Qi Yu, Graduate Program Director
585-475-6929, qyuvks@rit.edu
Program overview
The internet has brought a new kind of democracy where all information is created equal. No longer the sole province of experts and the traditional media, it has become grassroots, viral, and global. The sheer volume and lightning speed of information transfer has changed how the world communicates, educates, learns, and ultimately solves problems. As the web and its related technologies evolve, users need help in managing these new tools.
Graduate study in a computing discipline that only focuses on traditional computing approaches is not flexible enough to meet the needs of the real world. New hardware and software tools are continually introduced into the market. IT professionals must have a specific area of expertise, as well as adaptability, to tackle the next new thing. Or, just as often, retrofit available technologies to help users adapt to the latest trends.
The MS in information sciences and technologies provides an opportunity for in-depth study to prepare for today’s high-demand computing careers. Companies are drowning in data—structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Big data is not just high transaction volumes; it is also data in various formats, with high velocity change, and increasing complexity. Information is gleaned from unstructured sources—such as web traffic or social networks—as well as traditional ones; and information delivery must be immediate and on demand.
As the users' advocate, IT professionals also need the critical thinking skills to problem-solve in a wide variety of computing situations, combined with an understanding of the needs of their audience. Just knowing how technology works is no longer enough. Today, computing professionals need to know how to make it all work.
The information sciences and technologies program addresses the web systems and integration technologies, and the information management and database technology pillars, of the IT academic discipline, along with the additional option of discovery informatics. The program is offered on-campus and online.
Plan of study
The program can be completed on-campus or online. The on-campus program consists of 30 semester credit hours of graduate study and includes four core courses, four or five track or domain electives (depending upon capstone option chosen), and either a thesis or project. The online only option consist of 9 core courses and a capstone project.
Domain electives
Chosen only by those enrolled in the on-campus option, domain electives are available in: analytics, information management and database technology, or web systems and integration technologies. With permission of the graduate program director, students may select the special topics track to fulfill this requirement. See the graduate program director for more information.
Thesis/Capstone options
For the on-campus option of the program, students may choose a project or a thesis to build upon their domain of study. The project option is 3 credit hours and requires one additional 3 credit domain elective. The thesis option is 6 credit hours and does not require an additional elective. The online option consist of a capstone project.
Curriculum
Information sciences and technologies (thesis and project options), MS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ISTE-605 | Scholarship in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-610 | Knowledge Representation Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-612 | Knowledge Processing Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-600 | Analytical Thinking | 3 |
| Domain Electives | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 6 | |
| ITSE-790 | Thesis in Information Sciences and Technologies | |
| or | ||
| ITSE-791 | Project in Information Sciences and Technologies | |
| Domain Elective | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Domain electives
| Course | |
|---|---|
| Analytics | |
| ISTE-724 | Data Warehousing |
| ISTE-780 | Data Driven Knowledge Discovery |
| ISTE-782 | Visual Analytics |
| Information management and database technology | |
| ISTE-721 | Information Assurance Fundamentals |
| ISTE-722 | Database Connectivity and Access |
| ISTE-724 | Data Warehousing |
| ISTE-726 | Database Management and Access |
| ISTE-728 | Database Performance and Tuning |
| Web systems and integration technologies | |
| ISTE-721 | Information Assurance Fundamentals |
| ISTE-754 | Client Design and Development |
| ISTE-756 | Server Design and Development |
| ISTE-759 | Web Client Server Programming |
| Other approved electives | |
| ISTE-740 | Geographic Information Science and Technology |
| ISTE-742 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems |
| ISTE-744 | Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization |
| ISTE-774 | Mobile Application Development I |
| ISTE-776 | Mobile Application Development II |
Information sciences and technologies (online option), MS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ISTE-740 | Geographic Information Science and Technology | 3 |
| ISTE-600 | Analytical Thinking | 3 |
| ISTE-610 | Knowledge Representation Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-612 | Knowledge Processing Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-780 | Data-driven Knowledge Discovery (summer) | 3 |
| Second Year | ||
| ISTE-782 | Visual Analytics | 3 |
| ISTE-721 | Information Assurance | 3 |
| ISTE-605 | Scholarship in IST | 3 |
| ISTE-724 | Data Warehousing | 3 |
| ISTE-795 | Capstone in IST (summer) | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the MS program in information sciences and technologies, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Complete a graduate application.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
- Submit official transcripts (in English) for all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work.
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources.
- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. A minimum TOEFL score of 88 (internet-based) is required. A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 is required. The English language test score requirement is waived for native speakers of English or for those submitting transcripts from degrees earned at American institutions.
- Applicants from foreign universities must submit GRE scores. Scores from the GRE are strongly recommended for applicants whose undergraduate grade point average is less than 3.0.
