Information Systems Technology

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• Main Campus and Arlington
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• Virginia Campus, Ashburn
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Academic Program

MSIST program > MIS, ISD, ISPM

• Management Information Systems (MIS)
• Information Systems Development (ISD)
• Information Systems Project Management (ISPM)

• 10-11 graduate level courses, 30-33 credit hours, 4 potential technical pre-requisites
• FT/PT
• Multiple locations
• Specialize your coursework
• Diverse student background

Throughout the curriculum the faculty challenge students to think critically, analyze problems and effectively acquire and integrate knowledge, strategies, and key technologies to solve the business problems faced by IT management. Students can specialize their coursework by selecting a field of study that allows them to focus on the managerial aspects of IT to the highly technical and complex components of IT projects and systems.

The Management Information Systems (MIS) concentration provides a solid technical understanding of contemporary information systems as well as the managerial skills necessary to effectively identify and implement solutions within an organization. Students learn to use information systems to support management activities.

The Information Systems Development (ISD) concentration prepares students for a career in the application of computers to complex data and information problems found in organizations today. ISD is an excellent choice for those interested in designing information systems to fulfill a need whether it be in business, government or not-for-profit organizations.

The Information Systems Project Management (ISPM) concentration provides a solid technical foundation in information systems coupled with coursework emphasizing project management and leadership skills. Students concentrating in this field are prepared to manage small to large information systems projects.

	Management Information Systems (MIS)	Information Systems Development (ISD)	Information Systems Project Management (ISPM)
	10 courses	10 courses	11 courses
Core Courses	4 core courses Create a strong foundation in information systems development, telecommunications and networks, database systems, and the design of on-line information systems
Required by Concentration	4 required courses: establish the core management skills needed to be successful in the IT environment.		5 required courses: Coursework lays the foundation for developing project management and leadership skills.
Technical Courses required by concentration		Choose 4: customize your program to develop your technology interests.
Electives	Choose 2:  tailor your program to earn the CIO University Certificate or explore specific management interests.	Choose 2: choose coursework to emphasize the technical aspects of Information Technology or branch into the management options available to you.	Choose 2: choose coursework to emphasize the technical aspects of Information Technology or branch into the managerial options available to you.

 

Course Locations

	MIS	ISD	ISPM
Main Campus 2201 G Street, NW Funger Hall, Suite 515 Washington, DC 20052	6:10 pm to 8:00 pm and 8:10 pm to 10:00 pm Monday through Thursday	6:10 pm to 8:00 pm and 8:10 pm to 10:00 pm Monday through Thursday	6:10 pm to 8:00 pm and 8:10 pm to 10:00 pm Monday through Thursday
Graduate Education Center, Arlington One Virginia Square, Suite 400 3601 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201	6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday and at various times on Saturday
The Virginia Campus 20101 Academic Way, Suite 321	6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday	6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday

 

Degree Requirements

All fields of concentration require completion of core technology-oriented courses including a capstone project. Each stage of the information systems life cycle is discussed in terms of technologies, impact and management. Topics include structured and object-oriented analysis, prototyping, software reuse, testing, life cycle costs, software development environments, and organizational and behavioral aspects of project development.

Required Courses for all MSIST concentrations

Student choose a field of study depending on the emphasis they wish to place on a specific aspect of IT – systems development, management of information systems or project management.

MIS and ISD concentrations require 10 courses or 30 credit hours. The ISPM concentration requires 11 courses or 33 credit hours. All require the four core courses listed above. In addition, each concentration has a unique mix of required courses, technical courses and electives available for the student to select.

Students may also be required to complete additional, potentially waived, technical prerequisites. The prerequisites serve to level the knowledge base for entering students and provide for a richer classroom experience.

Technical Prerequisites and Waivers:

Students choosing to concentrate in the MIS, ISD, and ISPM fields of study may be required to complete up to four of the following technical prerequisite courses either prior to or within the first year of coursework:

The prerequisites may be satisfied by prior appropriate undergraduate or graduate coursework, by waiver exam, or by specific workshop attendance at GW, as determined by a student's advisor. Workshops are offered in programming, systems analysis, and database. No workshop is available for statistics. Professional seminars are not considered as appropriate coursework and may not be used to satisfy a prerequisite.

Management Information Systems (MIS) Courses:

MIS, a CIO University Partner, focuses on technical and management issues surrounding the analysis, design, and implementation of information systems affecting public and private sector organizations. The concentration requires 10 courses or 30 credit hours. In addition to the four courses required of all MSIST students, specified above, the following required and elective courses are necessary for degree completion.

Required MIS Courses

*only courses with this particular course title satisfy this MIS requirement

Elective MIS Courses (choose two)

**these courses MUST be taken to satisfy CIO University certificate requirement

Information Systems Development (ISD) Courses:

ISD emphasizes the practical understanding of design and implementation approaches used in the development of computer-based systems. The concentration requires 10 courses or 30 credit hours. In addition to the four courses required of all MSIST students, specified above, the following required and elective courses are necessary for degree completion.

Required ISD Courses (choose four):

Elective ISD Courses (choose two):

Information Systems Project Management (ISPM) Courses:

ISPM prepares students for a leadership role in information systems project management by providing a solid technical foundation as well as organizational behavior and project management skills. The concentration requires 11 courses or 33 credit hours. In addition to the four courses required of all MSIST students, specified above, the following required and elective courses are necessary for degree completion.

Required ISPM Courses:

*only courses with this particular course title satisfy this ISPM requirement

Electives ISPM Courses (choose two):

MSIST program > CIO Certificate

CIO University Certification

The virtual CIO University - www.ciouniversity.cio.gov - is a collaborative effort between the Federal government and educational institutions to develop executives for the top IT jobs in industry and government.

The General Services Administration (GSA) conducted a series of focus groups for each of the major competency areas identified by the federal CIO Council. These "core competencies" were originally developed and adopted by the Federal Chief Information Officers Council in 1977 based upon the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. Over 100 subject area experts from academia, industry and government participated in the professionally facilitated sessions. The product was set of some 600 learning objectives among the competency areas. The GW EMIS and MIS concentrations meet these learning objectives within our curriculum. The Executive MS in Information Systems (EMIS) program meets the competencies with no additional coursework. The MIS concentration meets the requirements by requiring specific courses to be completed by the student.

Executive Master of Science in Information Systems (EMIS)

EMIS attracts rising and senior level decision-makers. This elite program focuses on understanding key technologies, strategic thinking, and methodologies for IT decision-making and leadership. Full-time coursework, 36 credit hours or 13 courses, is completed in 15-months without career interruption. Students maintain a full-time career while attending classes on alternating Fridays or Saturdays from 8:30 am-5:30 pm. Each class day typically includes two courses taught in four-hour blocks. Cohorts are formed only in the Fall semester. Cohort participants are carefully selected based on experience with a focus on managerial and decision-making responsibilities and technical skills. EMIS is offered only at the GW Virginia Campus in Ashburn.

Required Courses:

Fall Semester I

Spring Semester

Summer Semester

Fall Semester II