Certificate in Information Technology
Plan of Study
Completion requirements for the certificate are as follows:
- Completion of Introduction to Computers and Information Systems (MSIS 105) or equivalent. This is a prerequisite to enter the certificate program.
- Course work involves 6 courses (18 credit hours).
Prerequisite
- MSIS 105 Introduction to Computers and Information Systems
Introduces systems thinking principles, computers, information systems, and their use in business decision-making. Topics include management information systems concepts and components, business information systems, issues involving information management, and productivity software tools. The course offers an extensive hands-on component in the use of state-of-the-art technology.
Course Outline
- MSIS 123 Introduction to Information Security
This course will present an overview of the threats to your information technology infrastructure and intellectual property, with an emphasis on the detection and prevention of intrusions or theft. The protection of services such as the World Wide Web, file sharing, and e-mail will be analyzed. The vulnerabilities and hardening of major operating systems such as Linux and Microsoft’s Windows 2000 will be discussed. The course takes a holistic approach, discussing the technical but focusing on the need for proper training and procedures in the maintenance of an effective yet secure information technology infrastructure. While the material of the course is technical in nature, no systems administration or software development experience is assumed. A good familiarity with the use of the Internet and computers is required, and some knowledge of TCP/IP would be helpful.
- MSIS 124 Introduction to Visual Basic.net
An introductory course in Visual Basic programming, the course will provide the student with hands-on exposure to the object-oriented/event-driven components of Visual Basic. Using laboratory case assignments, students will plan and create their own Windows applications. They will learn how to create a user interface, set control properties, and write Visual Basic code.
- MSIS 224 Advanced Visual Basic.net
This is an advanced course for Visual Basic.NET, an object-oriented, event-driven language that is a subset of the Visual Studio.NET environment. It is designed to provide programmers familiar with the basic concepts and functionality of Visual Basic.NET with the tools to create more robust application programs that would be applicable in many organizations today.
Prerequisite: MSIS 124.
- MSIS 230 Relational Databases
This course provides a thorough review of basic relational database concepts and how to apply these concepts to a variety of application problems. The course focuses on the use and properties of relational database management systems. Topics covered include DBMS architecture levels, data modeling, data definition and manipulation capabilities of Structured Query Language programming, and programming techniques for accessing relational databases.
Prerequisite: MSIS 124.
- CSIT 246 Introduction to Networks
Study basic data communication and networking concepts for LAN and WAN systems. Study network protocols with emphasis on Ethernet, PPP, TCP/IP, and WEE protocols. Network applications include telnet, ftp, email, distributed file systems, and client-server applications. Survey network security issues. A laboratory covers design, selection, configuration, monitoring, and managing networks and networking devices.
- MSIS 290 Information Systems Development and Management
This course is designed to offer a comprehensive understanding of systems development and management in organizations by examining currently used techniques and system development methodologies. A range of life-cycle models are considered, including prototyping, evolutionary development, and object-oriented approaches. The aim is to present a balanced overview of the process of analyzing user requirements, designing and developing computerized information systems to meet these requirements, and managing the information resource function. The course introduces students to the pitfalls of systems development and implementation in organizations, with the aim of developing the student’s critical thinking skills.
