School of Information Sciences - Information Science & Technology Program

MSIS Courses of Study

General >

In the MSIS program, you have the option to follow a general course of study or to narrow the focus of your studies by taking one of our industry-advised specializations. Many students like the flexibility encouraged by this general program of study – often, employers are looking for those with the broadest range of knowledge and experience.  You can take a sampling of courses from each of the curricular areas:  cognitive, foundations, and systems and technology.

Big Data Analytics >

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The Big Data Analytics specialization will provide the graduates of the MSIS degree program with the essential in-depth knowledge of technologies relevant to big data management. Coursework will cover the design and maintenance of infrastructure to efficiently store, easily access, and transfer over wide area networks, extremely large amounts of data. However, the volume and diversity of data make it extremely challenging to store, retrieve, analyze and utilize this information. As society will soon be routinely trying to use petabytes of data stored in multiple formats across different platforms, experts are needed who have the skills and knowledge to design, develop and deploy complex information systems and applications that deal with multi-terabyte data sets.

Database and Web Systems >

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This specialization will expose students to the fundamental concepts of distributed systems and provide the necessary knowledge and skills to design and develop network-based information systems with a focus on e-business emphasizing systems and technology. This track will provide the system-oriented theory as well as knowledge and skills required for e-business, e-government and other integrated collaboration systems.

Geoinformatics >

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The goal of the Geoinformatics specialization is to provide students in the MSIS degree program with both the breadth and depth of knowledge in geoinformatics required for solving real-world problems. Students will gain the unique knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate the design, development and deployment of complex systems and applications in a rapidly emerging geoinformatics profession. Graduates of the Geoinformatics specialization will be able to deploy and manage geoinformation systems in industry, conduct research in geotechnologies, and pursue PhD research in geoinformatics.

Human-Centered Computing >

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Human-centered computing (HCC) is concerned with the development and management of systems in which the central focus is the user. The systems should be: aware of the user, easy to use, ubiquitous, and intelligent. In the final analysis, human-centered systems improve workplace satisfaction, capitalize on information in the environment, and act on behalf of the user. Current research in HCC focuses on the building of adaptive interfaces, navigation through information spaces, social computing, and the use of virtual environments in information science. Within this specialization, you will take courses to help you to understand humans and model their preferences, interests, and knowledge; analyze explicitly and implicitly generated data; and design systems with natural and intuitive interfaces.

Information Security >

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Providing security and assurance to information systems has emerged as one of the most daunting technological and social challenges of recent times. Major corporations and private industry are expending a great deal of resources to develop cybersecurity technology to secure their information systems. The iSchool is pleased to meet the expected demand for professionals trained in protect information systems by offering the SAIS specialization. This track will provide a unique education in the development, design, and deployment of secure information systems with an emphasis on networked information systems. It will produce information technology professionals with the ability to meet special security challenges (e.g., intrusion detection) posed by conventional and emerging network information systems.

Telecommunications and Distributed Systems >

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The TDS specialization includes coursework in networking protocols, client-server systems, distributed database management systems, and Web services. MSIS students who choose this specialization will learn how to deploy, design, manage, and protect distributed applications in networked systems.

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Learn More!

The iSchool hosts a number of opportunities for you to explore the IST program. Attend Information Sessions at the iSchool or online, whichever suits your schedule. More >

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