Both a professional and research track are offered for the M.S. in Information Technology degree.
Students admitted to the M.S. in IT develop an approved Plan of Study.
- Ten courses (a minimum of 30 credits)
- A minimum of six courses (18 credit hours or more) at the graduate level (6XXX-level courses)
- Five core courses; one from each of the five core areas. For the professional track, students will take ITWS 6800 Master’s Capstone as a culminating experience. For research track 1, students will take ITWS 6980 Master’s Project as a culminating experience INSTEAD of ITWS 6800 Master’s Capstone. For research track 2, students will replace the “Management of Technology” core course requirement and ITWS 6800 Master’s Capstone with ITWS 6990 Master’s Thesis, which is two semesters.
- Three courses (9 credit hours) in an approved Focus Track.
- One elective approved by the Graduate Program Director to add further depth to the degree.
- One of: ITWS 6800 , ITWS 6990 , or ITWS 6980 .
The Financial Engineering Focus Track requires completion of an upper-level finance course prior to enrollment.
The core and Focus Track courses are designed to accommodate a wide range of backgrounds. If students have previously completed the basic required Core course, they must then complete a Supplemental Core course to add depth in that core area. For example, if an equivalent course to Database Systems was completed in a prior degree, the Core area requirement could be satisfied by taking Data Mining. Students may request transfer credit only for the elective, subject to the Grduate Program Director’s and the Office of Graduate Education’s approval. Additionally, no more than half of all credits used towards the M.S. in IT degree may be taken from courses offered by the Lally School of Management and Technology. These courses are coded MGMT.
The M.S. in IT Master’s Capstone course integrates the knowledge and professional practice of IT core and Focus Track courses. The Capstone utilizes an Information Technology Team Project with a real organization to practice the major concepts of the IT Master’s degree. The Team Project involves strategic and business planning, systems development, and technology implementation. Expertise in database systems, data analytics, networking, software design, decision sciences, management of technology, human computer interaction, and ethics are applied within a framework of global e-business strategy.
Full-time students normally complete the program in three semesters. Part-time students typically complete the program in two and one-half years of continuous study.
Rensselaer currently offers numerous Ph.D. degrees with significant information technology and Web science related research, e.g. computational chemistry and physics, science and technology studies, decision sciences, applied mathematics, and human-computer interaction, among many others. Students who are planning doctoral study may choose to apply simultaneously for admission to the Ph.D. in the relevant Rensselaer department and for the M.S. in IT.
Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum
Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:
• demonstrate core knowledge in Database Systems, Data Analytics, Software Design and Engineering, Management of Technology and Human Computer Interaction.
• demonstrate detailed knowledge in one ITWS Focus Track.
• communicate effectively with colleagues, both technical and non-technical. • professionally execute IT projects (Professional Track).
• demonstrate proficiency in research methods and analysis (Research Track 1 and 2).
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