Department
of Engineering & Science
Master of Science in Information
Technology
Program Objective
The primary intent of the Master of Science in Information
Technology (MSIT) program is to prepare graduates for professional
practice in information technology. Although the term "information
technology" may be subject to many interpretations, we
consider it to mean "applied computer science."
Therefore, the program provides students with exposure to
a practical application of technology within an area of specialization.
To this end, students will gain a broad exposure to technology
by completing a set of core courses and an in-depth exposure
to the application of technology in a particular discipline
through courses in a student-selected application area.
Admission Requirements
Students enter the Master of Science in Information Technology
program with diverse backgrounds. Ideally, a student entering
the program will have completed undergraduate courses which
provide a background in the following areas:
- Computer programming in a high-level procedural
language (e.g., COBOL, C)
- Computer programming in an object-oriented
language (e.g., C++, Eiffel)
- Data structures and algorithm design
- Discrete mathematics
Student lacking a background in any of the
above areas may need to take one or more of the following
immigration courses:
- CISH-4010 Discrete Mathematics
and Computer Theory
- CISH-4020 Object Structures
Academic Requirements
To meet the requirements for the MSIT, students must be formally
admitted to the program and must complete an approved Plan
of Study that meets the following requirements:
- A minimum of 30 credits
- A minimum of 18 credits of advanced (graduate-level)
course work (6000-level courses)
- Five Core courses in Information Technology
- A minimum of 12 credits in an approved
Application Area
- A culminating/integrating experience
An additional requirement is that
no more than half of the credits used toward the MSIT degree
may be taken from courses offered by the Lally School of Management
and Technology. These courses have the prefix "MGMT."
Core Courses
The core areas include database systems, telecommunications,
software design, management of technology, and human-computer
interaction.
| IT Core Area |
Course Number
and Name
|
Term(s)
Offered |
Human Computer
Interaction |
COMM-6420 Foundations
of HCI Usability |
Fall |
| Software Design |
ECSE-6770 Software Engineering I |
Fall |
| Database Systems |
CSCI-4380 Database Systems |
Spring |
| Telecommunications |
ECSE-4670 Computer Communication Networks |
Fall/Spring |
Management of
Technology |
MGMT-6810 Management of Technical Projects |
Fall/Spring |
If a student is granted a waiver from any
Core area, an additional elective course (approved by the
student's advisor) must be taken.
Application Areas
An in-depth experience in the application of information technology
to a particular discipline is achieved through courses in
a student-selected application area. Because technology changes
so rapidly, the application of technology also changes frequently.
The available application areas in the MSIT program reflect
these changes. Below is a list of application areas currently
available to students attending Rensselaer at Hartford.
- Networking
- Database Systems Design
- Software Design
- Management Information Systems
Application Areas
Requirements: IT Core course in Telecommunications plus at
least three of the following plus a culminating experience:
- ECSE-6660 Broadband Networks
- CISH-6230 Network Management
- CISH-6220 LANS, MANS, and Internetworking
- CISH-6960 Cryptography and Network
Security
Database Systems Design
Requirements: IT Core course in Database Systems plus at least
three of the following plus a culminating experience (maximum
of 3 credits if Master's Project is chosen):
- CSCI-6460 Advanced Database Management
Topics
- CISH-6110 Object-Oriented Database Systems
- CISH-6120 Distributed Database Systems
- CISH-6960 Data Warehouse Systems
Software Design
Requirements: IT Core course in Software Design plus at least
three of the following plus a culminating experience:
- ECSE-6780 Software Engineering II
- CISH-6010 Object-Oriented Programming
and Design
- CISH-6050 Software Engineering Management
- CISH-6510 Web Application Design
and Development
Management Information Systems
Requirements: IT Core course in Management plus at least three
of the following plus a culminating experience:
- MGMT-6170 Advanced Systems Analysis
and Design
- MGMT-6180 Strategic IS Management
- MGMT-6710 Designing, Developing,
and Staffing High-Performance Organizations I
- MGMT-6750 Legal Aspects of E-Business
and Information Technology
Culminating Experience
The culminating experience may be satisfied by either of the
following, depending on the application area and the approval
of adviser:
- Master's Project (ITEC-6980, 3-6
credits)
- Computer Science Seminar (CISH-6900,
3 credits)
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