a clear ‘services science’ signature.

Programme mentor

Prof. dr. R.J. (Roel) Wieringa

Course programme

Four compulsory courses:

192320111 - Architecture of Information Systems

192110902 - Advanced Database Systems

192320501 - Electronic Commerce

192111332 - Design of Software Architecture

Five courses in Track A: Services technologies:

192652150 - Service-Oriented Architecture with Web Services

192110982 - Database Transactions and Processes

192330301 - Specification of Information Systems

192320550 - XML- Technology

192135450 - ADSA- Model Driven Engineering

Five courses in Track B: Services in business:

192376500 - Business Process Integration Lab

193160060 - Information & Knowledge Exchange Services

194108040 - Business Development in Networks

192320201 - Data Warehousing & Data Mining

192320820 - Design Science Methodology

Four elective courses:

192320220 - Advanced Architecture of Information Systems

192320850 - Advanced Requirements Engineering

192376000 - Business Case Development for IT-projects

192340070 - Computer Supported Cooperative Work

192404600 - E-Government: communication and organization

192350200 - E-Strategizing

192360021 - ICT Management

192340101 - Implementation of IT in Organizations

194105070 - Information Systems for the Financial Services Industry

193163010 - Information and Knowledge Management

191863970 - Information Systems Design Methodologies

192652110 - Java Middleware Technologies

192160200 - Knowledge Representation

193190000 - Managing Service Organizations

192631000 - Mobile E-health Applications and Services

191852640 - Production & Logistics Information Systems

192150300 - Security of Information Services

192330301 - Specification of Information Systems

195810200 - Supply Chain Management & ICT

192140122 - System Validation

192110961 - XML & Databases 1

Mandatory (55 EC):