Admission
Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information and requirements.
- Before registering for your first course, please submit a graduate application for admission accompanied by a non-refundable $35 application fee.
- Steps for registration:
- Register for either IST 7000, IST 7020, IST 7040, or IST 7060 as the first course in the IST program.
- Students enrolled in the Information Assurance Track must review and sign the University's Code of Conduct Policy.
- Attend a Master of Science Information Systems Technologies (MS-IST) orientation session at one of the sites.
- Submit an official copy of your college transcripts from an accredited university to the Office of Graduate Admissions. All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in basic Information Technology knowledge through a placement exam. Students who cannot demonstrate proficiency will be required to take IST 5500 within the first semester of the MS-IST Program.
All Information Systems Technologies students are encouraged to complete IST 5000, an introductory academic writing course during their first semester. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to graduate.
Program Purpose
The express purpose of Wilmington University’s Master of Science program in Information Systems Technologies is to provide and advance the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by perspective and current Information Technology (IT) professionals for managing information systems. Students completing the program will obtain a better understanding of the relationship between business requirements and technology solutions with an emphasis on applying a systems approach when integrating information technology into strategic business/education/government activities. Moreover, the program capitalizes on the inter-disciplinary nature of modern information systems and the settings in which they are implemented, the MS-IST Program includes four career concentrations.
Program Competencies
The graduate student who successfully completes the Information Systems Technologies program will be expected to:
I. Oral Communication
- Appraise the needs of the audience and then speak in a clear and succinct manner.
- Research, construct, and deliver professional presentations using a variety of communication tools and techniques.
II. Written Communication
- Write with clarity and precision using correct English grammar: mechanics (punctuation) and usage (sentence structure and vocabulary).
- Exhibit competence in writing for specific purposes, diverse audiences, and genres.
III. Disciplined Inquiry
- Employ scientific, quantitative and/or qualitative reasoning and other critical thinking strategies to analyze consequences and outcomes and to be able to recommend alternative solutions.
IV. Information Literacy
- Recognize the need for material / information, locate the material/information, and effectively evaluate and use the material/information with appropriate attribution.
V. Ethics
- Demonstrate ethical codes and behaviors promoted by the student’s chosen profession.
VI. Integration Component
- Evaluate the relationships and dependencies associated with planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems in an organization.
VII. Business Application
- Apply various models and methods for planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems within a modern organization.
The final two graduation competencies are broken out by concentration:
Information Assurance Outcome I
- Apply the principles of Information Assurance used to manage risks related to one or more of the following: Use, Processing, Storage, and Transmission of information or data.
Information Assurance Outcome II
- Assess the ethical practices associated with implementing IA policy, Standards and Regulation combined with systemic interrelationships within an organization
Tech Project Management Outcome I
- Identify, define, and analyze various aspects of Technology Project Management Knowledge.
Tech Project Management Outcome II
- Define and analyze organizational influences upon Technology Projects.
Web Design Outcome I
- Evaluate the relationships and dependencies associated with planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems in an organization.
Web Design Outcome II
- Apply various models and methods for planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems within a modern organization.
Program Design
Students who successfully complete the graduate degree program in Information Systems Technologies will possess a working command of current informational practices that can immediately be applied in business, educational, and governmental organizations regardless of size. Degree recipients will be capable of managing complex projects from inception to completion, including professional services engagements and the acquisition and management of informational infrastructure. The managerial nature of this program is closely aligned with the business curriculum at Wilmington University, but with a decidedly technological (or alternatively, a “design”) leaning. As each student is expected to choose a concentration that caters to their vocational predispositions, competencies in the management of specifically tailored aspects of technology, and the synergies attributable to an interdisciplinary learning approach, are expected to be program outcomes. Students graduating from the MS-IST program should be prepared to provide leadership in the Information Systems (IS) field. Graduates will have the following skills, knowledge, and values:
- A core of IS knowledge
- Integration of IS and business foundations
- Broad business and real world perspectives
- Communication, interpersonal, and team skills
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Specific skills leading to a career
Information Systems Foundations
Students who have an insufficient level of expertise to enter the program, as identified through a placement exam, will be required to take the IST 5500 - IST Fundamentals course. IST 5500 is not an MS-IST Core course and cannot be used as an IST elective in the MSM or MBA Programs.
Web Design Outcome I
- Evaluate the relationships and dependencies associated with planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems in an organization.
Web Design Outcome II
- Apply various models and methods for planning, organizing, designing, managing, and implementing Information Systems within a modern organization.
MS-IST Core Course Requirements (15 credits)
The five core courses listed below are required for program completion.