Additional information
Prerequisites
It is expected that prospective students will have a background in fundamental information technology concepts including object-oriented programming, website development, database theory and practice, and statistics. Students without the necessary background should complete the prerequisites before applying to the program. However, bridge courses are available to satisfy the prerequisites.
Bridge program
Students whose undergraduate preparation or employment experience does not satisfy the prerequisites can make up these deficiencies by completing prerequisite bridge courses as prescribed by the graduate program director. The bridge courses are not part of the 30 semester credit hours required for the master’s degree. Grades for bridge courses are not included in a student’s GPA if the courses are taken before matriculation; they are included if completed after matriculation. Since bridge programs can be designed in a variety of ways, the graduate program director will assist students in planning and course selection.
Maximum time limit
University policy requires that graduate programs be completed within seven years of the student's initial registration for courses in the program. Bridge courses are excluded.
Quarter Curriculum - For Reference Only
Effective fall 2013, RIT converted its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. The following content has been made available as reference only. Currently matriculated students who began their academic programs in quarters should consult their academic adviser for guidance and course selection.
Program overview
The master of science degree in information technology is a unique and flexible program that allows students to craft their own program of study within the broad range of the IT computing discipline. Students build upon a core requirement that investigates current information technology directions and opportunities. The specialty areas include website design and interactive multimedia development, application development, usability and interface design, database theory and practice, software project management, eLearning technologies, and computer networking. In addition, students have the option of choosing courses from among the wide variety of fields offered within RIT, such as computer animation and computer graphics, telecommunications technology, and business.
Curriculum
The program consists of 48 quarter credit hours of graduate study, and includes one core course, concentrations, an elective, and a capstone experience. Some of the courses are offered online. Please consult the course descriptions for more information on availability and prerequisites.
Concentrations
Concentrations are availbale in the following areas: Web development, XML data management, multimedia application development, human-computer interaction, media and interaction, application development, eLearning technologies, project management, databases and data management, bioinformatics, networking, systems administration, and system survivability. With the permission of the graduate program director, students complete one concentration (a maximum of 12 graduate credits) from another department at RIT. Some of the available concentrations areas are: technology management, information systems, eCommerce, telecommunications technology, automated manufacturing, and computer graphics. Students can use the special topics option to design a concentration with approval from the graduate program director.
Electives
Electives are typically chosen from courses in information technology. However, with prior approval, graduate courses from other departments such as computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or business may also be appropriate.
Capstone experience
A master’s project or thesis that builds upon the student’s concentration areas is required. Students register for either 4 or 8 quarter credits for the capstone experience, depending on the depth and scope of their investigations.
Semester conversion
Effective fall 2013, RIT will convert its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. Each program and its associated courses have been sent to the New York State Department of Education for approval of the semester plan. For reference, the following charts illustrate the typical course sequence for this program in both quarters and semesters. Students should consult their graduate program adviser with questions regarding planning and course selection.
Program title change
Effective fall 2013, the program in information technology will be renamed information sciences and technologies. This change will not affect currently matriculated students.
Information technology (project option), MS degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| 4002-718 | Current Themes in Information Technology | 4 |
| Concentration 1 | 20-24 | |
| Concentration 2 | 12-16 | |
| Technical Elective | 4 | |
| 4002-898 | Project | 4 |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 48 | |
Information technology (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| 4002-718 | Current Themes in Information Technology | 4 |
| Concentration 1 | 20-24 | |
| Concentration 2 | 12-16 | |
| 4002-897 | Thesis | 4 |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 44-48 | |
Information sciences and technologies (capstone option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ISTE-605 | Scholarship in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-610 | Knowledge Representation Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-612 | Knowledge Processing Technologies | 3 |
| ITSE-600 | Analytical Thinking | 3 |
| Technical Domain Elective 1, 2, 3, 4 | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Technical Domain Elective 5 | 3 | |
| ISTE-795 | Capstone in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Information sciences and technologies (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ISTE-605 | Scholarship in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-610 | Knowledge Representation Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-612 | Knowledge Processing Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-600 | Analytical Thinking | 3 |
