Requirements for Masters in Information Systems

The MSIS degree requires 13 courses (39 credits), 5 Stern courses, 5 Computer Science (CS) courses, an Information Technology Projects course and 2 approved electives of your choice which may be taken at CS or Stern.

In addition, students must maintain good standing throughout their studies. This involves sustaining a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (B) each semester, successfully completing at least two thirds of all courses attempted, and completing the degree within five years. Students falling below the GPA and course completion requirements are placed on probation, and given until the following fall or spring semester to return to good standing, or faced with possible academic dismissal from the program.

The following course distribution is required (3 credits per course unless otherwise noted):

• Five Stern Courses. These include:
  • Two General Business Core Courses (6 credits). The following are recommended:
    • COR1-GB.1302 Leadership in Organizations
    • COR1-GB.1303 Firms and Markets
    • COR1-GB.1306 Financial Accounting & Reporting
    • COR1-GB.2303 The Global Economy
    • COR1-GB.2310 Marketing
    • COR1-GB.2311 Foundations of Finance
    • COR1-GB.2314 Operations Management
  • Three Technology Courses (9 credits). The following are recommended:
    • TECH-GB.2318 Digital Strategy
    • TECH-GB.2346 Dealing with Data
    • TECH-GB.2350 Robo Advisors & Systematic Trading
    • TECH-GB.3322 Design and Development of Web and Mobile Applications
    • TECH-GB.3336 Data Mining for Business Analytics
    • TECH-GB.3350 Financial Information Systems
    • TECH-GB.3351 Risk Management Systems
    • TECH-GB.3355 Globalization, Open Innovation, and Crowdsourcing: New Ways of Organizing
    • TECH-GB.3356 Business Process Design and Implementation
    • TECH-GB.3362 Emerging Technology and Business Innovation
• Five Computer Science Courses. These include:
  • CSCI-GA.1170 Fundamental Algorithms is required
  • Two of the following 3 courses are required:
    • CSCI-GA.2262 Data Communications and Networks
    • CSCI-GA.2250 Operating Systems
    • CSCI-GA.2433 Database Systems
  • Two CS electives are required
    • Note: MATH-GA.2041 Computing in Finance can be taken as a CS elective.
• The Information Technology Projects (CSCI-GA.3812) course is required
• Two additional electives from either CS or Stern.
  • Note: students can take a maximum of 21 credits at Stern.

The Information Technology Projects (ITP) Course

One of the last courses an MSIS student takes is the capstone Information Technology Projects (ITP) course. This course is a unique software engineering and project management practicum. ITP offers students real world experience understanding and solving IT solutions to business problems via participation in a set of team projects at clients such as local corporations, non-profits and government agencies. Each team of about 4 students undertakes one IT project that lasts a semester. Students must complete CS Requirement A and CS Requirement B before enrolling in the Information Technology Projects course.
The course offers an opportunity to experience (most of) the complete IT project life cycle. The following steps of an IT project are taught and practiced:

• Analyze business goals
• Gather requirements
• Develop project specification
• Estimate effort
• Allocate tasks to team members
• Develop schedule
• Obtain approval of specification and project plan
• Develop prototype
• Review code

The course encourages students to learn to balance 'analysis' and 'implementation' efforts to produce good software efficiently. It teaches students about the wide range of project management methodologies and approaches so they can think about how to choose the correct approach. In some cases, the Projects course has led to students obtaining employment with the clients served by the course.

Program Transfer Process to MSIS or MSCS

Effective January 22, 2024: Students who wish to transfer to the MSIS or MSCS program must apply via the regular GSAS application for Fall by the March 1st deadline or Spring by the November 1st deadline for admissions considerations with all applicants. The internal transfer process will be discontinued on January 23, 2024.