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2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Master of Science in Computer Information Systems

Director: Leidig; Program Chair: Adams; Professors: Alsabbagh, Ferguson, Grissom, Jorgensen, Leidig, Tao, Tusch; Associate Professors: Adams, Dulimarta, El-Said, Engelsma, Kotman, Kurmas, McGuire, Nandigam, Nezlek, Reynolds, Trefftz, Wolffe.

Degrees offered: M.S. in Computer Information Systems; M.S. in Medical and Bioinformatics. B.S., B.A. in Computer Science; B.S., B.A. in Information Systems; Minors offered: Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Science (6-12 Secondary Teacher Certification), Health Care Information Systems, Information Security Systems, Information Systems, and Information Technology.

The Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems is offered in the School of Computing and Information Systems. The primary purpose of the program is to make educational opportunities available to the professional computing community in West Michigan. It is intended for computer professionals who are already working in industry and are using computer science and information systems.

Minimum number of hours for graduation

Eleven 3-credit courses (33 credit hours) make up the Master of Science in Computer Information Systems degree.

Admission

In addition to the requirements listed in the Graduate Admission section, candidates must satisfy all of the following:

  1. All international students must have a satisfactory score on their GRE Test; U.S. students with a GPA below 3.0 from all of their undergraduate coursework must contact the School of Computing & Information Systems for advising.
  2. Candidates must have a base of underlying knowledge relevant to graduate study in the computing field. This can be demonstrated by previous academic study or work experience. A consultation with a faculty member may be necessary to verify appropriateness of work experience as a substitute for academic preparation. Candidates without relevant background experience may satisfy any deficiency with appropriate courses. For comparison, the relevant courses at Grand Valley are CIS 162, 163, 251 or 230, 350 or 330 and 353 or 333. In addition, the material covered in CIS 500 forms a foundation for study in the program. A student not having this knowledge will be required to take this course also.
  3. Submit acceptable recommendations from at least two individuals attesting to the likelihood of the candidates successful completion of the program.
  4. Submit a resume detailing work experiences and accomplishments.
  5. Submit a personal statement of career goals and background experiences, including an explanation of how this program will help achieve educational and professional objectives.

Program Location

Because the Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems is for the working person, the courses are scheduled in the evenings from 6-9 p.m. at the downtown Grand Rapids PEW Campus in Kennedy Hall.

The Web Site for the Computer Information Systems Master's Program is: www.cis.gvsu.edu/degrees/cis

Requirements for the M.S. in Computer Information Systems

Each candidate must complete either the capstone course, a project course, or the thesis option.

All candidates for the degree must complete a total of 33 credits, as indicated below:

(Students not required to take this course must take an additional elective.)

Content Areas

Seven content areas are designed to provide sustained coverage of topics essential to the regional computing community.

Biomedical Informatics

Required course:

    Electives (choose two):

    Database Management

    Distributed Computing

    Information Systems Management

    Object-oriented Technology

    Software Design and Development

    Required courses:

    Select one:

    Software Engineering

    Additional Elective Courses

    Elective courses may be chosen from the five content areas not selected by the student or from the following list:

    All master�s candidates must complete one of the following

    This option may only be taken after all courses in the two content areas have been completed.

    Capstone Course

    The capstone course topic will vary each semester. Contact the School of CIS one semester before beginning CS 692.

    Project

    Contact the School of CIS for detailed information one semester before beginning the project course.

    Thesis

    The thesis option includes writing, presenting, and defending a masters thesis. Contact the School of CIS for detailed information one semester before beginning CS 690. The two-course sequence for this option takes the place of either the project or the capstone course and one elective.

    Certificate Program Requirements:

    Each of the content areas in the Computer Information Systems' Master of Science Degree Program constitutes a Certificate Program. A certificate in each of the areas of Biomedical Informatics, Database Management, Distributed Systems, Information Systems Management, Object-oriented Technology, Software Design and Development, or Software Engineering is awarded to a student who completes a content area. The last two courses in the content area must be completed at Grand Valley State University.

    Admission criteria for a certificate program are identical to admission criteria for the master's degree program. Certificate candidates enroll in the standard master's degree program courses, with grading criteria being identical. Should a certificate candidate decide to change to the master's degree program, all coursework taken toward the certificate will apply to his or her master's degree program. The following certificates each require a 3-course sequence, which totals 9 credit hours:

    Biomedical Informatics Certificate:

    • Electives: (choose 2):




    Database Management Certificate:

    Distributed Computing Certificate:

    Information Systems Management Certificate:

    Object-Oriented Technology Certificate:

    Software Design and Development Certificate:

    Required Courses:

    Select one:

    Software Engineering Certificate:


    If you are in need of assistance please submit any questions or comments.