School of Arts & Sciences

• Introduction
• Academic Minors
• Academic Minor Requirements

• Degree Requirements for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.)

• BAAS - Digital Gaming and Simulation Concentration

• BAAS - Computer Information Systems Concentration

• BAAS – Network and Security Concentration
• BAAS – Web and Media Concentration

• Degree Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

• Biology (B.S.)
• Communication (B.A. or B.S.)
• Computer Science (B.S.)

• Criminal Justice (B.S.)
• Humanities (B.A.)
• Mathematical Sciences (B.A. or B.S.)

• Psychology (B.A. or B.S.)
• Computer Information Systems (M.S.)

• Interdisciplinary Studies (M.A.I.S.)
• Psychology (M.A.)
• Publishing (M.S.)*

Computer Information Systems (M.S.)

1.  General Admission Requirements. Admission to Graduate Studies (see graduate admission requirements).
2.  Program Admission. In addition to meeting university admissions requirements for a graduate degree, admission to the M.S. in Computer Information Systems (MS-CIS) program is based on an evaluation by the program's admission committee of the following information:
   1.  A resume reflecting work experience and educational background.
   2. A one-page essay that states the student’s reasons for applying to the program and his or her career goals and research and scholarly interests, if any.

   3. Admissions index of 1,400 or higher, obtained by either of the following:
      1.  GPA on at least the last 60 semester credit hours times 200
       
      Plus GRE score (Verbal + Quantitative)
      or
      2.  GPA on at least the last 60 semester credit hours times 200
         Plus GMAT score times 2
   4. Evidence of having completed undergraduate or graduate coursework in the following areas:
      1. 3 s.h. of Calculus, Discrete Structures (MAS 3362), Discrete Mathematics, or Operations Research (MAS 3347)
      2. 3 s.h. of Statistics (MAS 3391)
      3. 3 s.h. of Information Systems in Organizations (ISC 3325)
      4. 3 s.h. of Principles of Management (MGT 3311, or MGT 6351)
      5. 3 s.h. of upper division Accounting,
            or 6 s.h. of lower division Principles of Accounting I and II, or ACC 6351

      6. 6 s.h. of programming and data structures using an object-oriented programming language.  Students who do not have this preparation can take the following leveling courses to replace the programming requirement.
         1. ISC 6360 Fundamentals of Programming
         2. ISC 6361 Intermediate Programming and Data Structures
   5. Documentation of prior learning which satisfies program prerequisite knowledge in part or full. The student may submit to the CIS Graduate Program Advisor a portfolio of work for evaluation for exempting one or more prerequisite/leveling courses.  Such work may include non-credit or non-academic course work, certifications held and other demonstrated experience or knowledge in the subject area. Such exemption will be solely at the discretion of the CIS Graduate Program Advisor, and may involve interviews, tests, or contact of references.  No such waiver for non-academic experience will be done for any part of the 36 semester hours beyond the prerequisite/leveling courses.
3. Program Admission under the “Three-Year Bachelor Bridge Program” option.  Graduates of three-year Bachelors degree programs who otherwise satisfy all the international admission requirements for the MS program in Computer Information Systems (MS-CIS,) and have the equivalent of a minimum 90 undergraduate semester credit hours, will be admitted as graduate students with the additional requirement that they must complete the Bridge program that would bring their total credit hours to the 122 hours required for a UHV bachelor’s degree.  Completion of the Bridge program is necessary before the student can enroll in more than 18 graduate hours as required in the MS-CIS, not counting prerequisite and leveling courses.  

Each student must satisfy the requirements of Sections 1 and 2 in the following, either by transfer credit or by UHV course work. Students admitted into the Bridge program must complete courses chosen under advisement from Section 3 to meet the total requirement of 122 semester hours.

The quality of a student’s work must be kept at a 3.0 grade point average or better throughout the Bridge program.  Courses in which the quality of work is lower than “C” must be repeated and no more than two C’s may be applied toward the Bridge program.  Courses may be repeated to achieve higher grades; in cases where courses have been repeated, both course grades remain on the transcript, but only the latest grade counts toward the grade point average for the degree.  If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 during the Bridge program, the student will be placed on academic probation.  Students on academic probation will be informed by the Dean of the School of Arts and Science of any conditions for removing the probationary status.

