北卡萊羅納大學威明頓分校

The Department of Computer Science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management in the Cameron School of Business offer a joint program of study leading to the Master of Science degree in computer science and information systems. This interdisciplinary program is targeted primarily at students who received undergraduate degrees in computer science or information systems and at computer professionals with equivalent academic preparation. A secondary audience for the program is students whose background is in related areas such as business, mathematics, and electrical engineering, or working professionals seeking to migrate to the information technology arena. The interdisciplinary nature of this program provides a unique balance of advanced scientific knowledge, commonly found in the computer science field, and the development of systems and solutions, applied in a business environment, usually considered the focus of the information systems field. This unique blend will provide a foundation for information technology professionals to have a broader perspective of the rapidly expanding and evolving science of technology and how it can be managed and leveraged to support and further commerce and trade activities.

Degree Requirements (36 total credit hours)

Programs leading to the Master of Science degree require a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate study. This includes six required core courses (18 credit hours) providing a mix of theoretical underpinning, technical skills, and information technology perspectives and elective courses (12 credit hours) that provide the opportunity for additional study in a variety of areas to be determined by the student and his/her advisory committee. A research project or a thesis (6 credit hours), will serve as the capstone experience.

Degree Options

Option 1 - Research Project

This option requires at least 36 credit hours of graduate credit, with six credit hours for the project (CSC 594 or MIS 594). Under this option, the student is required to complete a six credit hour research project under the direction of a graduate advisory committee. This project could involve the development of software, work on a project (potentially part of a team), independent research, or some other scholarly pursuit. The outcome includes a technical paper written by the student and an oral defense acceptable to the student’s advisory committee. In the oral defense, the student is responsible for the domain of the research project as well as the program coursework.

Option 2 - Thesis

This option requires at least 36 credit hours of graduate credit, with six credit hours for the thesis (CSC 599 or MIS 599). Each student must present and defend a thesis, based on original research, acceptable to the student’s advisory committee, prior to graduation. In the oral defense, the student is responsible for the domain of the research effort as well as the program coursework. The thesis defense is open to the public.

Required Core Courses

CSC 532 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms I Credit Hours: 3

MIS 534 - Information Security Management Credit Hours: 3

CSC 544 - Network Programming Credit Hours: 3

CSC 550 - Software Engineering Credit Hours: 3

MIS 555 - Database Management Systems Credit Hours: 3

MIS 565 - Analysis, Modeling and Design Credit Hours: 3