Master's in Information Systems Curriculum

Earn your Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) degree in a part-time program that helps you advance and transform your career. Design your program with a flexible curriculum that supports your unique professional path; choose from eight specializations taught by information technology industry leaders and veteran Northwestern University faculty. Broaden your network through faculty and fellow students who come from a variety of industries. As an MSIS candidate, you will benefit from unique corporate partnerships and a dynamic curriculum that mirrors current industry systems and methodologies, emphasizing design, implementation, evaluation, and modeling. The online course format meets you wherever you are to accommodate your busy life and commitments.

This program curriculum requires successful completion of 11 courses, including 4 required Core Courses that include a final capstone project, and 7 courses defined by one of the following specializations: 

Please see the academic catalog for additional information regarding the curriculum. Current students should refer to curriculum requirements in place at time of entry into the program.

Students in the MSIS program will need hardware that meets minimum systems requirements to be successful.

 

Core Courses

CIS 413-DL Telecommunications and Computer Networks

This course provides an overview of telecommunications and data communications. Course work includes local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) components such as switches, routers, telecommunication circuits, and protocols. Advanced topics such as information security, information assurance, advanced networking technologies, and others will be overviewed as well.

CIS 414-DL Object-Oriented Programming – or – MSDS 430-DL Python for Data Science

CIS 414-DL Object-Oriented Programming

This course focuses on developing complex programs using an object-oriented language. Students write programs that utilize functions and methods for code modularization and arrays for solving problems. Information hiding, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, exception handling, and other principles of object-oriented programming will be introduced.

MSDS 430-DL Python for Data Science

This course introduces core features of the Python programming language, demonstrating fundamental concepts in computer science. It provides an in-­‐depth discussion of data representation strategies, showing how data structures are implemented in Python and demonstrating tools for data science and software engineering. Working on data analysis problems, students employ various programming paradigms, including functional programming, object-­‐oriented programming, and data stream processing. Special attention is paid to the standard Python library and packages for analytics and modeling. Required: None.

CIS 417-DL Database Systems Design and Implementation

This course covers the fundamentals of database design and management. Topics include the principles and methodologies of database design, database application development, normalization, referential integrity, security, relational database models, and database languages. Principles are applied by performing written assignments and a project using an SQL database system.

CIS 498-DL  Computer Information Systems Project - or - CIS 590-DL Capstone Research

Students may pursue their capstone experience independently or as part of a team. As their final course, students take either the individual research project in an independent study format or the classroom final project class in which students integrate the knowledge they have gained in the core curriculum in a project presented by the instructor. In both cases, students are guided by faculty in exploring the body of knowledge on information systems while contributing research of practical value to the field. The capstone independent project and capstone class project count as one unit of credit.

 

CIS 498-DL Computer Information Systems Project

Note: Registration for this course will be closed one week prior to the start of the term.

This course provides experience in development and delivery of a large-scale software application that solves a real-world problem. This will be accomplished through a managed capstone software project that will cover all aspects of the software development life cycle including (but not limited to): discovery, requirements, design, implementation, testing, technical documentation, and deployment. Students will learn how to research a real-world problem, evaluate industry trends that address the problem, and consequently propose and implement their own solution to the problem. To accomplish this, students will learn how to apply the skills they acquired through the various tracks of the Computer Information System program to deliver the project, which in turn will set them up for success in their professional careers.

(Required: CIS 413-0 or CIS 413-DL, CIS 414-0 or CIS 414-DL or MSDS 430-DL, and CIS 417-0 or CIS 417-DL. And must have completed 9 out of 11 units of credit.)

 

CIS 590-DL Capstone Research

(see the SPS Graduate Academic Catalog for guidelines)

 


Artificial Intelligence Specialization

Recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence are affecting the work of data scientists and information systems professionals. Traditional artificial intelligence utilized rules-based, knowledge-based systems and logic programming. Today's artificial intelligence relies on machine learning methods and deep learning, in particular. Data science encompasses traditional statistics, operations research, and machine learning methods. Machine learning methods include Naïve Bayes models, nearest neighbor models, classification and regression trees, random forests, support vector machines, and neural networks. Machine learning methods are data-adaptive—they learn from data. Advances in artificial intelligence rely on deep learning, which involves neural networks with many hidden layers learning from very large data sets. Artificial intelligence is a special area of study within data science and information systems. It has important applications in computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics.

Note: MSDS 430-DL is a required Core Course for this specialization; CIS 414-DL is not.

Required:

Any four of the following:

Read more about how the AI specialization prepares students for a wide range of information systems careers on our stories page.


Data Science Specialization

This specialization provides technical and leadership training required for key positions in information technology, data science and analytics. It provides an understanding of how to work in professional roles in today’s data-intensive and data-driven world. It reviews key technologies in analytics and business intelligence drawing from both traditional statistics and machine learning.

