Technology has woven itself into the fabric of society, binding people, and information closer together than ever before. This new digital era brings with it exciting innovations. It also brings a host of new, unexplored problems that can be unlocked through data analytics. The MS in information sciences and technologies provides an opportunity for an in-depth, career-oriented study that explores how information is understood and leverages the most current data analytics techniques to address industry problems.
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 have 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 the 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 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 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 option consists of 9 core courses and a capstone project.