Building an Appreciation for Enterprise Architecture
MSIT students reflect on the program's newest course and how it impacted their understanding of how to align business goals with IT capabilities.
Meerim Musabaeva (MSIT '25) was looking for answers when she enrolled in the new Enterprise Architecture course offered in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program.
Much of her career had been in IT as a systems engineer or systems administrator. She implemented a variety of system-wide changes in that role, but she wanted to learn how organizations approach decisions that impact enterprise architecture.
"I've often been on the receiving end of strategic decisions without a clear understanding of the underlying rationale," Musabaeva said. "This course presented a valuable opportunity to step behind those 'closed doors' of leadership and gain insight into the strategic thinking that shapes an organization's technological landscape."
The course, co-taught by Dimitra Kane and Raju Kanjamalai, examined how enterprise architecture serves as a strategic planning framework that ensures IT capabilities are aligned with business objectives.
During the five-week course, students learned about business capability models, strategy maps, value stream maps, information maps, data flow usage, process maps, and stakeholder roles. They explored case studies about the ways that organizations have applied enterprise architecture concepts and heard from a variety of guest speakers from across the IT space.
"Hearing real-world experiences, challenges, and successes firsthand provides invaluable context and practical insights that go beyond theoretical concepts," Musabaeva said. "The chance to ask questions and deep dive into the nuances of their enterprise architecture roles and how they navigate complex organizational landscapes was an unparalleled learning opportunity."
One of the most important lessons Musabaeva took away from the course was the importance of aligning strategic goals with operational execution. Any disconnect between the two can hinder an organization's ability to achieve its objectives. What enterprise architecture does is provide a framework to bridge that gap, she said.
Joseph Cruise (MSIT '25) also appreciated learning about the significance of enterprise architecture. He was also surprised to discover he'd been working unofficially as an enterprise architect in his role as a trade systems analyst at Belvedere Trading.
When Cruise began the MSIT program, he wanted to understand where he fit within the broad landscape of IT.
The Enterprise Architecture course helped him answer that question.
"For years, I’ve chosen breadth over depth, enjoying the challenge of being a jack-of-all-trades, and at times, I worried that this might have been a professional misstep," Cruise said. "But this course helped me understand that there is a role designed for that mindset — one that values systems thinking, integration, and a wide perspective."
That holistic mindset is essential to thrive in enterprise architecture, as Musabaeva also learned. She credited the class with helping her understand how to cultivate a comprehensive view of an organization. She also appreciated learning how to translate business objectives into actionable IT plans that support a larger organizational vision.
"In today's complex organizational landscape, the alignment between business goals and technology strategy is paramount," she said. "We learned to analyze interdependencies between different business units and IT systems, enabling us to make informed decisions that consider the broader organizational context."
