Master of Science degree in Information Technology
(program available beginning Summer 2013!)

[Degree awarded: Master of Science (M.S.); Major: Information Technology]

[12 courses]

The M.S. degree in Information Technology (IT) prepares individuals to develop and support organizational IT infrastructure.

The goal of an IT organization is to meet business needs by creating and implementing a hardware/software plan including a vision and strategy for upgrades and maintenance.  IT aggregates business and technology needs from across the company (as broad as catalog data bases, e-commerce functions for online order processing, integration with fulfillment components, and customer relationship management, in addition to traditional accounting, bookkeeping, and audit functions). 

IT then organizes these needs into an enterprise-wide resource plan to 1) fulfill the business processes in a global, electronic commerce, 24/7 environment, 2) safeguard critical and proprietary data, 3) assure disaster-recovery plans, and 4) migrate to new platforms as they become available.

The M.S. degree in Information Technology provides students with relevant, practical, and applicable knowledge in Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS). This program provides students with the appropriate mix of technical, professional, and business skills. Graduates of this program will be equipped to bridge the gap between roles in software development/management and software technology infrastructure.

Because this program focuses both on IT and IS issues, graduates of this program can apply the acquired skills and knowledge to advance their careers in IT architecture, strategic software business analysis planning, project portfolio and program management jobs. It can also advance more experienced IT professionals and project managers to pursue technical leadership roles.

Entrance Requirements:

1. A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a regionally-accredited educational institution in the U.S. (or international equivalent). 
2. An overall grade-point-average (GPA) of at least 2.7. (Applicants with a GPA less than 2.7 will be considered for provisional admission with their professional experience factored into the decision.)

Items required to complete your application:
(International students: please see International Student Admission Procedures .)

1. Application fee of $50 (non-refundable)
2. Completed GPS Online Application for Admission 
3. Admission essay giving your reasons for wanting to enter this program. Essays can be one to two pages (in .doc, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf format).
4. Detailed resume which includes all work experience, job description, and any programming languages used (in .doc, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf format).
5. A list of any computing-related courses not appearing on transcripts.
6. Official transcript(s) from ALL universities/colleges attended bearing an institutional seal and sent directly to the Graduate Programs in Software (GPS) office by the issuing institution (even if the course work appears as transfer work on another school transcript).

Note: The GRE or GMAT is not required for the GPS programs.

Degree Requirements:

To complete the requirements for the Master of Science with a major in information technology, students must successfully complete 12 courses (36 graduate semester credits) and with a GPA of at least 2.7.

Students must complete 9 required technical courses from Graduate Programs in Software (GPS) and 3 elective courses from either the GPS or School of Engineering (SOE) graduate course curriculum.

Required Courses

• SEIS 605  Technical Communications
• SEIS 610  Software Engineering
• SEIS 625  Software Project Management
• SEIS 626  Software Quality Assurance/Quality Control
• SEIS 630  Database Management Systems and Design
• SEIS 645  Computer and Network Communications
• SEIS 660  InformationTechnology Infrastructure
• SEIS 661  InformationTechnology Security 
• SEIS 662  Enterprise Resource Planning
•  3 electives from the GPS course list or from the School of Engineering (SOE) graduate course curriculum.
  

• Students may transfer up to 2 courses (6 credits) from a school other than the University of St. Thomas. The transfer courses must have been taken at the graduate level. The transfer school must be accredited. For information on transfer courses, please see Transfer Courses.

Suggested course sequence :

Semester 1: SEIS 605 and SEIS 610 
Semester 2: SEIS 630 and SEIS 625
Semester 3: SEIS 645 and SEIS 626
Semester 4: SEIS 660  and 1 Elective (GPS / SOE course)
Semester 5: SEIS 661  and 1 Elective (GPS / SOE course)
Semester 6: SEIS 662  and 1 Elective (GPS / SOE course)