Management information systems departments in Türkiye and accreditation readiness levels

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the current state of undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) programs in Türkiye within the framework of ABET accreditation criteria and to determine the awareness, perceptions, and knowledge levels of faculty members whose contributions are of critical importance to the accreditation process. The study is structured into five sections in line with these objectives. The first section addresses the concepts of quality and accreditation in higher education, and significant international associations focused on quality assurance are examined. The quality and accreditation efforts in Turkish higher education are reviewed, and the emergence of MIS as a discipline and the significance of ABET accreditation for MIS programs are discussed. The second section evaluates the current state of undergraduate programs by collecting data from the Higher Education Information Management System, the Council of Higher Education Academic search system, and university websites. These data were analyzed following ABET criteria. The third section introduces the mixed research approach adopted to understand the research problem better. Following a sequential exploratory design, qualitative methods were initially applied, followed by quantitative methods. The fourth section presents findings from in-depth interviews with 11 faculty members, selected through purposive sampling. Each interview was first analyzed holistically, and comparative insights were subsequently provided. The interview data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software and categorized into five categories. In the fifth section of the study, along with the case study findings, the survey results prepared based on the relevant literature, including ABET accreditation criteria, are presented. During the survey implementation, 199 out of 535 faculty members working in MIS departments responded entirely to the first section, which measured perceptions and perspectives toward accreditation. Descriptive statistical methods and comparative analyses were employed in the data analysis. The findings indicate that faculty members perceive accreditation as a mechanism to ensure compliance with standards and deliver quality education. The primary benefits of accreditation were enhanced quality, providing standards, achieving recognition, continuous improvement, and developing a collaboration network. The primary barriers to accreditation were evaluated as budgetary and resource constraints. Regarding aligning the Turkish higher education system with accreditation criteria, capacity issues were highlighted as a significant challenge. Analyses of the knowledge about accreditation agencies revealed that faculty members have limited knowledge about the membership, processes, conditions, and criteria of international accreditation agencies. The study also found that faculty members' perceptions and perspectives toward accreditation varied based on gender, involvement in the accreditation process, institution type, academic title, academic seniority, departmental background, and the accreditation status of their affiliated department, faculty, or institution.