Department of Engineering and Science
Information Technology
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., C, Fortran)
- Computer programming in an object-oriented language (e.g., Java, Smalltalk, C++, Ruby)
- 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-4000 Computer Programming
- CISH-4010 Discrete Mathematics and Computer Theory
- CISH-4020 Object Structures
- CISH-4030 Structured Computer Architecture
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)
- Four core courses in Information Technology
- A minimum of 12 credits in an approved Application Area (see below)
- A culminating/integrating experience
Core Courses
The core areas include database systems, telecommunications, software design, and intelligent systems.
| IT Core Area | Course Number and Name |
| Database Systems | CSCI-4380 Database Systems |
| Telecommunications | ECSE-4670 Computer Communication Networks |
| Software Design | ECSE-6770 Software Engineering I |
| Intelligent Systems | CISH-6150 Artificial Intelligence |
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.
- Networking
- Database Systems Design
- Software Design
- Intelligent Systems
Networking
Requirements: IT Core course in Telecommunications, at least
three of the following courses, plus a culminating experience:
- CISH-6250 Network Design and Cloud Computing
- ECSE-6660 Broadband and Multimedia Networking
- CISH-6960 Cryptography and Network Security
- ECSE-6590 Principles of Wireless Communication
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):
- CISH-6180 Data Mining, Search Engines & Distributed Databases
- CISH-6240 Information Security
- CISH-6510 Web Application Design and Development
- CISH-6530 Contemporary Informatics
Software Design
Requirements: IT Core course in Software Design, at least
three of the following courses, plus a culminating experience:
- CISH-6510 Web Application Design and Development
- CISH-6520 Developing Enterprise Applications
- CISH-6530 Contemporary Informatics
- CSCI-6360 Parallel Computing
Intelligent Systems
Requirements: IT Core course in Intelligent Systems, plus at least
three of the following courses, plus a culminating experience:
- CISH-6160-1 Intelligent Systems: Evolutionary Computation
- CISH-6160-2 Intelligent Systems: Neural Networks
- CISH-6160-3 Intelligent Systems: Machine Learning
- CISH-6170 Mobile Robotics
The culminating experience may be satisfied by either of the following, depending on the application area and the approval of adviser:
- CISH-6770 Research Methods, and
- ITEC-6980 Information Technology Master's Project, 3 credits,
or
- ITEC-6990 Information Technology Master's Thesis, 6 credits
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