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Curriculum and Program Requirements

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Program Details

The Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS MIS) 4+1 program is a rigorous, accelerated pathway to earning an MS MIS degree that is available to students earning undergraduate degrees at Texas A&M University. Our students leave our program with a solid technical information systems foundation and appropriate business skills. Graduates can immediately contribute to solving business problems, which makes them highly valued and respected in the workforce and sought after by top companies.

Graduate Certificates

Students may also pursue one or more graduate certificates. The Department of Information and Operations Management offers two certificates to advance your technical skillset and gain a competitive advantage in your industry.

Business Intelligence and Analytics Certificate

Students pursuing this certificate should have a baseline interest in programming and data management, as well as some technical background and an interest in statistical applications. Advanced coursework in calculus, statistics, and computing is strongly recommended.

Explore Certificate

Cybersecurity Management Certificate

With academic courses at the intersection of business and technical expertise, students will understand the challenges of computer network security while ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of data. Further, they will be able to integrate policy, best practices, and strategies to address a broad range of challenges and threats, while balancing the development of a security environment that is usable, yet secure.

Explore Certificate

Prerequisites

Students who have already completed or are in the process of completing a bachelor’s degree may apply for the master’s program in Management Information Systems (MS MIS). Applications for the MS MIS program are accepted for fall admission only.

The MS MIS program has four program prerequisites:

  • A course in programming (Java, C#, VB, etc. such as ISTM 250 or ISTM 601)
  • A database management course (such as ISTM 315 or ISTM 615)
  • A course in systems analysis and design (such as ISTM 320 or ISTM 620)
  • A course in business data communications (such as ISTM 310 or ISTM 610)

We do not accept work experience, corporate training programs/classes, or courses taken through open online course providers as prerequisite credit. Only courses from accredited colleges/universities will be accepted.

Curriculum for MIS Undergraduates

During Undergraduate Program – Spring (6 hours)

  • ISTM 635 – Business Information Security (offered in spring only)
  • ISTM 643 – Corporate Information Planning

Summer Before First Semester of MS MIS Program (3 hours)

  • ISTM 684 – Professional Internship (as Directed Elective)

First Semester – Fall (15 hours)

  • ISTM 622 – Advanced Database Management
  • ISTM 624 – Advanced Systems Analysis & Design
  • ISTM 630 – MIS Project Management & Implementation
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective

Second Semester – Spring (12 hours)

  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective

Curriculum For Non-MIS Undergraduates

During Undergraduate Program

Prerequisites:

  • ISTM 250 – Business Programming Logic and Design
  • ISTM 315 – Database Programming
  • ISTM 320 – Business Systems Analysis and Design

Hold for Graduate Credit (taken during final undergraduate spring semester):

  • ISTM 643 – Corporate Information Planning
  • Directed Elective

Summer Before First Semester of MS MIS Program (3 hours)

  • ISTM 684 – Professional Internship (as Directed Elective)

First Semester – Fall (15 hours)

  • ISTM 610 – Business Data Communications (last prerequisite)
  • ISTM 622 – Advanced Data Management
  • ISTM 624 – Advanced Systems Analysis and Design
  • ISTM 630 – MIS Project Management and Implementation
  • Directed Elective

Second Semester – Spring (15 hours)

  • ISTM 635 – Business Information Security
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective
  • Directed Elective

Elective Course Options

Students wishing to enroll in an ISTM or SCMT course that is full may access the Department of Information and Operations Management’s wait list system to request enrollment in the course.

Elective Courses (Select seven courses – 21 credits)