Note: MSDS 430-DL is a required Core Course for this specialization; CIS 414-DL is not.

Required:

Any four of the following:


Database and Internet Technologies Specialization

This specialization addresses the growing demand for professionals with technical skills to analyze, design, implement, and manage software applications and digital media for the enterprise and IoT (Internet-of-Things).

The program emphasizes experimentation and application of theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios with the goal of creating business value. Throughout the course of study, students will acquire knowledge and skills in the following areas that can immediately be put to use throughout the digital enterprise:

  • Data modeling and database design, implementation, and programming skills, using both Relational Database Management Systems and NoSQL technologies
  • Design and development of distributed software systems that adhere to sound design principles and best practices, including scalable data services architecture and robust security
  • Integration of data science concepts and machine learning algorithms to solve business problems
  • Practical project management skills that include the use of Agile methodologies

Note: Students in this specialization must take both CIS 414-DL and MSDS 430-DL as Core Courses.

Required:

 


Digital Transformation Specialization

We have entered the Fourth Industrial Age, where high bandwidth connectivity and technologies like artificial intelligence and cyber-physical integration are driving societal and business change at a scale, scope and pace unprecedented in human history. Digital transformation is the response to this revolution, designed to help businesses and institutions adapt to the realities and the ever-increasing pace of this change. Focused on more than merely digitizing existing operations and systems, digital transformation is about using tech to change fundamentally how a business acts, changing the means and the pace of interaction with customers, employees, and value chain participants. Digital transformation practitioners need to capture and drive that change. The digital transformation specialization is focused on preparing students to become leaders of transformation by providing students with a deep understanding of how to identify transformative trends, how to take advantage of change, and how to prepare and design technology strategies to deliver against that change, including data strategy and structure, designing agile organizations, and applying digital technologies to real world business problems. This specialization will include creation of a practical digital transformation plan for a real-world business or institution, providing students with the skills to think about transformation in a practical case and to deliver change that matches the moment.

Required:

Any five of the following:

Health Informatics Specialization

The health informatics specialization operates at the convergence of IT and health care, where evidence-based medicine, intelligent medical records, and data are leveraged to fuel more efficient, patient-centered health care, payment reform, and improved population health. Assessing health informatics needs from clinical, technical, operational, and financial perspectives, students gain familiarity with the use of standards, information architecture, standard terminologies, and decision analysis in complex health care organizations. Students develop insights into clinical care processes and how IT impacts patients, health care providers, caregivers, and other key stakeholders in a rapidly evolving health care environment. (Note: MHI courses are only available online.)

Required:

 



Information Systems Management Specialization

The specialization in Information Systems Management introduces students to key information system management best practices, IT strategy development, project management methods, information security and technology management techniques that apply to the entire system life cycle. The specialization emphasizes management techniques and methods used to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing operations of information technology capabilities that produce value for the business. Students will learn various approaches to develop IT strategies, evaluate emerging technologies, keep information secure, manage technology project implementations, and develop frameworks to apply to the ongoing management and operation of application and information technology portfolios.

Required: 


Information Systems Security Specialization

With the proliferation of internet-enabled devices, social media use and software-dependent organizations, securing and safeguarding data, information and business processes is an ever-increasing urgent concern, especially in a post-9/11 world. The information systems security specialization focuses on timely and distinctive skills that allow students to design secured information systems and make recommendations for the protection of sensitive corporate data in accordance with commerce and privacy regulations. Students learn how to plan, budget for and implement secure network systems (LAN, WAN, wireless, mobile, IoT, AR) and lead organizational staff in the secure exchange of digital information across a variety of platforms. Topics include: VPN, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and defensive strategies, cryptography, social engineering, phishing, anti-virus, anti-spam, ethical hacking, ransomware attacks and application security techniques. Students also learn the managerial and administrative aspects of information security such as risk analysis, vulnerability analysis and remediation, network security architectures, policy development and enforcement, legal/regulatory compliance issues, risk management, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery preparation and execution.

Required:

 


Project Management Specialization

This specialization is designed for IT professionals who want to acquire the skills and competencies for IT project management.  The project management specialization provides the students with the managerial and technical skills that are applicable to information systems software development lifecycle (SDLC) including requirements, analysis/design, implementation, and testing. The student applies the fundamental concepts and techniques of project management like schedule and budget estimation, resource allocation, progress monitoring, risk mitigation and contingency planning to IT projects in the software industry.  The student acquires hands-on experience with traditional project management methodologies and modern project management methodologies like Agile project management. Standards for quality assurance and quality control, like ISO 9000 family of standards, will be discussed and explained to assess the maturity of the development organizations and the development processes for the IT projects. Business Communication and IT budgeting moves projects and innovation forward, focusing on application to real-world initiatives.

Required:

Any 2 of the following:

 

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