The request to establish a Concentration in Emerging Technologies for M.S. in Information Technology

Date: December 12, 2014
To: College of Computing & Informatics
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: November 19, 2014
Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Summer 2015

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

Master of Science in Information Technology

The Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) at UNC Charlotte, is designed to equip students with advanced skills and knowledge in the planning, design, implementation, testing and evaluation, deployment, maintenance, and management of applications and systems, that embody information and communication technologies for their proper functioning. These skills form necessary foundations for solving practical problems that arise in business, industrial, governmental, and other organizations, as well as for pursuing doctoral studies in information technologies.

The current areas of concentration include: Advanced Data and Knowledge Discovery, Design, Emerging Technologies, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Security and Privacy, Information Technology Management, Software Systems Design and Engineering, and Web Development.

Students entering the MSIT program are required to have completed a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning and have acquired substantial experience in studying, applying, or developing information and computing technology. Such experience may be developed by completing an undergraduate major in a discipline related to information technology, including but not limited to, business information systems, computer engineering, computer science, data communication, information management, information technology, mathematical and physical sciences, and software engineering. For applicants who have an undergraduate major not directly related to computing, the experience may be acquired through work, professional training, or further education such as post baccalaureate studies.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements specific to the MSIT program include:

  1. Applicants must have completed undergraduate or equivalent coursework in (a) data structures and (b) object-oriented programming in C++, C#, or java Java, both with a minimum GPAs of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants who have substantial work experience in applying or developing computing and information technology may be able to substitute their work experience for the specific requirements for object-oriented programming and/or data structures, subject to review by the MSIT Program Coordinator.
  2. All applicants must have an undergraduate GPA or equivalent of at least 3.0 on a scale of 1.0 to 4.0, and a Junior/Senior GPA of at least 3.0.
  3. Applicants are required to demonstrate a satisfactory score on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Information Technology degree requires a total of 30 graduate credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Additionally, the following requirements must be met:

  • No more than 12 credit hours of coursework may be taken from outside of the courses offered by the Department of Software and Information Systems
  • At least 15 credit hours must be taken from 6000 level or above courses
  • No more than 3 credit hours may be taken for Individual Study
  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours may be transferred from other institutions

The requirement of 30 credit hours comprises the following 3 parts:

Core Component (18 credit hours)

ITIS 6120 Applied Databases (3)

ITIS 5166 Network-Based Application Development (3)

ITIS 6112 Software System Design and Implementation (3)

ITIS 6200 Principles of Information Security and Privacy (3)

ITIS 6342 Information Technology Project Management (3)

ITIS 6400 Principles of Human-Computer Interaction (3)

*ITIS 6120 may be substituted with ITCS 6160.

Concentration Component (9 credit hours)

The MSIT program offers the following concentrations:

  1. Advanced Data and Knowledge Discovery
  2. Design
  3. Emerging Technologies
  4. Human-Computer Interaction
  5. Information Security and Privacy
  6. Information Technology Management
  7. Software Systems Design and Engineering
  8. Web Development

Each student is required to select one concentration and complete 3 courses selected from the list of approved courses for the specific concentration.

Among the 9 credit hours for a concentration, 6 may be substituted with a master’s research thesis. The topic for the research thesis must fall within the area of concentration.

Subject to the approval of the MSIT Program Coordinator, a course from outside of the approved list for a concentration may be taken as a substitute for a course for the concentration.

Elective Component (3 credit hours)

Students fulfill the remaining requirements for a MSIT degree by completing an approved elective course in the area of information technology.

The elective requirements may also be met by taking up an internship worth 3 credit hours as defined in ITIS 6198 (IT Internship Project).