Section 1.  Required, 7 semester hours

•  Professional Writing (ENG 3430)
•  Advanced Public Speaking (COM 3325)

Section 2.  Other Program Requirements, 21 semester hours

•  3 s.h. of Calculus, Discrete Structures, Discrete Mathematics, Operations Research, or Management Science
•  3 s.h. of Statistics
•  3 s.h. of Information Systems in Organizations
•  3 s.h. of Principles of Management
•  3 s.h. of upper division or graduate Accounting, or 6 s.h. of lower division Principles of Accounting I and II
•  6 s.h. of programming and data structures using an object-oriented programming language.

Section 3.  Selected Courses by Advisement

•  Any additional courses needed to total a minimum of 122, taken from upper division ISC or MAS courses.
4.  Degree Plan. The degree plan embodies the goals to be achieved by the student at the completion of the program, as indicated by the course work required to be completed. The degree plan is drawn up by the degree plan counselor, in consultation with the student, and the CIS Graduate Program Advisor. The plan is approved by the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
5.  Degree Requirements

   Prerequisite/Leveling Courses:		21 semester hours
   Core Courses:		18 semester hours
   Specialization Courses:		15 semester hours, 9 semester hours under the thesis option.
   Integration Course:		3 semester hours
   Thesis Option (optional):		6 semester hours
   Total semester hours required:		36 (not including the prerequisite/leveling courses)

6.  Prerequisite/Leveling Courses (21 semester hours)

   A large percentage of the entering students in the program are anticipated to have undergraduate degrees in areas not directly related to computing.  The foundation preparation courses required in three areas listed below are required of such students.

   1. Computer Science/Information Systems (9 semester hours)

      Six (6) semester hours of courses in programming and data structures using an object-oriented programming language.  Students who do not have this preparation can take the following leveling courses to replace the programming requirement.

      1. ISC 6360 Fundamentals of Programming
      2. ISC 6361 Intermediate Programming and Data Structures
      Three (3) semester hours in basic knowledge of computer information systems, including some proficiency in the use of common PC software environments, or ISC 3325.

   2. Mathematics (6 semester hours)

      Three (3) semester hours of Calculus, Discrete Structures (MAS 3362), Discrete Mathematics, Operations Research, or Management Science.
      Three (3) semester hours of Statistics (MAS 3391).

   3. Business (6 semester hours)

      Three (3) semester hours of Management, or MGT 3311 or MGT 6351.
      Three (3) semester hours of upper division Accounting, or ACC 6351.  This requirement may also be satisfied by the lower division sequence: Principles of Accounting I and II.

7.  Core Courses (18 semester hours)

   ISC 6336 Database Systems Development
   ISC 6340 Software and System Architecture
   ISC 6342 Software Engineering/Project Management
   ISC 6350 Systems Analysis and Design
   ISC 6339 Network Design and Management
   ISC 6325 Policy, Strategy, and Ethical Issues in Information Systems

8. Specialization (15 semester hours; 9 semester hours under the thesis option)
   

   These courses are selected from the following list:
   
   ISC 6329 Data Warehousing and Data Mining
   ISC 6337 Web Mining and Information Retrieval
   ISC 6343 Intelligent Agents and Applications
   ISC 6347 System Administration
   ISC 6351 Decision Support Systems
   ISC 6353 Information Systems Security
   ISC 6357 Web Engineering
   ISC 6359 Advanced Computer Communication
   ISC 6300 Special Topics in Computer Science/Information Systems
   ISC 6344 Advanced IT Project Management

9.  Integration Course (3 semester hours)

   ISC 6390 Integrating the Enterprise, IS Function and IS Technologies

10.  Thesis Option

    Students have the option of writing a research-oriented thesis.  This option is available for academically strong students wishing to advance their knowledge and, hopefully make a contribution, in a particular area of computer information systems.  Approval for the thesis option by a faculty member, under whom the student has taken at least one course and a minimum overall “B” average in the program, is required.  Students approved for a thesis will register for the following courses, typically during two consecutive semesters in their second year of studies:  ISC 6308-6309 – Computer Systems Thesis Research.