Software is the driving force of the emerging information economy.  The Department of Software and Information Systems focuses on issues related to developing software, developing information systems, and the interactions between people and the information systems they use.

The BA degree produces well-rounded students highly qualified to pursue a wide variety of careers in Information Technology developing large-scale information systems.  In addition, the degree effectively prepares students to pursue graduate studies in Information Technology and related application development areas.   Students may choose to focus on a number of academic areas such as:

• Network-based application development

• Software Engineering

• e-Business Technologies

• Information Security and Privacy

• Design and implementation of Information Environments

Committed to preparing students to match the diverse requirements of employers, the Department offers both a major and a minor in Software and Information Systems.

Students interested in studying theory of computing or algorithm development should contact the Department of Computer Science to explore other degree options.

The following requirements apply to students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2003.  Students who were enrolled prior to Fall 2003 may complete the requirements in effect when they were originally admitted but have the option to complete the requirements listed below instead.

The BA degree requires 120 credit hours: 51 hours of major-specific courses, 15 hours of student-selected concentration courses, 15 hours of mathematics and statistics, and 39 hours of general education requirements, liberal studies, and electives.  Complete course descriptions are available in the University Catalog.

The required major courses are:

The student-selected concentration encompasses 15 semester hours of courses that form a coherent area of study related to developing information systems applications.  Selected in consultation with their advisor, these courses provide students with the freedom to tailor their undergraduate education to more closely meet their personal goals and help them prepare for specific careers that fulfill their individual interests.

Designed to enhance the educational development of any undergraduate regardless of major, the SIS minor provides students with the Information Technology knowledge necessary to actively participate in today’s information-based society.  Students will gain hands-on experience using the Internet to develop effective and easy-to-use applications.  In addition, they will understand critical issues in designing information systems such as requirements development, systems integration, security and privacy, legal and policy considerations, and software project management; issues affecting ever-increasing segments of the population from all walks of life.  The curriculum is designed to provide the appropriate background and experience so that any student in any major can utilize the Internet to accomplish goals specific to their personal interests.  No previous programming or technical experience is necessary to enroll.

This program requires 6 courses totaling 18 credit hours.  Students in all majors may be able to use these courses as electives.  The following 3 courses are required:

• ITCS 1214  Introduction to Computer Science I

• ITIS 2300  Introduction to Web-Based Application Development

• ITIS 3132  Information Systems

The remaining 3 courses must be selected from the following:

• ITCS 1215  Introduction to Computer Science II

• ITIS 3130  Human and Computer Interfaces

• ITIS 3131  Human and Computer Information Processing

• ITIS 3200  Introduction to Information Security and Privacy

• ITCS 3160  Data Base Design and Implementation¹

• ITCS 3688  Computers and Their Impact on Society²

• ITIS 4250  Computer Forensics³

¹  ITCS 1215 must be taken as a prerequisite.

²  This course meets the General Education Requirements for written and oral communications.

³  ITIS 2300 must be taken as a prerequisite.