Core Requirements (8 classes/24 credit hours)

IS 8005 Informatics - An examination of the tools and techniques required for an IS manager to effectively communicate the needs of an IT program. Involves IT-based research and statistical analysis techniques, oral and written communication and technical report writing.

IS 8020 Object-Oriented Software Development Methods & Technologies - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: Current technologies and practices of object-oriented software engineering. Topics include data structures, design optimization, file and stream processing, templates, inheritance, and reusability.

IS 8040 Data Communication Theory and Practice - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: Provides an overview of the principles of data communication including protocols, communication software, switching, networks design and management practices, and network implementation.

IS 8050 IS Project Management Methods - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course teaches the application of project management principles to Information Systems projects. Topics include project planning and estimation techniques, management of JAD projects, budgeting, concurrent project management strategies, managing project relationships with IT customers, and controlling project risks. Project Management Software will be used to facilitate team projects and project reporting.

IS 8060 IS Development Methods and Technologies - Prerequisite - IS 8005 - Informatics: This course examines the Systems Development Life Cycle and the technologies used to model, design, document, and implement high-quality information systems. A variety of modeling techniques will be used by the student to articulate client requirements and convert them into implementable specifications. Prototyping and CASE tools will be covered.

IS 8070 Legal and Ethical Issues in Information Systems - Prerequisite - IS 8005 - Informatics: This course is a case-based survey of contemporary legal and ethical issues faced by IS professionals. Topics include a review of applicable statutes and regulations that impact the IS organization. Students will conduct on-line research and explore ethical issues at the leading edge of the organization's technology frontiers.

IS 8080 Database Application Design and Implementation - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course examines contemporary strategies for the design and implementation of applications supported by back-end database systems. Topics include data administration, data warehouse design, database issues in client-server environments, data placement and storage strategies, transaction optimization, and web-based database systems. Relational and object-oriented technologies are covered.

IS 8950 IS Policy and Strategy - Prerequisite - IS 8005 - Informatics: A capstone course that integrates the program's coursework into comprehensive IS policies and procedures to support the organization's mission. Students will review and evaluate actual corporate IS strategies in a case-study format.

Elective Classes (4 classes/12 credit hours)

IS 8110 Information Security Administration - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: Students will examine security technologies, methodologies and current best practices. Coursework will focus on the evaluation and selection of an optimal organization security plan. Additional topics include evaluation of security models, risk assessment, threat analysis, organizational technology evaluation, security implementation, disaster recovery planning, and security policy formulation and implementation.

IS 8112 Information Security Technologies - Prerequisite - IS 8040 Data Communication Theory and Practice: This course will exam the technical controls and safeguards used to protect information. Students will examine firewalls, intrusion detection systems, anti-virus applications, and virtual private networks. Coursework will focus on the evaluation and hardening of key security technologies. Additional topics include developing and installing VPNs, selection criteria for IDSs, AV software, and developing implementation plans for all types of security technologies.

IS 8120 Human Computer Interface and Design - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: The human-computer interface models the ways in which humans use and react to computer systems. Topics include help systems, interaction styles, visual design principles, user interface prototyping, and human factor analysis. The students should be able to describe and justify interface design concepts, and should be able to evaluate and design usable, friendly, adaptive user interfaces for all types of information systems, including transaction processing, decision support, group support, customer support, data warehouses, Intranets, Extranets, and network administration.

IS 8130 Query Languages - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course extend the offerings of courses in the existing Systems Administration concentration in the MSIS. There is much interest and need for additional courses in the Systems Administration concentration, and in the database area particularly. This course extends basic principles covered in the required core course: IS 8080 Database Application Design and Implementation. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to explain the foundations of an advanced database querying language, such as SQL, QBE, relational algebra and relational calculus.

