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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:
- Applicants must have completed undergraduate or equivalent coursework in (a) data structures and (b) object-oriented programming in C++, C#, or 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.
- 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.
- 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, together with a capstone or culminating experience. 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 30 credit hours of coursework comprise the following three parts:
Advanced Programming Courses
Select one of the following:
- ITIS 5166 - Network-Based Application Development (3)
- ITIS 5180 - Mobile Application Development (3)
Software Systems Courses
Select one of the following:
- ITIS 6112 - Software System Design and Implementation (3)
- ITIS 6177 - System Integration (3)
- ITIS 6342 - Information Technology Project Management (3)
Concentration Courses (9 credit hours)
The MSIT program offers the following concentrations:
- Advanced Data and Knowledge Discovery
- Design
- Emerging Technologies
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Information Security and Privacy
- Information Technology Management
- Software Systems Design and Engineering
- 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. A core course cannot be double-counted toward a concentration. Subject to the approval of the MSIT Program Director, a course from outside of the approved list for a concentration may be taken as a substitute for a course for the concentration.
Advanced Data and Knowledge Discovery Concentration
Select three of the following:
- ITIS 5510 - Web Mining (3)
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- ITIS 6150 - Software Assurance (3)
- ITIS 6162 - Knowledge Discovery in Databases (3)
- ITIS 6163 - Data Warehousing (3)
- or ITCS 6163 - Data Warehousing (3)
- ITIS 6220 - Data Privacy (3)
- ITIS 6320 - Cloud Data Storage (3)
- ITIS 6410 - Personalization and Recommender Systems (3)
- ITIS 6520 - Network Science (3)
- ITCS 6155 - Knowledge-Based Systems (3)
- ITCS 6156 - Machine Learning (3)
- ITCS 6157 - Visual Databases (3)
- ITCS 6161 - Advanced Topics in Database Systems (3)
- ITCS 6265 - Advanced Topics in Knowledge Discovery in Databases (3)
- ITCS 6267 - Intelligent Information Retrieval (3)
- DSBA 6100 - Big Data Analytics for Competitive Advantage (3)
- MBAD 6201 - Business Intelligence and Analytics (3)
- MBAD 6202 - Managing IT-Enabled Business Processes and Systems (3)
Design Concentration
Select three of the following:
- ITIS 5180 - Mobile Application Development (3)
- ITIS 6011 - Interaction Design Studio (4)
- ITIS 6350 - Rapid Prototyping Design Patterns (3)
- ITIS 6360 - User-Centered Design and Evaluation (3)
- ITIS 6420 - Usable Security and Privacy (3)
- ITIS 6500 - Complex Adaptive Systems (3)
- ITIS 6880 - Individual Study (1-3)
- ITCS 5122 - Visual Analytics (3)
- ITCS 5230 - Introduction to Game Design and Development (3)
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- ITIS 6211 - Studio Lab I (3)
- or ITCS 6211 - Studio Lab I (4)
- or ARCH 7211 - Studio Lab I (4)
- ITIS 6212 - Studio Lab II (3)
- or ITCS 6212 - Studio Lab II (4)
- or ARCH 7212 - Studio Lab II (4)
Emerging Technologies Concentration
Select three courses from the aggregated list of courses for all the other concentrations. Students are recommended to select each course from a different concentration to maximize their exposure to the broadest range of latest knowledge in computing and information technology.
