Master of Science in Computer Information Systems
The Master of Science in Computer Information Systems program is designed for students who desire to advance their careers in information technology. The Master of Science (MS) in Computer Information Systems (CIS) consists of 30 credit hours with a minimum grade of B- in each course and a 3.0 overall GPA.
Project/internship component of 3 credit hours is part of the core requirements. Students will complete all the core requirements of 18 credit hours and choose 12 credit hours of electives offered based on faculty expertise and market demands. The department may offer additional electives from time to time. A full-time student could complete the Master’s degree in two years.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Who Can Apply?
To be considered for admission to the MS in CIS program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in any field. If the field of major is related to computer information systems, the student is given direct admission. If the field of major is not related to Computer Information Systems, the student is given conditional admission.
Students should have obtained an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0. Students with a GPA slightly below 3.0 who are returning to college with relevant work experience may be admitted if their applications contain sufficient evidence of their skills and ability to succeed in graduate work.
Program Highlights
The goals of this Master’s degree are to develop proficiency in the practice of computing and to prepare students for professional leadership roles. Each graduate should be able to:
- Formulate solutions to computing problems
- Analyze and compare alternative solutions to computing problems
- Design and implement effective solutions to computing problems
- Apply sound principles to the synthesis and analysis of computer systems
- Work effectively in teams to design and implement solutions to computational problems
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
- Think critically and creatively, both independently and with others
- Recognize the social and ethical responsibilities of a professional working in the discipline
- Seek out, develop, and adapt to new developments in the field of computer science
Career Outlook
A number of employment categories are available to graduates holding a MS in CIS. These positions range from programmers to database administrators to systems analysts to network administrators to data scientists to data mining specialists.
Nationally, computer information systems jobs currently are in high demand with relatively strong salaries and are projected to be in high demand for a minimum of the next eight-to-ten years with a growth in all occupations of 7 percent. Thus, jobs for graduates holding a computer-related degree are in more demand than the average occupation.
The Chicago Metropolitan economic area is one of the five or six largest employment areas in the country for jobs in the general computer information systems area and is projected to have more growth in these fields than in other areas of the nation.
