Information Management, MS

Contact:

Murali Venkatesh, Program Director

210 Hinds Hall, 315-443-2911, igrad@syr.edu

Website:

https://ischool.syr.edu/academics/graduate/masters-degrees/ms-in-information-management/

Overview:

Information has a fundamental effect on the structure, process and success of all organizations. Those who can manage the tools of information acquisition, use, retention and transfer can enable their organizations to develop and leverage strategic advantages based upon information. Along with these advantages comes also the responsibility to set forth and manage policies for the use and protection of information resources at all levels across the enterprise. The Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) is designed to prepare students to respond to four basic challenges confronting organizations today:

Increasing the effectiveness of managers and executives who work with information resources;
Designing and managing mission-critical information technologies within organizations;
Developing corporate and government policies to maximize the benefits resulting from the widespread use of these technologies; and
Leveraging information resources to achieve strategic advantage for business, government, and nonprofit organizations.

The iSchool at Syracuse University is a leading center for defining both the theory and the practice of information management. Like the school itself, the MSIM program is interdisciplinary in focus, combining expertise in the strategic management of information resources, organizational psychology, human-computer interaction, information economics, information policy, e-business, information technology, as well as data management.

Professional Values and Competencies:

MSIM graduates acquire skills in management and organizational change, solution analysis and design, communication and collaboration, business process improvement, and applied information technology. Our graduates learn to approach challenges with strategic vision, while ensuring that technology solutions integrate with enterprise goals.

Learning Outcomes:

As an MSIM student, you will graduate with a diverse set of skills that enables you to participate at all levels of information technology management. You will build the following foundational competencies:

Management of Technology: Integrate technical and solution development concepts with the principles of management, strategy, and financial analysis; apply these concepts in the analysis of management case studies and problems; analyze, compare, evaluate, and clearly articulate the relative value of IT investment alternatives.
Management of Solution Development: Apply disciplines used in the development of information system solutions, to solve organizational and business problems.
Technical Knowledge: Apply information and computing technologies to solve information problems at the individual and organizational levels.
Environmental Context of IM: Explain how demographic, social, economic and ethical factors, as well as local, national and international information policy and regulation affect Information Technology solutions
Professional Communication Skills: Develop and deliver professional communications in the field.
Leadership and Teamwork Development: Demonstrate leadership, ethics, and effective collaboration skills.
Information Literacy, Analysis, and Problem-Solving: Find, organize, manage, evaluate, and use information resources critically and effectively for the solution of professional problems.

Curriculum

The MSIM program requires the completion of 42 credit hours. The 42 credit hours include a primary core composed of 9 required course credits, 12 secondary core credits, 12-18 elective credits, a non-credit, required graduate immersion milestone event, and 3-9 exit requirement credits. All courses are three credits unless specified otherwise.

The master’s degree program must be completed within seven years although most students complete the degree in two years. The program is available to part-time and online students and can be completed at the student’s own pace through evening, short courses, and online delivery.

I. Primary core (9 credits)

IST 614 - Management Principles for Information Professionals 3 credit(s)
IST 618 - Information Policy 3 credit(s)
IST 621 - Information Management and Technology 3 credit(s)

II. Secondary Core (12 credits)

Students need to choose two courses, or six credits, from each track in the secondary core.

Because Information Management is such a dynamically changing field, the MSIM program committee (which includes the Program Director and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs) will maintain two lists of approved electives. These lists will be kept online in a publically viewable location (i.e.: the course catalog and our own website), and will be updated by May 1 each year.

Management Strategies and Users Track (6 credits)

IST 617 - Motivational Aspects of Information Use 3 credit(s)
IST 619 - Applied Economics for Information Managers 3 credit(s)
IST 625 - Enterprise Risk Management 3 credit(s)
IST 645 - Managing Information Systems Projects 3 credit(s)
IST 649 - Human Interaction with Computers 3 credit(s)
IST 654 - Information Systems Analysis 3 credit(s)
IST 662 - Instructional Strategies and Techniques for Information Professionals 3 credit(s)
IST 726 - Enterprise Architecture: Concepts and Practice 3 credit(s)

Technological Infrastructure Track (6 credits)