IS 8622 Computer Network Implementation and Security - Prerequisite - IS 8040 Data Communication Theory and Practice. This course will examine the design and implementation of small-scale computer networks that support the organization’s applications. Contemporary commercial systems will be evaluated, installed, and customized. Maintenance and service issues are explored.

IS 8625 Advanced Data Communications - Prerequisite - IS 8040 Data Communication Theory and Practice: This course provides a detailed examination of networking protocols using TCP/IP protocol stack as the primary instructional tool. It also addresses the OSI reference model. Topics include the basic functions of the seven layers of the OSI model, application layer functions, TCP and UDP data transfer, IP addressing and subnetting, and associated support functions (DNS, DHCP, ICMP, etc.) Additional protocols include IPXSPX and NetBUI.

IS 8628 Internetworking Technologies - Prerequisite - IS 8040 Data Communication Theory and Practice: This course will examine the integration and components of Local- to Wide- Area networks, and the technologies necessary to support the functions of large-scale networking. This course is designed for the student that wishes to pursue a career directly related to the design, implementation, and management of inter-network data communications. The emphasis will be on networking technologies like routers, switches, and the implementation of internetworking protocols.

IS 8722 e-Business Systems Strategy - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course focuses on business process redesign and change management in the context of e-business. Topics include impact of e-business on business models, channel relationships and the value chain, integration of emerging technologies with legacy systems, functional and inter-organizational integration, and transaction cost issues. Applications include supply and selling chain management, customer relation management, enterprise resource planning, e-procurement, and knowledge tone applications.

IS 8724 e-Business Technologies - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course focuses on core e-business technologies. Topics include risk management, Internet protocols and security standards, cryptography and authentication, firewalls, electronic payment systems and intelligent agents. Students will conduct an analysis of infrastructure components from functional and management perspectives.

IS 8726 e-Business Systems Solutions - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: This course focuses on analysis, design, development, and deployment of e-business solutions. Topics include World Wide Web site design, application development structures such as Java, ColdFusion, and CGI, Web database integration, hypermedia development tools, and implementation strategies.

IS 8822 Information Systems Integration - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: Modern information systems contain many vendor-supplied components that must be selected, integrated, tested, and installed. The course addresses the skills required to develop system Requests for Proposals (RFPs), evaluate and manage contracts and contractors, testing methods, installation planning and outsourcing.

IS 8825 IT Leadership - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: The topics covered in this course vary to maintain currency with current thinking and discussions in the IS profession. Students will choose or be assigned topics to be investigated as groups or individuals. They will perform on-line and library research, prepare and deliver reports and presentations, and analyze and critically evaluate the reports and presentations of other students.

IS 8826 Information Systems Services - Prerequisite - Full admission to the program or permission of the Program Director: Topics include: Managing help desks, customer support, training end users, designing professional development programs for IS employees, documentation management, and marketing IT products. Internal and external clients are considered. Students will explore the internal workings of the help desk and develop programs for problem identification, escalation, tracking, and resolution. Students will develop internal marketing plans for IT services within a charge-back environment. Comprehensive, model professional development programs for IS professionals will be explored and documented.

IS 8900 Special Topics In Information Systems - Prerequisites - Varies by topic.

IS 8910 Special Project in Information Systems - Prerequisites - Permission of the Program Director. More info.

IS 8916 Cooperative Studies - Prerequisite - Permission of Career Services and the Program Director: A supervised work experience program for a minimum of two semesters at a site in business, industry, or government. Practical work experiences are an important part of the IS professional's career plan. In order to gain exposure to new and emerging technologies, students may take advantage of co-op opportunities.Students will gain hands-on, supervised experience with new and emerging technologies. More info.

IS 8918 Internships - Prerequisite - Permission of Career Services and the Program Director: Guided and supervised practical experience in information systems. Practical work experiences are an important part of the IS professional's career plan. In order to gain exposure to new and emerging technologies, students may take advantage of internship opportunities. Students will gain hands-on, supervised experience with new and emerging technologies. More info