Enterprise Architecture course, Fall 2003

Like all of my classes, this will be run seminar style, in the sense that it intends to present very current ideas related to the topic, along with some example materials both that I have created and that you can create.

I assume you are a mature student, capable of guiding yourself in detail, along the directions that I indicate. In particular I assume you are very comfortable with using on-line materials and search engines.

As almost always with me, there is no "bookstore" text for the course. These usually have at least 50% material that is out of date, and often encourage you to spend time on the least important topics.

During the Java programming portions of the course I will refer to the preliminary version of a book Thinking in Enterprise Java by Bruce Eckel. A copy is available at that site for your reference.

There are other references (and a link to them given above), and they are on-line, and I assume you will become familiar with them as they make sense for the topic we are studying.

There will be assignments from time to time (every 10 days to 2 weeks), which will usually be to take some materials I have begun, and complete, modify, or expand them appropriately. These are included primarily in order to give specific examples, and let you try your own hand. You will be welcome to do something different but related if you think that will help you learn more.

If you expect detailed feedback on what you have done, I suggest another course and another style of teaching. Similarly if you expect detailed outlines of exactly what we should be doing, try elsewhere.

The courses that I offer try to help you end up at or beyond the currently popular topics in the area, since these areas are so rapidly developing. I am your guide perhaps, but it is much more like a companion who has been there slightly before you, not someone who will tell you exactly what to do. My time is very fully occupied in just trying to discover what we should be doing, and determining understandable (on occasion) ways to present it. To restrict what we do only to those things for which a path is already worn, would not be doing you a favor in the long run.

Why

I suggest you take a look at the section Why (does Dr. Harris...) on this web site. It may help you understand what otherwise (or even so) may seem to be idiosyncratic choices.