Information Systems and Technology MS Accelerated Master's Degree
The Accelerated BS-MS in Information Systems and Technology program provides an opportunity for students to earn their BS and MS degrees in Information Systems and Technology (IST) in as few as 10 semesters.
The accelerated program reduces time to completion by requiring a minimum of 138 credit hours instead of the typical 150 credit hours if the degrees were pursued separately (120 for BS and 30 for MS). The program allows undergraduate students, in their Junior and Senior years, to take up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses and count those graduate courses to also fulfill some of their undergraduate degree requirements. Students then proceed to take the remaining 18 graduate credit hours to fulfill their graduate degree requirements.
Students are required to work closely with both BS and MS Program Advisors to ensure that the correct levels of required courses are completed in a timely manner and in the appropriate sequence.
Eligibility
Undergraduate students can apply to the Chair of the Information Systems and Technology Department for admission to the Accelerated MS degree program during the semester they will complete 60 undergraduate credit hours. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Accelerated MS-IST program and Graduate School proceeds in two phases: 1) Provisional Admission and 2) Graduate Admission.
Provisional Admission
Undergraduate BS-IST students are considered for provisional admission to Graduate School if they meet the following criteria.
- Have earned 60 credit hours as an undergraduate
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Have met with both the BS and MS Academic Advisors in Information Systems and Technology
The IST Department Chair, in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor and Graduate Program Director, will determine whether the student can apply for provisional status. Provisionally admitted students are still classified as undergraduates but may begin obtaining the 12 graduate credits that will apply toward both their MS and BS degrees. Graduate courses completed by undergraduate students, who have been provisionally admitted to the Accelerated MS-IST program, will be charged at the undergraduate tuition rate. However, these courses will count toward the MS-IST degree while also fulfilling the requirements of BS-IST.
These courses must be approved before the semester starts. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for provisional status as a junior, preferably in the first semester of the junior year.
Graduate Admission
Applicants are considered for admission to the Graduate School if they meet the following criteria.
- Are in their final semester in undergraduate status
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 since being granted provisional status
- Have met with the MS Academic Advisor in Information Systems and Technology
The MS Academic Advisor, in consultation with the BS Academic Advisor, will determine whether the student can apply for graduate admission. Final decisions concerning graduate admission are made by the Graduate School in consultation with the IST Department Chair and Graduate Program Director. Students admitted at this stage are conferred graduate status and must continue taking graduate courses until the completion of the MS degree.
Program Requirements
Eligible undergraduate BS in Information Systems and Technology pursuing the Accelerated MS in Information Systems and Technology degree option will be required to take the following four graduate courses (12 credits), which will count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.
| INFSYS 6828 | Principles of Information Security | 3 |
| INFSYS 6830 | Data Programming for Business Intelligence | 3 |
| INFSYS 6840 | Information Systems Analysis | 3 |
| INFSYS 6845 | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Additionally, students must complete six other INFSYS courses listed under one or more of the following graduate certificates: Business Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Systems Development, Information Systems and Technology, or Information Security Management and Auditing and meet all Graduate School requirements.
Awarding of Degrees
The student may apply for and receive the bachelor’s degree in the semester when all the undergraduate requirements are completed. In their final semester in undergraduate status, the student must apply and be admitted to the graduate program, to begin the following semester. The student will apply to receive the master’s degree in the semester that the requirements for the graduate degree will be completed.
If the student fails to enroll for more than one year after receiving the bachelor's degree, the student can still earn the master’s degree, but the graduate-level credits earned as an undergraduate cannot be used for the graduate degree.