Information Technology, M.S.
Program Director: Ahmed Salem, Ph.D.; salem@hood.edu; 301-696-3731
The Master of Science in Information Technology degree is a 30-credit program of graduate study for professional development. It is intended for:
- Persons holding bachelor’s degrees in computer science or a related field who will enter the program at an advanced level; and
- Persons holding bachelor’s degrees in a discipline other than computer or information science who are seeking preparation for careers in these fields.
The program is open to qualified applicants to the Graduate School. It is designed to enable students with varying entering levels of competency to meet their individual educational needs.
The program is intended for people who will be managing or integrating information technology in a variety of environments. The objective is to provide the concepts, framework and techniques needed to optimize the use of information technology resources within these environments.
Application Requirements
Students applying to the Information Technology program must submit all official transcripts and a résumé/CV that provides educational and professional experience with specific information about mathematics background, programming background, if any, and technical skills must be submitted. Applicants should also provide a statement of purpose indicating their motivation for choosing the program and the goals they hope to achieve through completing it.
For additional admission information, see Graduate Admission.
Program Requirements
Foundation Courses
The Master of Science in Information Technology requires completion of foundation courses designed to provide the appropriate background knowledge. Students with undergraduate degrees in computer science or a related field may apply for exemptions from some or all of these prerequisite courses. Any foundation courses required are in addition to the 30 credits required for program completion. The foundation courses are:
| IT 510 | Computing Hardware and Software Systems | 3.0 |
| CSIT 512 | Elements of Computer Programming | 3.0 |
Information on exemption from the prerequisite courses may be obtained from the Department of Computer Science.
Core Requirements
| IT 514 | Contemporary Issues in Information Technology | 3.0 |
| ITMG 516 | Introduction to Data Analytics and Business Data Mining | 3.0 |
| IT 518 | Systems Engineering and Integration | 3.0 |
| IT 530 | Applied Database Systems | 3.0 |
| IT 548 | Telecommunications and Networking | 3.0 |
| CSIT 555 | Information Systems Security | 3.0 |
Electives
The remaining courses used to complete the student’s program are elective courses that are selected in consultation with the adviser. At least two courses must be selected from courses with an IT prefix. Other elective courses are selected freely from the department’s computer science and information technology offerings.
Program Options
There are two options for the program. The first requires that the student complete 30 credits of graduate coursework beyond the prerequisite courses. The second requires that the student complete at least 24 credits of graduate coursework beyond the prerequisite courses, plus complete 6 credits of one of the following: thesis or fieldwork project. Students must get permission from the department and their adviser before enrolling in any of these 6-credit options.
| IT 580 | Master's Thesis Preparation | 6.0 |
| IT 585 | Master's Field Work Project | 6.0 |