Information Systems Technologies

Master of Science

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MS-IST Program Requirements

The 36-credit MS-IST program is designed around a set of five building blocks. The courses in the IS Foundations and Business Foundations blocks are prerequisites for the program. Students with inadequate backgrounds in these areas are required to take additional courses and will, therefore, require additional credits to complete their degrees. The IS Core block defines the minimal knowledge required of all MS-IST students. This knowledge is both technical and managerial in flavor. The core represents a standard that defines the MS-IST program and differentiates it from traditional computer science programs. The five building blocks are:

• IS Foundations;
• Business Foundations;
• IS Core;
• Integration;
• Concentration/Career Tracks.

Information Systems Foundations and Business Foundations Courses
(MS-IST Prerequisites)

A minimum foundation of essential prerequisite knowledge is needed to prepare students for the remainder of the curriculum. Many students will enter the master’s program with some or all of this knowledge. This material is indeed found in Wilmington University’s undergraduate degree programs. In addition, an informed Program Coordinator may elect to allow a student to substitute professional experience for certain foundation courses. Similar to the MBA common body of knowledge, graduate foundation courses – when offered – cover more material at a broader conceptual level than comparable undergraduate courses.

Information Systems Foundations

Students entering the MS-IST program need the content of the following courses (or their equivalent) to be able to undertake the MS-IST core described below. The required IS foundations include the content found in Wilmington University’s Information Resource Management Program for example.

Business Foundations

The minimum area requirements are three courses on the basics of business: one on internal organizational considerations, one on external organizational considerations, and a third course in one area of business. For example, a student may have taken:

A graduate with an MS in IST needs to know a number of business-related topics if he/she is to function well in an IS job, particularly if that job involves managing in a private or a public organization. Students can sometimes satisfy the business foundation courses by taking equivalent courses in departments other than business. For example, psychology or sociology programs oftentimes cover organizational behavior. Furthermore, foundation courses can be taken at a senior undergraduate level. Three business courses are a minimal set of knowledge for MS-IST graduates. The program is conceived as being a two-culture program, including both the IS and business cultures. Given that IS graduates will work in firms and will interact with business-educated people, they will need to be able to communicate with many people who have a business background. Since many of these people are not likely to know the IS field, it becomes the responsibility of IS professionals to become culturally bilingual in computing and business. The ability to understand financial accounting, particularly costs, and the ability to understand how companies are organized and how people behave in organizations are required of IS graduates. In addition, an alternate business prerequisite course (other than marketing) can be tailored by the student and academic advising to an area compatible with the career track chosen by the student.

MS-IST Core Course Requirements

The six core courses listed below are required for program completion.

The process of “integration” constitutes the capstone emphasis of the MS-IST program. After students complete the core, they need to synthesize what they have learned. Furthermore, system integration is a pervasive aspect of IS practice. Integration can be viewed from three perspectives: a) Integrating the Enterprise; b) Integrating the IS Function; and c) Integrating IS Technologies. The capstone course IST 8100 is required for program completion.

Concentrations/Career Track

Please see "MS-IST Concentrations"

Supervised Field Experience/Internship

Students in the final year of the program who have completed the majority of the program requirements will be required to enroll in a three-credit hour supervised field experience/internship. Students must have completed IST 8100 or be simultaneously enrolled in that course before registering for IST 8101.

Note: There are three possible options for students at this juncture in the program:

• The first option provides students following the Internet/Web Design Concentration/Career Track or the Corporate Training Skills Concentration/Career Track an opportunity to develop an electronic portfolio.
• Option two primarily applies to students following the Information Resource Management Concentration/Career Track and the Management and Management Information Systems Concentration/Career Track and affords students an opportunity to complete an Action Research Methodology, establishing an improvement to their business or personal environment.
• Option three applies to students that wish to pursue an internship (internships must be completed as a semester course).

The Complete MS-IST Curriculum

The MS-IST program can be completed in a minimum of 36 credits by students with considerable preparation.

Such students take:

• 15 credits of core courses;
• 3 credits of integration;
• 15 credits in a career track;
• 3 credits of Field Experience/Internship.

For students with no advanced preparation, a program of up to 54 credits may be required:

• 9 credits of IS foundations;
• 9 credits of business foundations;
• 15 credits of core courses;
• 3 credits of integration;
• 15 credits of career track;
• 3 credits of Field Experience/Internship

Qualifications for Degree

To qualify for the Master of Science degree in Information Systems Technologies, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours (12 courses), including an Integration Capstone Component and a Field Experience/Internship. Both are intended to enhance a student’s occupational interest through the correlation of theory and practice. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The program must be completed within five years.