Master of Science [M.S] [Computer and Information Sciences (Information Technology Concentration)] From East Tennessee State University

Coursework topics include e-Business site design, development and management, and business process modeling and integration from the technical point of view. Students gain experience designing and developing within contemporary Enterprise Resource Planning and Enterprise Application Integration systems. Graduates will be able to specify, design, implement, and test Web applications; perform security analyses of computing platforms; develop a variety of enterprise systems components; and work in and lead teams that undertake all aspects of the software development process. The major core courses, electives, and project experience practicum provide further depth and opportunities for specialization.Overview of IT course requirementsStudents in the IT concentration must complete 13 courses (37 credits) of graduate-level work. These courses include three software-engineering related courses (software systems engineering, software project management, and software design); four IT-concentration specific courses (network and information security, e-commerce, e-business, and enterprise resource planning); two electives; and one of two four-course sequences of capstone courses:Project capstoneThe project capstone, the Software Development Project, is designed to develop practical skills in computer systems development. The sequence begins with Research Methods, in which students investigate an aspect of software development, relating their investigation to a real-world project of the department's choosing. In the three subsequent courses, a team of students, under the direction of a faculty member, gathers requirements, analyzes them, writes specifications, designs, implements, tests, and delivers a full system. Students choose a development process, manage the project scheduling and perform a project post-mortem to analyze their development process.Thesis capstoneThe thesis capstone is designed to develop the student's ability to pose and investigate a research-quality program in computing, and to report an investigation's results. The sequence begins with Research Methods, in which students write a literature survey for an area of interest and select a faculty thesis advisor. In the three subsequent courses, the student, in conjunction with that advisor, selects a topic, conducts the research, forms a committee, and writes and defends the thesis. Close cooperation with the faculty thesis advisor is required throughout the process.For a listing of theses completed by ETSU graduate students, please visit thesis topics.