The MS in Information Systems program is managed jointly by two departments within the School of Computing: Information Sciences & Technology and Computer Science.

This page reflects modernization updates effective for students who start in Fall 2022 or later. If you started before Fall 2022, please look at the previous requirements.

Modern information systems manage data, information and knowledge to support enterprise functions and decision making as well as human social activity over the Internet. Increasingly, these systems are distributed, collaborative, involve big data and hosted in the cloud. The mission of the MS Information Systems program is to allow students of diverse baccalaureate and professional backgrounds to obtain a high-quality MS degree that

  • Provides students with the theoretical knowledge and hands-on project experience needed to analyze, design, build, deploy, maintain, manage and promote effective organizational use of modern information systems
  • Allows students to further specialize in related areas of big data, data and knowledge engineering, decision support systems, web-based software engineering and information security assurance
  • Prepares students for careers in information systems in large and small organizations in both industry and government

Career paths open to graduates include systems analyst, data administrator, database administrator, information architect, systems architect, decision analyst, data warehouse administrator, database application developer, web-based information systems designer and developer, information engineer, knowledge engineer, chief information officer, chief knowledge officer, chief privacy officer, and project manager.

Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete 30 credits corresponding to 10 graduate courses. Students are encouraged to download the course planner spreadsheet, and update it as they proceed through the program.

Five core courses (15 credits) are required of all MS-INFS graduates:

  • COMP 502 Mathematical Foundations of Computing I
  • CS 550 Database Systems
  • INFS 580 Analytics: Big Data to Information
  • INFS 611 Rapid Information Systems Prototyping
  • INFS 622 Information Systems Analysis and Design

Students with strong academic background in mathematical foundations of computing may substitute another elective course for COMP 502 Mathematical Foundations of Computing I, with permission from the program director

The approved elective courses in each emphasis area are listed below:

Concentrations

MS Information Systems students have the option to declare a concentration in one of two areas:

Non-concentration Option

In lieu of a concentration, students may complete the MS-INFS degree by taking five courses from the list of pre-approved elective courses.

Research Option

With the consent of a faculty advisor and program director, students may complete a 6-credit thesis (INFS 799), which is primarily intended for students planning to pursue a PhD in Information Technology. The thesis must be guided and approved by a committee of three appropriate faculty members and presented at an appropriate forum.

Additional Information

For additional information on the degree requirements of the MS in Information Systems:

  • The MS-INFS section of the Mason Catalog is the official source for the degree requirements of the program.
  • These slides from the orientation for new MS students provide an overview of the program, as well as additional useful information.

Academic Advising

A plan of study form for the MS Information Systems degree should be completed by the student and approved by their academic advisor before the end of their second semester in the program. This serves as a planning guide for the student and should be kept up to date by regular consultation with their academic advisor. A final signed version of the plan must be included when the student submits a graduation application.

Plan of Study forms for all the MS degrees offered by the CS department are available at this web page.

For more information, please see the academic advising pages and the FAQ for Masters students.