| Technical Domain Elective 1, 2, 3 | 9 | |
| ISTE-790 | Thesis in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| Second Year | ||
| Technical Domain Elective 4 | 3 | |
| ITSE-790 | Thesis in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Information sciences and technologies (project option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ISTE-605 | Scholarship in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-610 | Knowledge Representation Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-612 | Knowledge Processing Technologies | 3 |
| ISTE-600 | Analytical Thinking | 3 |
| Technical Domain Elective 1, 2, 3 | 9 | |
| ISTE-791 | Project in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| Second Year | ||
| Technical Domain Elective 4 | 3 | |
| ISTE-791 | Project in Information Sciences and Technologies | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Concentrations
| Courses | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| Web development | ||
| 4004-737 | Website Design and Technology | 4 |
| 4004-736 | Web Client-Side Programming | 4 |
| 4004-739 | Programming for the World Wide Web | 4 |
| 4004-751 | Web-Database Integration | 4 |
| XML data management | ||
| 4002-770 | Introduction to XML | 4 |
| 4002-771 | XML Programming | 4 |
| 4002-772 | XML Transformation and Presentation | 4 |
| Multimedia application development | ||
| 4085-727 | Digital Audio and Computer Music | 4 |
| 4004-730 | Interactive Media Implementation | 4 |
| 4085-746 | Programming for Interactive Multimedia | 4 |
| 4085-738 | Multi-User Media Spaces | 4 |
| Human-computer interaction | ||
| 4004-745 | Foundations of Human-Computer Interaction | 4 |
| 4004-748 | Usability Engineering | 4 |
| 4002-749 | Usability Testing | 4 |
| 4004-755 | Advanced Topics in HCI | 4 |
| 4002-765 | User-Centered Design Methods | 4 |
| 4002-823 | Agent-Based Modeling | 4 |
| Media and interaction | ||
| 4085-757 | Graphical Elements of the User Experience | 4 |
| 4085-744 | Building Online Communities | 4 |
| 4085-794 | Online Identity and Community Behavior | 4 |
| 4085-855 | Innovation and Invention | 4 |
| Application development | ||
| 4002-710 | Object Technologies | 4 |
| 4002-720 | Data Object Development | 4 |
| 4002-725 | Component Development | 4 |
| 4002-784 | Fundamentals of Database Client/Server Connectivity | 4 |
| 4002-542,890 | Native App Mobile Development | 4 |
| eLearning technologies | ||
| 4002-722 | Fundamentals of Instructional Technology | 4 |
| 4002-723 | Interactive Courseware | 4 |
| 4002-724 | Performance Support Systems Design | 4 |
| 4002-823 | Agent-Based Modeling | 4 |
| Project management | ||
| 4002-830 | Project Management | 4 |
| 4002-831 | Process Management | 4 |
| 4002-820 | Economics of Software Development | 4 |
| Databases and data management | ||
| 4002-720 | Data Modeling and Database Implementation | 4 |
| 4055-744 | *NIX Fundamentals for the Application Domain | 4 |
| 4002-774 | Information Assurance Fundamentals | 4 |
| 4002-784 | Fundamentals of Database Client/Server Connectivity | 4 |
| 4002-785 | Fundamentals of DBMS Architecture and Implementation | 4 |
| 4002-787 | Database Performance and Tuning | 4 |
| 4002-789 | Data Warehousing | 4 |
| Bioinformatics | ||
| 4002-762 | Introduction to Bioinformatics Computing | 4 |
| 4002-763 | Computing in Functional and Translational Bioinformatics | 4 |
| Networking | ||
| 4055-761 | Principles of System Administration | 4 |
| 4055-755 | Secure Wireless and Wired Data Networks | 4 |
| 4055-815 | Introduction to Routing and Switching | 4 |
| Systems administration | ||
| 4055-721 | Perl for System Administration | 4 |
| 4055-761 | Principles of System Administration | 4 |
| 4055-780 | Computer System Security | 4 |
| System survivability | ||
| 4055-761 | Principles of System Administration | 4 |
| 4055-780 | Computer System Security | 4 |
| 4055-755 | Secure Wireless and Wired Data Networks | 4 |
Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the MS program in information technology, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution,
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B),
- Submit official transcripts (in English) for all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,
- Submit a resume,
- Submit two letters of recommendation, and
- Complete a graduate application.
- International applicants, whose native language is not English, must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Minimum scores of 570 (paper-based) or 88 (Internet-based) are required. Applicants with a lower TOEFL score may be admitted conditionally and will be required to complete a prescribed program in English, along with a reduced program course load.
Applicants from foreign universities must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. These scores also may be required for applicants whose undergraduate grade point average is less than 3.0.
Additional information
Prerequisites
It is expected that students wishing to enter the program will have a background in fundamental information technology concepts, including: object-oriented programming, computer hardware and software architecture, networking, website design, and interactive multimedia concepts.
Students without the necessary background should complete the prerequisites before applying to the program. Bridge courses are available to satisfy the prerequisites.
Bridge program
Students whose undergraduate preparation or employment experience does not satisfy the prerequisites can make up these deficiencies by completing bridge courses as prescribed by the graduate program coordinator.
The bridge program’s courses are not part of the 48 quarter credit hours required for the master’s degree. Grades for bridge courses are not included in a student’s graduate GPA if the courses are taken before matriculation; they are included if they are taken after matriculation.
A bridge program can be designed in a variety of ways. The graduate program director will assist students in planning and course selection.
Maximum time limit
University policy requires that gradaute programs be completed within seven years of the student's initial registration for courses in the program. Bridge courses are excluded.