| Master
of Science in Information Technology (MS-IT) - Course Descriptions |
| |
| Background Courses
(9 credits, as required) * |
| ACCT 500 |
Foundations
of Accounting |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course introduces
the fundamental accounting principles and tools for financial
analysis necessary for effective managerial decision making.
Included are an exploration of basic accounting principles
and practices, financial statement analysis, budgeting and
planning, and the role of financial data in the operation
of the enterprise. |
|
| MGMT 500 |
Foundations
of Management |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course introduces
the fundamental practices of the manager in the operation
of an enterprise. Included are the role of planning and anticipating
market and technological change; organizing the enterprise
in response to its supply chain and customer base; leading
people and operations to achieve organizational objectives;
and controlling staff, finances, operations, and outcomes
to assure organizational success. |
|
| INST 500 |
Foundations
of Information Technology |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course introduces
the fundamental concepts and issues in information technology.
Included is a discussion of computer architectures, telecommunication
networks, database design and management, software design
and application, and artificial intelligence. |
|
| Foundation Courses
(6 credits) ** |
| MGMT 510 |
Business in
the Global Environment |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an overview of the global environment facing organizations
today. A major focus is on the pervasiveness of globalization
and its impacts on all aspects of a business. Included are
topics such as global trade policy; international political
actions including diplomacy and conflict; institutional, ethical,
and legal variations among societies; and capital, human,
and technology transfers across national boundaries. |
|
| TECH 510 |
Technology in
the Global Environment |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course focuses
on the nature of technology as a uniting and separating resource
available to the organization. Included are an evaluation
of the differing abilities of nations to utilize and integrate
technology, an assessment of piracy and security issues, an
evaluation of vulnerabilities facing the manager reliant on
technology, and an evaluation of the role of outsourcing as
a tool for efficiency. The varying political, cultural, and
legal barriers managers face with regard to the use of technology
in the international environment are addressed. |
|
| Core Courses (18 credits) |
| CMSC 512 |
Computer Architecture |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course addresses
the organization and structure of computing systems. Included
is a study of input/output devices, processing modalities,
memory structures, and output parameters. A particular focus
is on issues of cost and appropriate use of all information
resources of the organization. |
|
| INST 518 |
Technology and
Operations Management |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed to provide an understanding of the technical link
between information systems and business operations. Issues
of managing productivity; production planning, forecasting,
and scheduling; inventory management including just-in-time
systems; and overall project management are included. |
|
| INST 522 |
Database Design
and Processing |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed to provide the student with a solid understanding
of data base system concepts and architecture; data models,
schema, and instances; data independence and data base language
and interface; data definition languages; and overall data
base structures. A study of relational data model concepts,
integrity constraints, data manipulation, functional dependencies,
transaction processing concepts and concurrency control techniques
is included. |
|
| INST 534 |
Computer and
Information Networking |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
a systematic examination of computer networking including
an overview of the history and development of computer network,
network topologies, analog and digital transmission, switching
multiplexing, and protocols and algorithms. A review of transmission
media including connection management, flow control, and buffering
is included. |
|
| INST 569 |
Data and System
Security |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course examines
the basic principles of data and information system security
in the business enterprise. Issues of identification, confidentiality,
authentication, integrity, and basic cryptography are addressed.
Risk management including intrusion detection and mitigation
is included. Issues of organizational security and the attendant
policy, legal, and ethical concerns are a focus. |
|
| MKTG 580 |
Electronic Commerce |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed from an interdisciplinary approach in order to provide
the student with exposure to electronic commerce applications
in accounting, finance, information systems, computer science,
and engineering. The course has been constructed to provide
a global, real world orientation in order to provide a grounding
for an understanding of the theoretical aspects of electronic
commerce. |
|
| Elective Courses (select
any two courses; 6 credits) ** |
| CMSC 501 |
Structure of
Programming Languages |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed to provide a foundational understanding of programming
languages including programming paradigms, programming language
processors, syntax and semantics, data types and structures,
recursion, data control, storage management, and operating
and programming environments. |
|
| CMSC 518 |
Data Communications
Theory |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course will
provide the student with a basic understanding of data communication
theory including networking components, terminology, standards,
and protocols; physical, data link, and network layers of
the communication stack; network design, planning, and implementation;
wireless technologies and internetworking strategies; and
network security and administration. |
|
| CMSC 528 |
Data Structures |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed to provide an in-depth overview of data structures
including elementary data organization, data structure operations,
algorithm complexity, and time-space trade off. The course
examines arrays, stacks and queues, linked lists, trees, graphs
and multi-graphs, sorting, and file structures including indices.
