Programs
Information Systems
(18 credit hours) The information systems (IS) concentration prepares students for entry-level and mid-career positions—such as systems analysts, consultants, Webmasters, and database managers—in the exciting, evolving, and rapidly growing fields of computing and communication technologies as they apply to public organizations. The IS concentration builds on a solid core of three courses and provides the flexibility to add three more electives from a wide range of course offerings. Students are encouraged to combine the IS concentration with other concentrations to strengthen their technical skills in a variety of applied areas.
Required Courses (9 credit hours)
The following courses are required:
| SPEA-V 516 | Public Management Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 519 | Database Management Systems | (3 cr.) |
Select one of the following:
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550 | Topics in Public Affairs (GIS only) | (3 cr.) |
Electives (9 credit hours)
Three courses from the following information systems application groups. (Note: Two of the courses must be from group A, B, or C.)
Group A: Geographic Information Systems
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 519 | Applied Remote Sensing of the Environment | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550 | Topics in Public Affairs (GIS only) | (3 cr.) |
Group B: Decision Support and Analysis
| SPEA-E 555 | Topics in Environmental Science: Computing Methods for Environmental Science | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 507 | Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 539 | Management Science for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
Group C: Design and Management of Information Systems
| SPEA-V 602 | Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 611 | Design of Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 613 | Implementation of Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
Group D: Networking and Telecommunications
| BUS-S 515 | Foundations of Business Telecommunications | (3 cr.) |
| ILS-Z 643 | The Information Industry | (3 cr.) |
| ILS-Z 525 | Government Information | (3 cr.) |
| ILS-Z 532 | Information Architecture for the Web | (3 cr.) |
Group E: Additional Option
Graduate courses that address issues in information technology, such as programming and the digital economy, are offered in other units such as the Department of Computer Science, the School of Informatics, the Kelley School of Business, and the School of Library and Information Science. Students may elect to take one of these electives with the approval of a faculty advisor.