UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

 

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS  

(GCIS_Brochure.pdf)

Technology is transforming today's organizations and information has become the lifeblood of modern enterprises. Information systems are vastly increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations and allowing industry and commerce to provide innovative new services and products. As the need for information and its supply expands, the demand for knowledgeable analysts, integrators, designers, developers and administrators of such systems will continue to grow.

The Graduate Certificate in Information Systems requires completion of the following six courses:

BUA465          Information Systems Development  

BUA661          Knowledge Management and Decision Support Systems

COS 598         Software Engineering

COS 545         Networking

SIE 451           Engineering Databases and Information Systems

SIE 525           Information Systems Law and Policy  

Three courses are offered typically in the fall (COS 598, SIE 451 & SIE 525) and the other three are offered typically in the Spring.  The courses may be taken on campus or by distance methods.  Assuming that specific course prerequisites have been met, students may take up to two courses prior to formal admission into the graduate school. However, formal admission is highly recommended prior to taking a course to ensure that it counts towards a graduate program.

Applicants to the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems program must qualify for and be admitted to the University of Maine Graduate School in either the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems program or the Master of Science in Information Systems.   The graduate school standards for admission to either program are identical.  In addition to an application and official transcripts showing completion of an undergraduate degree, applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam and three letters of reference.  For an application for admission, contact the Graduate School

Distance Education Issues

All lectures for the courses offered through this program will be videotaped and offered on-line using video streaming from the Continuing Education server. Other than textbooks, instructors are placing all or most of their course materials on-line in order to avoid mailings to students.  Some courses may require some travel to campus to complete laboratory exercises. The courses may be taken in any order provided prerequisites for each individual course have first been completed.  In order to take the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems courses by distance methods, access, software and hardware requirements must be met.

 

Course Prerequisites

The minimum general prerequisites for admission to the certificate program include the following:

MAT 126         Calculus I

MAT 232         Principles of Statistical Inference or MAT 215

COS 220         Introduction to Computer Science I (C++ programming)

Comparable courses completed at other universities may fulfill these prerequisite requirements.

 

Course Descriptions

Descriptions of University of Maine courses in the three affiliated programs may be found as follows:

                        COS Course Descriptions

                        BUA Course Descriptions

                        SIE Course Descriptions

 

Student Eligibility and Admission Criteria

Application for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems is through submittal of an application for admission to this specific certificate program through the graduate school. Only those formally admitted to the graduate school will be allowed to pursue this graduate certificate program. Those with less than a GRE of 1500 (or GMAT equivalent) and lower than an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 are discouraged from submitting an application to the program.  The time limit for completion of the Graduate Certificate is the same as that set by the Graduate School for completion of a master's degree.

 

Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems may stop after obtaining the Certificate or may apply the courses to completion of the MS in Information Systems.. Students applying for and admitted to the MS in Information Systems graduate program are automatically approved for the Graduate Certificate in Information Systems if later they should choose to pursue only the Graduate Certificate.

[Graduate Program in Information Systems]

[UMaine Graduate School]