Welcome Welcome to the home page for the Master's of Science in Computer Information Systems (CIS) at Grand Valley State University. We are glad that you have taken an interest in our program. This site provides a wealth of information about the Master's in CIS. If you can't find the information you're looking for at this site, please contact the graduate program chair, Dr. Robert Adams. Computer Information Systems The Computer Information Systems program is a hybrid of Computer Science (CS) and Information Systems (IS). It incorporates topics from both disciplines to allow students great flexibility in tailoring a graduate degree to suit their needs. CIS students complete two content areas that give them depth of study, choose electives to give them breadth, and finish with a capstone experience. The CIS program has six content areas students can choose from. Databases: The database track teaches students about databases from the low-level details needed by application developers through modeling and query languages. The track continues with an exploration of how databases are implemented, and finishes by examining new trends in database management systems. Distributed Systems: The distributed systems track exposes students to the issues of designing and building distributed systems through intensive hands-on programming projects. The two core areas are networking fundamentals and distributed operating systems. The third course (Distributed Systems) ties the two together into a coherent whole and explores emerging technologies in the field. Information Systems Management: The information systems management track focuses on models and techniques for managing software development in general, and software projects more specifically. Students learn about planning, monitoring, and assessing the software development process. The track concludes with a look at the operational and strategic issues facing software managers. Object-Oriented: The object-oriented track helps students develop their object-oriented design skills. The track begins with an introduction to the area, and continues with advanced design issues like software patterns. Students use their design experience in the third course of the track while examining the problems of building graphical user interfaces. Software Engineering: Software engineering involves looking at the challenges of designing, building, testing, and maintaining large pieces of software. The track begins with an introduction to the topic, and concludes with specific courses on requirements gathering (design) and testing. Biomedical Informatics: The Biomedical Informatics track builds upon prior medical or biological knowledge to expose students to this growing field. The track begins with an introduction to Bioinformatics and allows two electives after that. The CIS Master's is not an "engineering" degree. The CIS program deals primarily with software analysis, design, and development. That may mean at the systems level (operating systems and networking), at the analysis and design level, or somewhere in between. If your interests lie primarily in hardware, then we encourage you to look into the Master's of Science in Engineering. About Our Students The CIS program serves working professionals who want to pursue graduate study on a part-time basis. The CIS program also serves an increasing number of full-time and international students. Most CIS students have a background in and/or work in a computing discipline (computer science, information systems, information technology, software engineering, etc.). The CIS program builds upon this foundation to enhance the student's skills and knowledge. If you do not have an undergraduate degree in a computing (software) discipline, please contact the graduate program chair to discuss the details of your background. Getting Started You may enter the CIS program at the beginning of either the Fall or Winter semesters of the academic year (late August and early January). However, you should pay careful attention to the course offering schedule to ensure you take the courses you want in a timely manner. Full information about admission and degree requirements can be found in the GVSU Catalog. Applications for graduate study are available through the Graduate Admissions website. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) More information about the CIS program can be found on our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.