Information Systems

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Contact: Dr. Amy Woszczynski,
Director, MSIS Program
Office: CL 3060
Phone: (678) 797-2025
Fax: (770) 423-6731
Email: wsexton@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://msis.kennesaw.edu

MSIS Program Description

The Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) program is a 36 semester-hour applied graduate program. Building upon a core of seven foundation courses and a capstone policy course, the MSIS program offers a number of elective courses: e-Business Systems, Information Security, and Systems Administration. Each of these areas prepares graduates for employment within niches of the IT profession experiencing critical  shortages of employees.

General Requirements for Admission to the MSIS Program

MSIS program admission requires:

• Baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited in a manner accepted by Kennesaw State University. Admission will only be granted to students showing high promise of success in the program.
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate adjusted grade-point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
• Successful completion of required undergraduate course work (or fulfillment of preparatory knowledge clusters through professional work experience and/or certification).
• Minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with a minimum score of 30 in the verbal category, 30 in the quantitative category and 3.0 in the analytical writing category.

OR

• Minimum score of 400 in the verbal and 400 in the quantitative categories and 3.0 in the analytical writing category on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). (Applicants submitting scores for  the GRE taken prior to October 1, 2002, must submit a minimum score of 400 in each of the verbal, quantitative, and analytical portions of the GRE.)
• Other criteria will be considered by the MSIS Admissions Committee for applicants, including:
  • performance on previous computer science, information systems, and management coursework;
  • GPA attained in junior/senior level course work;
  • certificates of attainment in computing-related training/self-study programs;
  • accomplishment in professional activities;
  • relevant work experience.
• A current résumé.
• A Statement of Interests that states the applicant’s professional career goals. This Statement of Interests should indicate how the applicant plans to leverage the MSIS degree in their career plan.

International applicants have additional requirements. See Graduate Admission  section of this catalog.

Non-Degree Admission

The MS in Information Systems program does not admit students as non-degree, nor are non-degree students allowed to enroll in MS in Information Systems courses.

Transfer Credit

A student may transfer up to six (6) semester hours of graduate courses taken at an accredited institution, providing the transfer hours are made prior to the last 30 hours of course work. Special hardship cases, such as job transfers, will be decided on an individual basis by the program director.

The transfer of credit for course work completed at another institution will be approved only under the following conditions:

• The course work was completed at a regionally accredited institution;
• A minimum grade of ‘B’ was received in the course;
• The course was restricted to graduate students only;
• The content of the course corresponds to that of a course required or permitted in the student’s program at KSU; and
• The credit to be considered for transfer will not be more than five years old at the time the student enters.

Grades in Graduate Courses

Expectations for satisfactory graduate level student performance are detailed in Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Petition to Graduate

Each MSIS candidate must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of program requirements. The student must contact the MSIS program office and schedule an appointment in order to complete the petition. Applicants should meet with the MSIS director and complete a graduation checklist prior to submitting their petition to the KSU’s Registrar’s Office.

MSIS Program of Study Preparatory Courses

The MSIS program coursework is developed on the assumption that students will be sufficiently prepared to enter the 8000-level courses. For those students who do not have sufficient preparatory
knowledge, several alternatives exist:

• The student may take undergraduate courses in the fundamental technologies and functional areas of information systems. Should the student select this option, each course must be completed with a “B” or better, and may only be attempted twice at KSU;
• The student may take special MSIS-prep courses through Continuing Education scheduled each May (if available).
• The student may submit a portfolio of work for evaluation for exempting one or more preparatory courses.

Preparatory Knowledge Clusters

Successful admission to the MSIS program requires:

• Basic knowledge of computer information systems, including proficiency in the use of common PC-based software environments
• Quantitative skills including algebra, calculus, and statistics
• Programming skills
• Familiarity with systems analysis and design methodologies
• Experience using relational or object-based database management systems

All MSIS graduates will complete the Core Requirements (24 hours) and four elective courses (12 hours). The Core Requirements include a capstone IS policy course, IS 8950, which includes a substantial IS project that enables students to summarize and apply their coursework to a real world system. The elective coursework may include a Collaborative Studies elective taken outside the department, at the approval of the program director. All coursework will focus on the integration of IS theory into practice.

Contact: Dr, Michael Whitman, Director, Information Security and Assurance Program
Office: CL 3060
Fax (770) 423-6731
email: wsexton@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://msis.kennesaw.edu/certificate.html

Admission Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited in a manner acceptable by Kennesaw State University. Admission will only be granted to students showing high promise of success in the program.
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate adjusted grade-point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
• Successful completion of required undergraduate course work (or fulfillment of preparatory knowledge clusters through professional work experience). Prerequisite knowledge areas includes:
  • Basic knowledge of computer information systems, including proficiency in the use of common PC-based software environments
  • Quantitative skills including algebra, calculus, and statistics
  • Knowledge of the principles and common applications of data communications
• Minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with a minimum score of 30 in the verbal category, 30 in the quantitative category and 3.0 in the analytical writing category.

OR

• Minimum total score of 1425 on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 400 in the verbal and 400 quantitative categories and 3.0 in the analytical writing category.
• Other criteria will be considered by the MSIS Admissions Committee for applicants, including:
  • performance on previous computer science, information systems, and management coursework;
  • GPA attained in other junior/senior level course work;
  • certificates of attainment in computing-related training/self-study programs;
  • accomplishment in professional activities;
  • relevant work experience.
• A current résumé.
• Additional requirements for International Students as specified by the University.

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