The request to revise the requirements of the BA in Software and Information Systems by adding a concentration in Cyber Security

Date: December 12, 2013
To: College of Computing & Informatics
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: December 2, 2013
Approved by: Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee
Implementation Date: Spring 2014

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Software and Information Systems is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in Web Development, Software Engineering, Cyber Security, Information Technology, or Financial Services Informatics. This degree program is designed to best prepare students to match the diverse requirements of employers. It also prepares students to pursue graduate studies in related areas. The focus of this program includes:

  • Network-based Application Development
  • Software Engineering (design, integration, testing, and assurance)
  • e-Business Technologies
  • Information Security and Privacy
  • Human – Computer Interaction
  • IT Infrastructure Design
  • Ubiquitous Computing
  • Financial Services Informatics

Under this program, the requirements for the B.A degree may be fulfilled by completing the traditional program (i.e., the Software and Information Systems concentration) or any of the other four five concentrations. The traditional program emphasizes advanced programming and mathematics skills. It is intended for students who have a general interest in information technology and who want to maintain maximum flexibility in course selection and job opportunity. The Web Development concentration emphasizes software development using Internet and World-Wide Web technologies that are increasingly the default model for business-customer interaction. The Software Engineering concentration integrates mathematics and computer science to achieve classical engineering approaches to software system problem solving. The Cyber Security concentration emphasizes the detection and mitigation of security threats in information systems. The Information Technology concentration emphasizes usability, security, and reliability of IT infrastructures, writing and communications skills. These four five concentrations prepare students for a wide variety of jobs or graduate studies. The Financial Services Informatics concentration is designed to meet the needs of the financial services sector with a unique combination of finance and information technology courses, industry internships, and sponsored capstone projects.

  1. The following section describing the Cyber Security concentration would be added:

Cyber Security Concentration

This concentration requires 121 credit hours total, including 57 hours of major courses, 12 hours of English and communications courses, 12 hours in mathematics and statistics, 10 hours of sciences, 6 hours of critical thinking and ethics, 15 hours of outside concentration, and 9-12 hours of other General Education courses and free electives.

Required Major Courses

  • ITIS 1600 Computing Professionals (1)
  • ITIS 1212 Introduction to Media Programming (4)
  • ITIS 1212L Introduction to Media Programming Lab I (0)
  • ITIS 2110 IT Infrastructure I: Design and Practice (3)
  • ITIS 2110L IT Infrastructure I: Design and Practice Lab (0)
  • ITIS 2300 Web-Based Application Development (3)
  • ITIS 3110 IT Infrastructure I: Design and Practice (3)
  • ITIS 3110L IT Infrastructure I: Design and Practice Lab (0)
  • ITIS 3130 Human-Computer Interaction (3)
  • ITIS 3200 Introduction to Information Security and Privacy (3)
  • ITIS 3300 Software Requirements and Project Management (3)
  • ITIS 4166 Network-Based Application Development (3)
  • ITIS 4221 Secure Programming and Penetration Testing (3)
  • ITIS 4250 Computer Forensics (3)
  • ITCS 1213 Introduction to Computer Science II (4)
  • ITCS 1213L Programming Lab II (0)
  • ITCS 2175 Logic and Algorithms (3)
  • ITCS 2214 Data Structures (3)
  • ITCS 2215 Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3)
  • ITCS 3160 Database Design and Implementation (3)
  • ITCS 3688 Computers and Their Impact on Society (3) (O, W)
  • Plus, 6 hours of approved ITIS or ITCS courses numbered 3000 or above.

Required Critical Thinking and Technology Ethics Courses

  • PHIL 1106 Critical Thinking (3) (W)
  • ITIS 2211 Ethical Issues in Personal, Professional, and Public Life: Technology (3)

Required English and Communications Courses

  • ENGL 1101 Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts I (3) and ENGL 1102 Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts II (3)
    or ENGL 1103 Accelerated College Writing and Rhetoric (3)
  • ENGL 2116 Introduction to Technical Communication (3) (W)
  • COMM 2105 Small Group Communication (3)

Required Mathematics and Statistics Courses

The mathematics and statistics requirements can be fulfilled by completing one of two course sequences.

Sequence 1

  • MATH 1120 Calculus (3)
  • MATH 2164 Matrices and Linear Algebra (3)
  • STAT 1220 Elements of Statistics I (BUSN) (3)
  • STAT 2223 Elements of Statistics II (3)

Sequence 2

  • MATH 1241 Calculus I (3)
  • MATH 1242 Calculus II (3)
  • MATH 2164 Matrices and Linear Algebra (3)
  • STAT 2122 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (3)

Elective Courses

In addition, each student must complete at least 15 semester hours in a concentration of courses that form a coherent body of study related to developing applications of information systems. At least six of the 15 hours must be upper division courses. These courses must be completed in a major outside the College of Computing and Informatics and require approval of the student’s academic advisor.

ITIS 1212. Introduction to Media Programming. (4) Corequisite: ITIS 1212L. In this course, students will develop problem-solving skills while learning the Java programming language. In-class activities and exercises revolve around the manipulation of contemporary media such as visual images to learn how to think computationally and to apply programming principles. No prior programming ability or mathematical skill is required. Performance in ITIS 1212L will be counted as portion of the ITIS 1212 grade.

ITIS 1212L. Introduction to Media Programming Lab. (0) Corequisite: ITIS 1212. Guided laboratory exercises implementing the concepts and practices learned in ITIS 1212. Performance in ITIS 1212L will be counted as portion of the ITIS 1212 grade. Graded on a Pass/No Credit basis.