Computer Information Systems Master of Science - Program Requirements

The M.S. in CIS degree requires students to take 36 credit hours beyond the foundation preparation requirements.

Core Requirements (9 Hours)

The following three courses (nine hours), or approved substitutes, are required for both the thesis option and extended course work option:

Rubric    Course Name   
CSCI 5132     Internet Protocols    
CSCI 5333     Database Management Systems   
CSCI 6530     Research Methods in Computer Science    

Note: The core courses are usually offered every semester. The course CSCI 6530 Research Methods in Computer Science, despite its 6000 rubric, can be taken early in the study. The course helps students to prepare for their thesis or capstone projects.

Thesis Option (24 Hours)

In addition to the three core courses listed above, students interested in working on thesis should also take the following courses.

Rubric    Hours   
CENG/CINF/CSCI/SWEN or other approved related courses    6 hours   
CINF/CSCI 4000-6000 level    3 hours   
*CINF/CSCI courses, 5100-6000 level    9 hours   
CSCI 6939 Master's Thesis Research    6 hours   

* Students interested in pursuing the thesis option are encouraged to take CINF 5939 (Independent Study in CIS) during their first year, in order to write up their thesis proposals (with the sponsoring of a faculty adviser).

Note: It usually takes two regular semesters to complete a thesis. The Master's thesis enables students to perform research in an area of interest. A Master's thesis stands as a permanent symbol of achievement in the master's program. A thesis adds significantly to the student's resume, and allows them to work in an active participatory way which is not usually provided in a regular course.

The first step for a student interested in pursuing a Master's thesis is to identify and meet with a faculty member that agrees upon a thesis. A thesis committee, usually composed of three to four faculty members, will then be formed. The committee chair will guide the student through the process of completing a Master's thesis. Master's thesis related documents that can be obtained from the School of Science and Computer Engineering are:

• Steps In Completing A Thesis
• Technical Requirements For Thesis
• Checklist For Master's Thesis Requirements

Extended Course Work Option (27 Hours)

Students desiring to follow the extended course work option must successfully complete the capstone project course (CINF 6838).

CENG/CINF/CSCI/SWEN or other approved related courses     6 hours   
CINF/CSCI     4000-6000     6 hours   
CINF/CSCI    5100-6000    12 hours   
CINF 6838     Research Project and Seminar (taken after completion of core and during last 12 hours)     3 hours   

Note: The capstone project course (CINF 6838) is an application-oriented course designed to provide students experience on real-world software projects and enable them to apply and integrate their knowledge learned in the Master's program. It can only be taken within the last 12 hours of course work. Students are grouped into teams to work on actual projects from local companies, such as Tietronix, AtLinks Communications, and United Space Alliance. They will interact with the industrial mentors from the sponsor companies to define, design and implement solutions to the assigned problem, in a way similar to real-world projects. A faculty member will oversee each project. There are also internal projects that originated from within the university

Electives

Students should receive the approval of their faculty advisors prior to taking any elective courses.

For "CSCI/SWEN/CENG or other approved courses", most graduate business courses are acceptable, with the exception of ISAM courses.

Support Areas

There are two support areas in CIS: network and database systems. Students interested in these support areas are recommended to take the following courses.

Sub-plan In Database and Web-based Systems

Students interested in developing a sub-plan in Database Systems and Web-based should take the following electives:

Rubric    Course Name   
CSCI 5433    Object-Oriented Database Systems    
CSCI 5533     Distributed Information Systems    
CSCI 5633    Web Database Development    
CSCI 5733     XML Application Development    
CSCI 5833    Data Mining Tools and Techniques    

Sub-plan In Networking and Security

Students interested in developing a sub-plan in Networking and Security should take the following electives:

Rubric    Course Name   
CENG 5333    Network Performance Analysis   
CSCI 5233    Computer Security and Integrity   
CSCI 5234    Web Security   
CSCI 5235    Network Security   
CSCI 5431    Client-Server Based Network Programming   
CSCI 5531    Advanced Operating Systems   

Suggested Plan of Study (for students in the Thesis Option)

The following study plan for the four regular semesters is recommended as a typical example for incoming full-time CIS students who plan to pursue the Thesis option. Individual study plans may vary as long as the prerequisite structures are satisfied. Students should seek the advice of their assigned faculty adviser and set up their Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) as early as possible.

Semester 1 (9 credits):

Rubric    Course Name   
CSCI 5132    Internet Protocols   
CSCI 5333    Database Management Systems   
CINF/CSCI     4000-6000 level   

Semester 2 (9 credits)

Rubric    Course Name/Level   
CINF/ CSCI    4000-6000 level   
CSCI 6530    Research Methods in Computer Science   
CINF/CSCI 5939    Independent Study   

Semester 3 (9 credits)

Rubric    Course Name/Level   
CENG/CINF/SWEN     or other approved related courses   
CINF/CSCI    5100-6000 level   
CINF/CSCI 6939    Master's Thesis Research   

Semester 4 (6 credits)

Rubric    Course Name/Level   
CINF/CSCI    5100-6000 level   
CINF/CSCI 6939    Master's Thesis Research