8100 - Integration/Capstone course
The process of “integration” constitutes the capstone emphasis of the MS-IST program. After students complete the five IST core courses and, at least, three concentration courses, they need to synthesize what they have learned. Furthermore, system integration is a pervasive aspect of IS practice. Integration can be viewed from three perspectives: a) Integrating the Enterprise; b) Integrating the IS Function; and c) Integrating IS Technologies. The capstone course 8100 is required for program completion. Management and Management Information Systems students will complete IST 8100. Web Design students will complete DSN 8100. Information Assurance students will complete SEC 8100 and Information Technology/Systems Project Management students will complete IPM 8100. Since each concentration has a concentration specific 8100 course, the final grade of one capstone course cannot be substituted for another capstone course (e.g., the final grade for IST 8100 cannot be used as a substitute for the final grade of SEC 8100).
Concentration
A concentration consists of five or more related courses that prepare a student for a specialization in their chosen program.
Information Assurance Concentration (18 credits)
Concurrently or after completing the IST core requirements, students will complete five (5) courses from the following list as well as the concentration specific 8100 integration/capstone course.
Integration/Capstone Course
| SEC 8100 | Information Assurance Integration/Capstone Course | 3 |
Management and Management Information Systems Concentration (18 credits)
Concurrently or after completing the IST core requirements, students will complete five (5) courses from the following list as well as the concentration specific 8100 integration/capstone course.
| MBA 7600 | Global Marketing Management | 3 |
| MGT 6501 | Organization Theory and Design | 3 |
| MGT 6503 | Leadership Development and Change Management | 3 |
| MGT 7400 | Analysis of Decision Making | 3 |
| MGT 7800 | Strategy in Organizations | 3 |
| MHR 7830 | Finance and Accounting for Managers | 3 |
| MOL 6600 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Organizations | 3 |
Integration/Capstone Course
| IST 8100 | Integrating the Enterprise, IS Function, and IS Technologies | 3 |
Technology Project Management Concentration (18 credits)
Concurrently or after completing the IST core requirements, students will complete five (5) courses from the following list as well as the concentration specific 8100 integration/capstone course.
| IPM 6000 | IT/IS Project Scope Development and Management | 3 |
| IPM 6010 | IT/IS Project Scheduling | 3 |
| IPM 6020 | IT/IS Project Budgeting | 3 |
| IPM 6030 | IT/IS Project Risk Management | 3 |
| IPM 6040 | IT/IS Project Quality Management | 3 |
| IPM 6050 | Agile Project Management | 3 |
| IPM 6090 | Special Topics in IT/IS Project Management | 3 |
Integration/Capstone Course
| IPM 8100 | IT/IS Project Management Integration/Capstone Course | 3 |
Web Design Concentration (18 credits)
Concurrently or after completing the IST core requirements, students will complete the pre-requisite course DSN 6000 and four (4) other DSN 6000 series courses from the following list as well as the concentration specific 8100 integration/capstone course.
| DSN 6000 | Web Design and Architecture | 3 |
| DSN 6030 | Advanced Multimedia and Animation | 3 |
| DSN 6040 | Web Design with JavaScript | 3 |
| DSN 6050 | Markup Languages Advanced Authoring | 3 |
| DSN 6060 | Database/Web Design Integration | 3 |
| DSN 6070 | Web Design with Visual Basic | 3 |
| DSN 6080 | Internet Development/Design for Competitive Advantage | 3 |
| DSN 6090 | Topics in Web Design and Programming | 3 |
| SEC 6040 | Web and Data Security | 3 |
Integration/Capstone Course
| DSN 8100 | Web Design Integration/Capstone Course | 3 |
Supervised Field Experience/Internship (3 credits)
Students in the final year of the program who have completed the majority of the program requirements will be required to enroll in a semester-long, three-credit hour supervised field experience/internship. A majority of the program means students have successfully completed their concentration specific 8100 integration/capstone course and, at least, three concentration courses before registering for IST 8101.
There are two possible options for students at this juncture in the program:
- Option one provides students following the Web Design Concentration an opportunity to develop an electronic portfolio.
- Option two affords internship or field experience students an opportunity to complete technology-based research using one of the several research methodologies, including Action Research, to provide quality improvement, develop new technology, solve and industry problem, or manage technical change in a business or personal environment.
The Complete MS-IST Curriculum
The MS-IST program can be completed in a minimum of 36 credits by students with considerable preparation. Such students would take:
- 15 credits of core courses (IST7000 - IST7100), (i.e., IST 7xxx series courses)
- 3 credits of integration/capstone course (8100 capstone course)
- 15 credits in a concentration
- 3 credits of Field Experience/Internship (IST8101)
Qualifications for Degree
To qualify for the Master of Science degree in Information Systems Technologies, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours (12 courses), including an Integration Capstone Component and a Field Experience/Internship. Both are intended to enhance a student’s occupational interest through the correlation of theory and practice. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The program must be completed within five years.