School of Computer and Information Sciences Graduate Program Orientation University of South Alabama

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School of Computer and Information
SciencesGraduate Program Orientation University
of South Alabama

• David L. Feinstein, Ph.D.
• Dean, School of CIS
• R. J. Daigle, Ph.D.
• Director of CIS Graduate Studies
• Information Systems Coordinator
• M. V. Doran, Ph.D.
• Computer Science Coordinator
• Ms. Meslissa Smith
• Internship Coordinator

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Two CIS Specializations (Majors)

• Computer Science (CSC)
• for students interested in the theoretical
  aspects of the discipline with an emphasis on the
  construction of system software or the
  development of scientific applications using
  software engineering principles.
• Advisor Dr. Michael V. Doran
• Information Systems (ISC)
• for students interested in business and
  organizational applications and information
  systems management
• Advisor Dr. Roy J. Daigle

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COMPUTER SCIENCE

• A discipline that involves understanding
• the design of computers and computational
  processes
• information transfer and transformation
• how to make processes efficient and endow them
  with some form of intelligence
• advancing the fundamental understanding of
  algorithms and information processes
• the practical design of efficient, reliable
  software to meet given specifications.

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INFORMATION SYSTEMS

• A discipline that centers on
• the development of systems to improve the
  performance of people in organizations
• problem identification, analysis, and decision
  making at all levels of management
• the analysis of the evolving role of information
  and organizational processes
• the design, implementation and maintenance of the
  information systems that form the backbone of
  todays global economy

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Interaction with a DBMSCSC View

• How to build a tool that will allow many options
  for database modeling?
• General enough to solve basic database type
  problems
• Modeling objects and relationships
• Preparing report formats
• Allowing for multiple ways of accessing the
  stored data

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Interaction with a DBMS (continued) ISC View

• How to model data for use in an organizations?
• Example Student Information System for
  maintaining student academic history, course and
  class schedules, degree information, class
  enrollment, curriculum models, etc
• Typical Characteristics
• Large monetary investment
• Large number of tables, relationships, reports
• Lots of time to design, deploy, test, and
  complete the project
• Large number of usersoften an implementation
  group of ISC and ITE professionals (e.g. the
  computer center) working with a variety of
  end-users in an organization (e.g. students,
  faculty, deans, financial aid, admissions,
  registrar, housing)
• High level of secured access to the data
• Will be used and maintained for a long period of
  time (years)

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Overview Placement

• Individual Student Graduate Study Plan consists
  of
• Pre-Graduate Program Requirements
• (Hour requirement varies according to prior
  academic work)
• Placement Areas
• CIS Foundation Courses
• Course placement is according to review of
  academic work in Computing
• Required/Supporting Courses
• Course placement is according to review of
  academic work in Mathematics, Statistics,
  Business Grad Specialization
• Graduate Program (36 Semester Hours)
• Core Courses
• Required Courses
• Plan of Study Thesis, Project, Course-Only
• Electives

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CIS Foundation Courses

• Essential CIS knowledge
• first two years of CIS undergraduate program
• Accelerated Pace
• All may be completed in 1 calendar year
• Most have undergraduate equivalents
• Two common streams for CSC and ISC students

CIS Foundation Courses prescribed as needed
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Required/Supporting Courses

• Computer Science
• Calculus I and II
• (MA 125, 126)
• Discrete Mathematics (MA 267)
• Statistics
• (ST 315)

• Information Systems
• Discrete Mathematics
• (MA 267)
• Organization Behavior
• (MGT 320)
• Business Management Elective (Approval Required)
• Two semesters equivalence of Applied Statistics

Required/Supporting courses prescribed as needed
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Core Courses

• Computer Science
• CORE
• CSC 520
• Computer Architecture
• CSC 522
• Performance Evaluation of Algorithms
• CSC 525
• Complexity Theory
• CSC 527
• Software Engineering
• Required
• CIS 518 CIS Research Methods

• Information Systems
• CORE
• ISC 551
• Human/Computer Interface Design
• ISC 560
• Information Systems Analysis
• ISC 561
• Database Management
• ISC 565
• Project and Change Management
• Required
• CIS 518
• CIS Research Methods
• ISC 559
• Applications Design and Implementation
• ISC 562
• Information Systems Design

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More About Graduate Majors in the School of CIS

• The choice of a major you make today is
  important!
• Prerequisites to the major are not the same
• Not all core courses in CSC (ISC) may be used as
  electives in ISC (CSC)
• If you decide to change after one semester,
• Your transcripts will be re-evaluated for
  prerequisite and CIS foundation courses for the
  new major
• Your course work may not be accepted for the new
  major
• All course grades will be applied to determine
  your GPA and graduate status
• This could result in more time and greater cost
  for your degree!

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Our Expectations of CIS Graduate Students

• Higher Expectations for Quality of Work
• Self-Motivation
• Professional Attitude and Pride
• Individual Creativity, Knowledge, and Skill
  Development
• Assignments should be professional looking and on
  time
• Attendance--on time from the first day
• Responsible, Dependable, Honest, Trustworthy in
  interactions with CIS Faculty, Staff, and fellow
  students

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Contact Us!Main Office Phone [phone]

• Graduate Assistantships
• Dr. Daigle (rdaigle_at_usouthal.edu) or
• Dr. Doran (mdoran_at_usouthal.edu)
• Internships
• Ms. Melissa Smith (msmith_at_usouthal.edu) or
• Dr. Feinstein (dfeinstein_at_usouthal.edu)
• Work Study
• Ms. Kathy Ford (kford_at_usouthal.edu)

• Dean David L. Feinstein
• dfeinstein_at_usouthal.edu
• Graduate Program or Information Systems Roy
  Daigle
• rdaigle_at_usouthal.edu
• Computer Science Michael Doran
• mdoran_at_usouthal.edu
• Admissions
• http//www.southalabama.edu/admissions/grad/
• School of Computer and Information Sciences
• http//www.cis.usouthal.edu
• University of South Alabama
• http//www.usouthal.edu or
• http//www.southalabama.edu