IST 615 - Cloud Management 3 credit(s)
IST 623 - Introduction to Information Security 3 credit(s)
IST 639 - Enterprise Technologies 3 credit(s)
IST 651 - Scripting for Ent Data Sys 3 credit(s)
IST 659 - Data Administration Concepts and Database Management 3 credit(s)
IST 687 - Introduction to Data Science 3 credit(s)

III. Electives (12-18 credits)

All graduate-level iSchool IST courses are acceptable electives towards the MSIM program. Every semester, the iSchool offers “Selected Topics” courses, listed as IST 600 or IST 700, which can count towards the program. These courses are offered based on sufficient interest of a topic and not covered by standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester. In addition, students can to take up to six elective credits from other schools at Syracuse University, such as the Whitman School of Management and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

IV. Graduate Immersion Milestone Event (non-credit, required)

This 2-to-3 day residency workshop, offered twice per calendar year, presents emerging topics in the information studies field, and is organized and coordinated by a lead faculty member at the iSchool. Designed to bring together students from all graduate programs, workshop topics and presentations feature guest speakers from commercial, government, community and educational organizations. Students in the MSIM program must complete one residency workshop during the duration of their program of study. You can find more information by visiting https://ischool.syr.edu/seminar

IV. Exit Requirement (3 to 9 credits)

Students register for IST 755, the MSIM Capstone course, after the successful completion of IST 614 and at least 24 credits in the degree program.

IST 755 - Strategic Management of Information Resources 3 credit(s)
IST 971 - Internship in Information Studies 1-6 credit(s)

Guidelines for Credit Reductions and Substitutions

It is recognized that students who have had at least one year of full-time professional experience in the information technology field may have had significant work emphasis in either technical or managerial activities. Depending upon how much, and which type, of work experience the student has had, some courses in the IM program may be redundant with that experience. In an effort to promote the learning of new concepts in more depth, the following guidelines will be used to approve petitions to substitute work experience for certain program requirements or courses:

Students with a minimum of one full year of full-time professional experience in IT:

Students with one or more years of full-time professional experience in the information technology field may petition to substitute the internship requirement (IST 971 Internship in Information Management) with any 3-credit course that would normally count toward any program requirement. A current resume is required, and joining-leaving letters may also be requested and audited. If students elect this substitution of the internship requirement with a course, they may not count any additional internship credits taken toward the program requirements. All other program requirements will remain standard, and total program credits must equal 42.

Advising Evaluations for Students with a minimum of three full years of full-time professional experience in IT:

Students with three years or more of full-time professional experience in the information technology field may request to have a formal evaluation of their experience by an advisor, which must then be reviewed and approved by the Program Director. The goal of this evaluation is to determine which courses in the IM program from either List A or List B below are most redundant with their prior work experience. A current resume and joining-leaving letters from employers are required and may be audited.

List A: Courses that involve fundamental technical concepts (all are three credits):

List B: Courses that involve fundamental managerial concepts (all are three credits):

IST 614 - Management Principles for Information Professionals

Students with an approved advising evaluation of a minimum of three years, but less than six years, of full-time professional experience in the information technology field may petition to:

1) Substitute one course (3 credits), selected in accordance with their advising evaluation from either List A or List B, with prior work experience, and

2) Optionally substitute the internship requirement (IST 971 Internship in Information Management) with any 3-credit course that would normally count toward any program requirement. If students elect this internship substitution, they may not count any internship credits taken toward program requirements.

All other program requirements will remain standard, and total program credits, including the approved petition for substitution of one selected course (3 credits) with work experience, must equal 42.

Students with an approved advising evaluation of a minimum of six years of full-time professional experience in the information technology field may petition to:

1) Substitute two courses (6 credits), selected in accordance with their advising evaluation from either List A or List B, with prior work experience, and

All other program requirements will remain standard, and total program credits, including the approved petition for substitution of up to two selected courses (6 credits) with work experience, must equal 42.

Students with an approved advising evaluation of a minimum of six years of full-time professional experience in the information technology field, and who have demonstrated leadership growth through a record of continuously increasing job responsibilities from technical to managerial should consult the Program Director regarding the possibility of more advanced program alternatives.