Master of Software Systems

(Program to be discontinued. Spring 2013 is the last term that students will be admitted to this master's program.)

[10 courses]

This program will provide skills and information about how to function effectively when participating
in information systems development or involved in information systems issues in an organization. Knowledge gained through this program will enable building bridges between information technology and its use in other parts of the organization. Graduate education for professionals in software development methodologies, techniques, and technologies is not only valuable for software engineers, but also for users of software in every part of the organization. The importance and
impact of corporate information systems is increasing in all organizations. This program will be of benefit to professionals who use software, interface with software developers, develop software, or manage the software development process in education, government, marketing, business, manufacturing as well as specialized fields such as medicine and law.

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.)

Note: Although programming in a high-level language is a part of the MSS curriculum, it is not required for admission.

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 should be one to two pages (in .doc, .txt, .rtf, or .pdf format).
4. Detailed resume which includes all work experience, job description, and any programming languages used (in .doc, .txt, .rtf, 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
The successful degree candidate must complete 10 graduate courses (30 graduate semester credits) with a GPA of 2.70. All of the courses must be completed at the University of St. Thomas.

Required Courses

• SEIS 601  Foundations of Software Development
  (waived for undergraduate Computer Science degree or appropriate programming experience) *cannot be taken for credit toward MSS after the first semester  
• SEIS 605  Technical Communication
• SEIS 610  Software Engineering
• SEIS 620  Systems Analysis and Design Tools
• SEIS 621  Software Process Management
• SEIS 630  Database Management Systems and Design
• 4 Electives (5 if SEIS601 was waived) from the course list excluding the following courses: SEIS 625, SEIS 626, SEIS 776, SEIS 777, and SEIS 780 - SEIS 783.
• Internships SEIS 779 and SEIS 778 may be taken for graduate credit but will not count toward the 30 semester credits required for the MSS degree. Research/Independent Study SEIS 790  or SEIS 795 may be taken for a maximum of 3 semester credits.
• A maximum of two courses (six semester credits) may be taken from any other University of St. Thomas (UST) graduate program. Graduate courses from outside UST are not transferable into the MSS degree.
• SEIS 620 or SEIS 621 taken as part of the MSS program cannot be transferred into the MS, CBA, CIS, CSDD, or CAS. Exceptions must be approved by the GPS director.
• Transfer of any MSDD or MS required courses into the MSS may not be on a one-to-one basis. Contact Mr. Doug Stubeda 651-962-5503 for clarification.

 

Suggested course sequence with SEIS601 waived:

Semester 1: SEIS 605 and SEIS610
Semester 2: SEIS620 and SEIS 630
Semester 3: SEIS 621 and 1 Elective 
Semester 4: 2 Electives
Semester 5: 2 Electives
 

Suggested course sequence with SEIS601 required: 

Semester 1: SEIS 601 and  SEIS 605
Semester 2: SEIS 610 and SEIS 630
Semester 3: SEIS 620 and 1 Elective
Semester 4: SEIS 621 and 1 Elective
Semester 5: 2 Electives