A focus on maximization of access and minimization of time
and other resource costs is maintained throughout. |
|
| CMSC 541 |
Computer Graphics
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an introduction to basic concepts in computer graphics and
raster based methods. Included is a review of required theoretical
background for computer graphics and applications of computer
science to graphics. A study of hardware and software components
of graphic systems, 2D and 3D geometric transformations, illumination
models and surface rendering is included. |
|
| CMSC 571 |
Artificial Intelligence |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an in-depth study of artificial intelligence including the
simulation of sophisticated and intelligent behavior in a
variety of areas, problem solving in games, natural language,
automated reasoning, visual perception, and heuristic algorithm
versus solution guaranteed algorithms. Also included is a
focus on understanding natural languages, knowledge representation,
expert systems, pattern recognition, machine perception, and
speech recognition. An introduction to relevant programming
languages is provided. Special emphasis is placed on the extension
of the designer's perspective into unknown environments through
machine learning. |
|
|
CMSC 576
|
Expert Systems
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an overview of both current theory and applications for expert
systems. Included are a focus on the acquisition and representation
of knowledge, the development of appropriate decision rules,
methods of inference, decision making under uncertainty, and
machine learning. Basic programming for expert systems applications
is included. |
|
| ECON 530 |
Economics for
Managerial Decision Making |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of an area of
interest to the student that enhances the student's understanding
of an emerging topic or issue in computer science. |
|
| INST 574 |
Management Information
Systems |
3 credit hours |
| |
This course is
designed to provide an overview of information systems in
the business world. Included are issues of hardware; software;
databases; telecommunication systems; the development and
strategic use of information systems; and the social, legal,
and ethical issues involved with information systems. |
|
| INST 587 |
Special Topics in Information Technology I
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course will
address important and emerging topics in Information Technology
of specific interest to individual faculty members and will
vary in content with each offering. (Advanced standing and
prior approval of both the faculty member and the Dean are
required.) |
|
| INST 588 |
Special Topics
in Information Technology II |
3 credit hours
|
| |
This course will address important and emerging topics in
Information Technology of specific interest to individual
faculty members and will vary in content with each offering.
(Advanced standing and prior approval of both the faculty
member and the Dean are required.) |
|
| INST 598 |
Directed Research
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of an area of
interest to the student that will enhance the student's understanding
of an emerging topic or issue in information technology. (Prior
approval of a faculty member and the Dean is required.) |
|
| MGMT 530 |
The Legal Environment of Business
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course serves
to familiarize students with how legal principles affect management
in business. Students learn the theoretical foundations of
the legal systems governing business and are introduced to
key substantive areas of law affecting business decisions.
A special focus is in the competing interests of the various
stakeholders of business and the ethical ramifications of
business decisions. |
|
| MGMT 551 |
Quantitative Methods for Business
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an understanding of the role that quantitative methods play
in the decision making process. Included are topics such as
the principles for collecting, summarizing, and displaying
business data; elementary probability concepts, the normal
distribution and its business applications, and elementary
hypothesis testing; the time value of money and net present
value calculations; and the situations in which quantitative
methods are useful in decision making. |
|
| MGMT 573 |
Fundamentals of Project Management
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
an introduction to the use of project management technology
to accomplish organizational objectives. Included are project
selection, organization, planning, budgeting, scheduling,
management, control, and termination. The role of conflict
and negotiation in successful project operation is a particular
focus. The use of project management software is a part of
the course. |
|
| TECH 580 |
Technology in the Business Enterprise
|
3 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
a basic understanding of the value and uses of information
systems and technology for business operations, management
decision making, and strategic operations. Included is an
assessment of how managers can utilize information systems
to facilitate planning, operations, and growth. Also included
is the role that technology plays currently and will increasingly
play in enterprise operations. |
|
| |
| Capstone Course (6
credits) *** |
| CMSC 599 |
Capstone Information
Technology Project |
6 credit hours |
| |
This course provides
the student with the opportunity to integrate the broad spectrum
of what has been learned in previous courses into a final
project of direct relevance to the student's academic and
career objectives. Under the guidance of a Capstone Advisor,
the student selects an applied project, conducts relevant
research, and prepares a formal project report. An oral presentation
of the project approach and findings is required. |
|
|
* Background Courses must be completed before advancing to Foundation,
Core, or Elective courses. This requirement may also be met by
the satisfactory completion of an equivalent undergraduate or
graduate course at an accredited university, through CLEP or DANTES
examinations, or by a portfolio documenting equivalent college-level
learning.
** Foundation Courses must be taken during the student's first
semester in the program (following any required Background Courses).
*** Elective Courses are offered on a rotating basis; not all
courses will be available during any given academic year.
**** The Capstone Course and project must be completed during
the last semester of the program.
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