  • ISTM 631 – Information Systems Design and Development Project
  • ISTM 637 – Data Warehousing
  • ISTM 645 – IT Security Controls
  • ISTM 650 – Business Data Mining
  • ISTM 652 – Customer Relationship Management and Technologies
  • ISTM 655 – Security Management and Compliance
  • ISTM 657 – Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Business Transformation
  • ISTM 660 – Applied Predictive Analytics for Business
  • ISTM 665 – Cloud Computing Technologies
  • ISTM 680 – Human-Computer Interaction in MIS
  • ISTM 681 – Ethics of Information Systems
  • ISTM 684 – Professional Internship
  • ISTM 689 – Special Topics in…
  • ACCT 647*/FINC 647* – Financial Statement Analysis
  • CSCE 606* – Software Engineering
  • CSCE 625* – Artificial Intelligence
  • CSCE 629* – Analysis of Algorithms
  • CSCE 631* – Intelligent Agents
  • CSCE 633* – Machine Learning
  • CSCE 636* – Deep Learning
  • CSCE 638* – Natural Language Processing: Foundations and Techniques
  • CSCE 652* – Software Reverse Engineering
  • CSCE 655* – Human-Centered Computing
  • CSCE 656* – Computers and New Media
  • CSCE 662* –  Distributed Processing System
  • CSCE 664* – Wireless and Mobile Systems
  • CSCE 665* – Advanced Networking and Security
  • CSCE 676*/ECEN 758*/STAT 639* – Data Mining and Analysis
  • CSCE 678*/ECEN 757* – Distributed Systems and Cloud Computing
  • CSCE 679*/VIZA 676* – Data Visualization
  • CSCE 701/CYBR 601*-  Foundations of Cybersecurity
  • CSCE 702*/CYBR 602* – Law and Policy in Cybersecurity
  • CSCE 703* – Cybersecurity Risk
  • CSCE 704*/CYBR 604* Data Analytics for Cybersecurity
  • CSCE 711*/CYBR 711* – Foundation of Modern Cryptography
  • CSCE 713* – Software Security
  • CSCE 726* – Large-Scale Optimization for Machine Learning
  • CSCE 735* – Parallel Computing
  • CSCE 765* – Network Security
  • ECEN 649* – Pattern Recognition
  • ECEN 740* – Machine Learning Engineering
  • ECEN 759*/CYBR 630* – Hardware Security
  • ECMT 673* – Economic Analytics
  • ECMT 674* – Economic Forecasting
  • FINC 629* – Financial Management I
  • FINC 630* – Financial Management II
  • FINC 646* – Technical Analysis of Financial Markets
  • GEOG 660* – Applications in GIS
  • ISEN 608* – Industrial Case Analysis
  • ISEN 613* – Engineering Data Analysis
  • ISEN 635* – Human Information Processing
  • ITDE 689* – Advanced Entrepreneurship in Energy and Climate
  • MATH 673* – Information, Secrecy, and Authentication I
  • MGMT 632* – Technology Commercialization
  • MGMT 633* – Organizational Change and Development
  • MGMT 637* – Foundations of Entrepreneurship
  • MGMT 639* – Negotiations in Competitive Environments
  • MGMT 640* – Managing for Creativity & Innovation
  • MGMT 675* – Leadership in Organizations
  • MGMT 679* – International Business Policy
  • MKTG 671* – Product Innovation
  • MKTG 677* – Multinational Marketing Management
  • MTDE 611* – Enterprise Basics for Technical Entrepreneurs
  • MTDE 613* – Engineer to Chief Executive Officer
  • MTDE 614* – Skills for Technology Leadership
  • MTDE 615* – Startup Fundamentals – Launching, Growing, and Exiting a Startup Company
  • MTDE 651* – Product Lean Launch for Engineers
  • PETE 686* – Petroleum Data Analytics and Machine Learning
  • PHPM 606* – Health Systems Management
  • PSAA 608*/CYBR 661* – Cybersecurity Policy, Issues, and Operations – A Manager’s Guide
  • SCMT 611 – Statistical Foundation of Data Analytics
  • SCMT 637 – Modeling and Optimization
  • SCMT 638 – Information Technology in Supply Chain Management
  • SCMT 645 – Business Process Design
  • SCMT 667 – Logistics and Distribution Management
  • SCMT 680 – Practical Lean Business Systems
  • STAT 604* – Topics in Statistical Computation
  • STAT 608* – Regression Analysis
  • STAT 616* – Statistical Aspects of Machine Learning I: Classical Multivariate Methods
  • STAT 624* – Database and Computational Tools Used in Big Data
  • STAT 626* – Methods in Time Series Analysis
  • STAT 630* – Overview of Mathematical Statistics
  • STAT 631* – Statistical Methods in Finance
  • STAT 636* – Applied Multivariate Analysis and Statistical Learning
  • STAT 647* – Spatial Statistics
  • STAT 648* – Applied Statistics and Data Analysis
  • STAT 650* – Statistical Foundation for Data Science
  • STAT 651* – Statistics in Research I
  • STAT 652* – Statistics in Research II
  • STAT 654* – Statistical Computing with R and Python
  • STAT 656* – Applied Analytics

*These courses have been approved as MS MIS electives; however, students may need to receive permission from the department offering the courses in order to enroll. See individual course restrictions in Howdy to determine eligibility.

Fund Your Education

Teaching Assistant Positions

The Department of Information and Operations Management (INFO) offers a limited number of teaching assistant (TA) positions each semester. The criteria for selection are based on the department’s need and the student’s qualifications.<br/>

The department automatically considers all prospective students who receive an admission offer to the MS MIS program for these positions. For prospective students, an applicant’s admissions application also serves as the application for teaching assistant positions. TA selections are made on a competitive basis and are announced via e-mail in early-to-mid March for incoming students. For continuing MS MIS students, the Student Services Office solicits applications for TA positions as they become available each semester.<br/>

The wage for these positions is $12.50 per hour, and TAs can expect to work approximately 20 hours per week. These positions do not include health insurance or non-resident tuition waivers.

 

Scholarships

Competitive scholarships for incoming students are typically in the amount of $1,000–$2,000 and are divided into two equal payments for the first two semesters of study. Non-resident students who are awarded a departmental scholarship also receive a non-resident tuition waiver for each semester of the award and will be assessed the resident tuition rate (which is significantly less) for those semesters. An applicant’s admissions application also serves as the application for scholarships. Competitive selections are made on a rolling basis and are announced in batches throughout the admissions cycle.<br/>

Continuing students are invited to apply for scholarships each spring semester for funding in the following fall and/or spring semesters. These continuing student scholarships are provided by corporations, as well as former students and friends of the Department of Information and Operations Management. The scholarship amounts and eligibility criteria differ from one award to the other. Students will be notified via e-mail when the application cycle opens. Awards are usually announced in the Summer.<br/>
Other forms of financial aid are available through Texas A&M’s Scholarships and Financial Aid Office.