Advising

New students must contact the department for initial advising to plan a program of study that reflects their interests and satisfies degree requirements. Students are also required to access the Degree Audit System throughout their college career to verify that degree requirements are being met.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Students may be eligible for CPT and OPT. Please check with your advisor and International Students Services (ISS) for details. The MIS graduate level courses (MIS 542, MIS 552, MIS 573, MIS 576, MIS 583 and MIS 584) require a project or internship as part of the class. CPT is available to complete the internship. Students are eligible to apply for a CPT after two consecutive semesters of full-time study toward their M.S. in Management Information Systems; summer does not count as a semester.

Each student may do one CPT during their entire degree program (CPT is allowed for only one semester for one course). If the student does not complete the course while they are doing their CPT, they are not eligible for another CPT if they re-take the course. A CPT will be considered a practical internship project as part of the course. Students who elect to do a CPT are required to submit a report to the course instructor at the end of the semester for evaluation as a part of the course. Students who decide on a CPT must enroll full-time (registering for at least three graduate level MIS courses) during the semester they do the CPT, unless they require fewer credit hours to graduate. In addition, students need approval from the International Students Services Office as well as the course instructor of the class the CPT is associated with.

Grading Policy

At least a C- grade is mandatory in all prerequisites to the program, including: ACC 311, BUS 322, MAT 121 or ECO 213, and CSC 501 and MIS 502, etc. MIS department majors must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in order to earn an MIS degree. Two successive semesters of probation may lead to a one-year suspension. Only one C or C+ in the program is acceptable (a grade of C- or lower is not acceptable in the 500-level classes). To earn a M.S. in MIS degree, a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all graduate level courses taken toward the degree completion is required. The MIS master's courses are not offered as CR/NC.

A grade of B (3.0) or better is required in either the MIS Exit Exam, Capstone (MIS 584) or in the project course (MIS 583), to graduate (grades of B- or lower will not be accepted).

NOTE: Students also should refer to the campus policy on Grades Acceptable Toward Master’s Degrees section of this catalog.

Communication Skills

Entering students are required to pass a diagnostic writing examination administered by the Center for Teaching and Learning. Students with deficiencies in writing may be required to take ENG 309 Professional and Technical Writing.

Degree Requirements

MIS 513Management Information Systems (or equivalent such as MIS 525)3
MIS 523Fundamentals of Business Analytics3
MIS 542Management of Database Systems3
MIS 552System Analysis And Design3
MIS 564Data Communications and Networking3
MIS 567Business Process Modeling and IT Governance3
MIS 573Project and Change Management3
MIS 576Data Mining for Business Analytics3
Choose one track to complete the degree requirement6
Choice 1: Research Track (Two Courses)
MIS 577MIS Design and Research Methods
MIS 584Capstone (Choice 2: Practice Track (Two Courses))
or MIS 583Graduate Project And Seminar
Choice 2: Practice Track (Two Courses)
BUS 528Supply Chain and Logistics Management (or One 500 level course approved by the Department)
MIS 568Business Process Management and Process Mining
MIS 577MIS Design and Research Methods
MIS 578Information Security
MIS 588Exit Exam0
Total Hours30

Graduation Requirements

  1. Selection or assignment of a management information systems faculty advisor
  2. Fulfillment of all the prerequisites for the M.S. in MIS
  3. A minimum B average (3.0) in MIS 513, and MIS 523

At least 24 hours of the courses required for the degree must be completed following matriculation into the department.

Master’s Closure

All MIS graduates must complete MIS Exit Exam, MIS 584, or MIS 583. The nature of the graduate project is contingent on the individual’s career goals and may or may not include a practicum experience.

Evolution of management information systems knowledge on graduation. Exit Exams help students assess the body of knowledge they've attained and helps the program revise its curriculum. MIS 586 must be taken during the student's final semester before graduation.

Projects may involve, for example, design/analysis of an information system for an existing organizational need; development of one or more databases for a potential organizational need; analysis of managerial needs or uses for information that is accessible in an existing database; or analysis, design, security and management of networks. If the project is not completed during these initial three, students must register for MIS 586/MIS 587 (zero credit hours, one billable hour) each fall and spring semester until the capstone/project/thesis is complete.

UIS policy precludes students who are not registered from using campus resources. If a leave of absence is requested and approved, continuous registration is not required. Failure to obtain a leave of absence will require retroactive registration of one credit hour per semester.