Study Options / Full-time OptionCurriculum
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Degree Requirements
Successful completion of 12 units of coursework is required to earn the Master of Science in Information Technology degree.
- 8 units must be from MSIT courses
- The remaining 4 units must be graduate-level courses, and can be taken from other relevant Northwestern departments and programs
The following curricular distribution requirements must be met. All MSIT courses are listed below, along with suggested Electrical Engineering and Computer Science courses.
IT Management (0.5 Unit)
Required during the first fall quarter
- MSIT 454: IT Management Topics (0.5 unit)
Probability and Statistics (1 Unit)
Required during the first fall quarter
- MSIT 431: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis
- ELEC_ENG 302: Probabilistic Systems and Random Signals
Communication Infrastructure (1 Unit)
- MSIT 411: Fundamentals of Communication Systems
- MSIT 432: Networks: Applications, Principles and Protocols
- ELEC_ENG 307: Communications Systems
- ELEC_ENG 333: Introduction to Communication Networks
- COMP_SCI 340: Introduction to Networking
Computing & Data (1 Unit)
- MSIT 421: Computer Systems: Architecture, Organization and Software
- MSIT 423: Data Science for Business Intelligence
- MSIT 458: Information Security and Assurance
- MSIT 490: Introduction to Databases and Information retrieval (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Data Visualization (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Cyber Forensics for Data Breaches (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Cloud Computing (0.5 unit)
- COMP_SCI 217: Data Management and Information Processing
- COMP_SCI 394: Agile Software Development
Business (2.5 Units)
- MSIT 441: IT Risk Management (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 451: Marketing Strategy and Analysis
- MSIT 456: Financial Management for IT Professionals
- MSIT 455: Law and Information Technology (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Enterprise Architecture (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Agile IT Leadership (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Cybersecurity Leadership (0.5 unit)
- MSIT 490: Artificial Intelligence and Automation (0.5 unit)
- Other Business courses from programs like Kellogg or MEM
Capstone Course (1 Unit)
Electives (5 Units)
- Any approved course that is not used to satisfy another distribution requirement
- Each course requires advisor approval
Substitutions
Students may petition to use a different course to fulfill a requirement. A student may also petition to waive a requirement, but must still fulfill the required 12 units to graduate. All petitions must be approved by the student’s advisor and the MSIT director.
Independent Study
With MSIT advisor approval, students may take up to 2 units of independent study as part of their required 12 units. The independent study must still satisfy the distribution category of the course it is replacing (e.g. an independent study course in networking could be taken to satisfy the Communication Infrastructure requirement). The Capstone course cannot be replaced by an independent study.
Capstone Course
A unique feature of the MSIT curriculum is the required Capstone course, intended to give students experience in managing a business entity as its CTO. Students apply what they have learned in the program to a case study presented by a practicing IT professional, culminating in a C-suite level presentation outlining their solution to the problem. This distinctive opportunity provides the opportunities for students to manage the technology challenges currently facing industries today.
Study Groups
Each student is part of a study group that meets once per week. These small groups are used to discuss homework, prepare for exams, and work on group projects. They facilitate collaboration and help students develop skills for managing group dynamics, a key component of successful IT work. MSIT students find study groups to be one of the most rewarding aspects of the program, for both the academic benefits and personal relationships that develop as a result.
