Master of Science in Information and Communication Sciences
The Master of Science in Information & Communication Sciences is a graduate professional program that equips its students with leadership and technical acumen, preparing them for careers and leadership in many sectors and roles from finance to healthcare to technology and government, among others. Graduates of the CICS program understand the processes of managing and implementing information and communication technologies.
The on campus degree program requires students to participate in project, social learning and professional development experiential activities. These activities are scheduled to run concurrently with your coursework and are not available online. The on campus courses also include hands-on labs and intense project based events which provide candidates with resume worthy experience.
The online degree program is for working professionals with three or more years of relevant work experience who may be changing careers or looking to advance in their current role. All courses are asynchronous to accommodate working professionals' schedules, and students in the online program are not required to attend any on-campus project, social learning, and professional development activities. Most candidates take one to two courses per semester.
In addition, graduates achieve an understanding of current technical and business cultures, including the human, regulatory, and management contexts. Graduates not only become familiar with the technology and software applications used by both technology and technology-enabled companies, but they also understand the technological options available for the design, delivery, and distribution of data, media, and software across multiple platforms. They learn about the importance of critical technology areas, such as cybersecurity, data analysis, and cloud computing. They also gain an understanding of how to think strategically, addressing issues such as using technology to remain competitive and increasing productivity, and more effectively managing people and commerce in a quickly evolving information age. The curriculum is designed to teach students how to learn and identify needs and gather information to solve problems independently and in teams, creatively and collaboratively.
38 credits
Required courses
Students complete required courses and 15 credit credit hours in electives (may choose any 15 credit hours across elective categories).
| ICS 600 | Survey of Management | 3 |
| ICS 601 | Foundations of Information and Communication Sciences | 3 |
| ICS 602 | Human Communication: Process and Theory | 3 |
| ICS 620 | Information and Communication Technologies, Standards and Lab I | 4 |
| ICS 621 | Information and Communication Technologies, Standards and Lab II | 4 |
| ICS 630 | Research Methodologies and Problems Seminar | 3 |
| ICS 660 | Human Factors, Needs Assessment, and User-Driven Design | 3 |
Business electives
| ICS 605 | Interpersonal Management Skills | 3 |
| ICS 624 | Knowledge Management | 3 |
| ICS 633 | Systems Analysis and Design | 3 |
| ICS 634 | Project Management | 3 |
| ICS 635 | Information and Communication Projects | 1 TO 2 |
| ICS 640 | Information and Communication Industry | 3 |
| ICS 642 | Regulatory Research in Context/Problems in Information Communication | 3 |
| ICS 643 | Social Responsibility in I/C Policy | 3 |
| ICS 644 | Technologies, Financial Aspects, and the Economics of Choice | 3 |
| ICS 646 | Management of Information and Communication Technology Organizations | 3 |
| ICS 653 | Issues in Communication Consultation | 3 |
| ICS 655 | Special Problems Seminar | 3 |
| ICS 661 | Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship | 3 |
| ICS 662 | Usability Testing | 3 |
| ICS 666 | Strategic Planning for Information Technology | 3 |
| ICS 675 | Information and Communication Marketing | 3 |
| ICS 695 | Independent Study | 1 TO 3 |
Technology electives
| ICS 623 | Systems Engineering in Information & Communication Technology | 3 |
| ICS 625 | Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning | 3 |
| ICS 632 | Problems in Information and Communication Technologies Seminar | 3 |
| ICS 645 | Database Systems and Analytics | 3 |
| ICS 648 | Wireless and Satellite Communications | 3 |
| ICS 649 | Cybersecurity Fundamentals | 3 |
| ICS 650 | Wireless 2 | 3 |
| ICS 663 | Network Design: Optimizing, Scaling and Securing Networks | 3 |
| ICS 664 | Cloud Technologies | 3 |
| ICS 667 | Advanced Security Topics | 3 |
| ICS 684 | Product Management | 3 |
| ICS 691 | Internet, TCP/IP, and Internetworking | 3 |
| ICS 692 | Advanced Network Configuration | 3 |
| ICS 696 | Information and Communication Research and Applications | 2 |
| ICS 698 | Problems in Information Systems | 3 |
| ICS 699 | Problems in Information and Communication Management | 3 |
| ICS 695 | Independent Study | 1 TO 3 |
At least one elective course outside CICS can be selected in consultation with the advisor and subject to the approval of the CICS director.
Total Credit Hours: 38