Human-Computer Interaction Concentration
Select three of the following:
- ITIS 6011 - Interaction Design Studio (4)
- ITIS 6350 - Rapid Prototyping Design Patterns (3)
- ITIS 6360 - User-Centered Design and Evaluation (3)
- ITIS 6410 - Personalization and Recommender Systems (3)
- ITIS 6420 - Usable Security and Privacy (3)
- ITCS 5121 - Information Visualization (3)
- ITCS 5122 - Visual Analytics (3)
- ITCS 5123 - Visualization and Visual Communication (3)
- ITCS 6124 - Illustrative Visualization (3)
- ITCS 6125 - Virtual Environments (3)
- ITCS 6128 - 3D Display and Advanced Interfaces (3)
- ITCS 6140 - Data Visualization (3)
- ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- ITCS 6216 - Introduction to Cognitive Science (3)
- or PSYC 6216 - Introduction to Cognitive Science (3)
- PSYC 6102 - Organizational Research Methods (3)
- PSYC 6116 - Cognition (3)
- PHIL 6340 - Philosophy of Mind (3)
Information Security and Privacy Concentration
Select three of the following:
- ITIS 5221 - Secure Programming and Penetration Testing (3)
- ITIS 5250 - Computer Forensics (3)
- ITIS 6140 - Software Testing and Quality Assurance (3)
- ITIS 6150 - Software Assurance (3)
- ITIS 6167 - Network Security (3)
- ITIS 6210 - Access Control and Security Architecture (3)
- ITIS 6220 - Data Privacy (3)
- ITIS 6230 - Information Infrastructure Protection (3)
- ITIS 6240 - Applied Cryptography (3)
- ITIS 6250 - Open Source Security Systems (3)
- ITIS 6320 - Cloud Data Storage (3)
- ITIS 6362 - Information Technology Ethics, Policy, and Security (3)
- ITIS 6420 - Usable Security and Privacy (3)
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
Information Technology Management Concentration
- ITIS 6342 - Information Technology Project Management (3) (if not already taken as a Core Course)
- ITIS 6362 - Information Technology Ethics, Policy, and Security (3)
Elective Courses
Select 1-2 of the following, to result in 3 courses for this concentration:
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- ITIS 6177 - System Integration (3)
- ITIS 6130 - Software Requirements Engineering for Information Systems (3)
- ITIS 6230 - Information Infrastructure Protection (3)
- ITIS 6320 - Cloud Data Storage (3)
- ITCS 5161 - Intellectual Property Aspects of Computing (3)
- MBAD 6122 - Decision Modeling and Analysis via Spreadsheets (3)
- MBAD 6141 - Operations Management (3)
- MBAD 6161 - Human Behavior in Organizations (3)
- MBAD 6164 - Executive Communication (3)
- MBAD 6165 - Negotiation and Conflict Management (3)
- MBAD 6192 - Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility (3)
- MBAD 6201 - Business Intelligence and Analytics (3)
- MBAD 6202 - Managing IT-Enabled Business Processes and Systems (3)
- MBAD 6203 - Information Systems Economics, Strategy and Policy (3)
- MBAD 6204 - Management of Information Security and Privacy (3)
- MBAD 6207 - Business Project Management (3)
- MBAD 6209 - Management of Service Operations (3)
- MBAD 6191 - Entrepreneurship (3) (requires significant business background)
- MBAD 6193 - Global Business Environment (3) (requires significant business background)
- MBAD 6197 - Managing the Multinational Enterprise (3) (requires significant business background)
Software Systems Design and Engineering Concentration
- ITIS 6112 - Software System Design and Implementation (3) (if not already taken as a Core Course)
Elective Courses
Select 2-3 of the following, to result in 3 courses for this concentration:
- ITIS 5180 - Mobile Application Development (3)
- ITIS 5166 - Network-Based Application Development (3)
- ITIS 5221 - Secure Programming and Penetration Testing (3)
- ITIS 6011 - Interaction Design Studio (4)
- ITIS 6140 - Software Testing and Quality Assurance (3)
- ITIS 6150 - Software Assurance (3)
- ITIS 6177 - System Integration (3)
- ITIS 6210 - Access Control and Security Architecture (3)
- ITIS 6250 - Open Source Security Systems (3)
- ITIS 6362 - Information Technology Ethics, Policy, and Security (3)
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- MBAD 6202 - Managing IT-Enabled Business Processes and Systems (3)
Web Development Concentration
Select three of the following:
- ITIS 5166 - Network-Based Application Development (3)
- ITIS 5180 - Mobile Application Development (3)
- ITIS 5221 - Secure Programming and Penetration Testing (3)
- ITIS 5510 - Web Mining (3)
- ITIS 6011 - Interaction Design Studio (4)
- ITIS 6177 - System Integration (3)
- ITIS 6350 - Rapid Prototyping Design Patterns (3)
- ITIS 6360 - User-Centered Design and Evaluation (3)
- ITIS 6362 - Information Technology Ethics, Policy, and Security (3)
- ITIS 6410 - Personalization and Recommender Systems (3)
- ITIS 6520 - Network Science (3)
- ITIS 6010 - Topics in Software and Information Systems (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
- or ITCS 6010 - Topics in Computer Science (3) (only if topic applicable and approved by program director)
Elective Courses (6 credit hours)
Students fulfill the remaining requirements for coursework by completing two approved elective courses from the College of Computing and Informatics.
Part of the elective requirements may also be met by taking the following internship:
- ITIS 6198 - IT Internship Project (3)
Culminating Experience
All students must successfully complete a culminating experience. This requirement is satisfied by completing any one of the following three:
- IT Project: a 15-page written report on knowledge related to one or more courses or a programming experience (0 credit hours)
- IT Internship: ITIS 6198 - IT Internship Project (3)
- IT Master’s Thesis: ITIS 6991 - Information Technology Thesis (1-6)(6 credit hours; taken for 2 semesters)
