Curriculum (45 CREDITS*)
The MS-IS program develops readiness to act as a purpose-driven IT leader.
Ethical Perspectives Courses (6 credits)
BUS 6201 Christian Values, Ethics, and the Marketplace (3)
BUS 6202 Business Ethics: Current Issues and Moral Leadership (3)
Leadership & Behavioral Skills Courses (6 credits)
BUS 6260 Managerial Communication (3)
BUS 6266 Leadership in Organizations (3)
Specialized Courses (18 credits)
ISM 6211 Information Systems Management and Strategies (3)
ISM 6212 Database Management and Warehousing (3)
ISM 6213 Enterprise Analysis and Integration (3)
ISM 6231 Information Systems Project Management (3)
ISM 6245 IT Infrastructure (3)
ISM 6331 Information Systems Security (3)
Elective Courses (15 credits)
Data Analytics Emphasis
This area of emphasis offers a focus on managing the mountains of data that organizations use and enabling management to make sense of that data. You’ll gain further expertise in the areas of data management, visualization, and analytics, as well as business intelligence.
BUS 6171 Statistics for Business Decisions (3)
and 4 of these:
ISM 6253 Statistical Analysis for Data Analytics I (3)
ISM 6254 Statistical Analysis for Data Analytics II (3)
ISM 6255 Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence (3)
ISM 6359 Data Mining (3)
ISM 6361 Data Visualization (3)
ISM 6362 Big Data & Cloud-based Tools (3)
ISM 6358 Decision-making with Business Intelligence and Analytics (3)
ISM 6930 IS Consulting Practicum (3) (Data Analytics relevant practicum)
Cybersecurity Emphasis
This area of emphasis offers a focus on managing an organization’s cybersecurity policies and processes. You’ll gain further expertise in the areas of risk management, disaster recovery, security tools, and policy development.
ISM 6332 Information Security Risk Management
ISM 6333 Cybersecurity and Disaster Response
ISM 6334 Cyber Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics
ISM 6336 Cybersecurity, Business, and Public Policy
Program Management Emphasis
This area of emphasis offers a focus on ensuring the successful development and implementation of an organization’s information systems. You’ll gain further expertise in the areas of project management, organizational structures and behavior, as well as strategy and system development standards.
ISM 6335 IT Engineering Management (3)
BUS 6360 Innovation & Change Management (3)
BUS 6365 The High Technology Enterprise (3)
BUS 6367 Project Management (3)
*Foundations Courses (6 credits)
Business foundations pre-requisite coursework may be satisfied by prior undergraduate coursework or may be completed at SPU.
BUS 6130 Financial Accounting (3)
BUS 6164 Operations Management (3)
Possession of the MOS Certificate in Excel is also a pre-requisite.
To view the official curriculum requirements and course descriptions for the MBA degree, visit the online Graduate Catalog.
Transfer credit
Transfer credit from other institutions will be given only for graduate-level courses from AACSB-accredited schools covering the same body of knowledge. Students may transfer a maximum of three courses (9 credits). Acceptance of transfer credit is determined by the associate dean for graduate programs. Elective course offerings vary each year based on student interest and relevance of subject matter to the business community. Consult the graduate director to select a customized and appropriate sequence of courses.
Curricular Practical Training
Students attending the MS-IS program on an F-1 Visa are strongly encouraged to include ISM 6939 as one of their five electives. Completing a project in cooperation with an enterprise under the sponsorship of a faculty member is similar to doing an internship. Students have an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from a significant amount of their prior coursework to a meaningful project for a business. This constitutes a very valuable opportunity for international students to become more familiar with U.S. business practices and meets the criteria for Curricular Practical Training.