Accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012-telephone (410) 347-7700.

Information Systems (IS) is a dynamic specialization area within the computing field, focusing on the study of designing and applying computer and web-based systems and information technology to support the informational and decision making needs of users and organizations. IS focuses on the design, application and evaluation of computers and information systems to all fields of human endeavor, including management, science, medicine, government and organizations.

The Department of Information Systems educates students to assume positions of responsibility and leadership in the Internet economy, as well as, in traditional government and corporate environments. The IS professional must be conversant with the theory, analysis, design, implementation, application and evaluation of computerized information systems in support of users' needs. The realm of the Information Systems professional covers all aspects of the software development life-cycle, from requirements analysis, system development and design, to testing, evaluation and the deployment of the ultimate computer-based application.

Our dramatic use of computers and the Internet in problem solving and in support of human cognitive processes has resulted in a change in the thinking of professionals in every discipline.  Modern enterprises are extremely dependent upon Information Systems specialists, with their broad knowledge of computers, information technology and Internet applications, for designing their industrial, e-commerce and business procedures and practices. Thus, there is a significant demand upon the educational preparation of future Information Systems specialists, who will study and gain expertise in the methodologies and tools used in building the computer-based systems for meeting the informational and decision-making needs of managers, as well as a broad spectrum of users in organizations.

NJIT's Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Information Systems provides the student with a solid foundation in the principles of computing and information systems and their applications. The BSIS degree provides the student with the most comprehensive treatment of computers, with considerable breadth and depth in information systems and IT topics, the sciences, mathematics and applied quantitative tools, and supporting interdisciplinary studies. Most students interested in information systems enroll in this degree program. (A special option within the BSIS provides the student with a pre-med concentration, enabling the student to satisfy the requirements for entering medical school while concurrently obtaining a mastery of information systems-this desirable concentration will also be of interest to students interested in medical informatics.)

For the student who wishes to have a strong foundation in information systems, but with more opportunity for elective choices and with slightly fewer technical requirements, the Department of Information Systems also offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Information Systems, a joint degree program with Rutgers-Newark. Students enrolled in the B.S. in Information Systems will complete a similar set of core IS courses and general university requirements as the BSIS student, but will have somewhat more flexibility and opportunity in the selection of elective courses outside of the Information Systems discipline.

The curricula for both degrees have been developed according to the foremost educational standards of the leading professional organizations in Information Systems: The BAIS and the BSIS degrees are fully accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place,  Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD  21202-4012 – telephone (410) 347-7700.

NJIT is one of the fewer than 20 universities  in the nation to have this accreditation for its IS degrees. The Department of Information Systems also has close ties with our Industrial Advisory Board. Courses are constantly being monitored and updated to match the changing state-of-the-art in technology and technical content, and new courses are introduced as warranted by new developments in the discipline.

Each of the majors offered by the College of Computing Sciences has been carefully structured to meet a specific goal each year: first year, foundations; second year, understanding the computing system; third year, conceptual foundations and applications; fourth year, integration and focus. One of the unique additional requirements in the BAIS and BSIS degree programs is a 15 credit concentration in an Information Systems Application environment, which requires the student to complete five elective courses in an application or methodological area related to Information Systems. Also, IS majors must choose a 12 credit specialization concentration in IS-specializations include Databases, Networks, Management of Information Systems, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Systems Analysis and Design, Intelligence and Decision Support, Web Engineering, and Information Systems Security, Auditing and Crisis Response.

All students with majors in Information Systems are required to prepare a Program of Study Form, with the guidance of our IS Undergraduate Advisor. The form should be prepared as early as possible in the student's career, and changes should be made only in consultation with the IS Academic Advisor.

The Curriculum as described below is for students entering NJIT as freshmen (or transfers) in the Spring of 2008. Students entering before that date may have a different program and should consult the IS Academic Advisor to learn which curriculum applies.

FIRST YEAR:
1st Semester:

Electives

*Students may also enroll in the two course sequence CS 110 (Computer Science A) and CS 111 (Computer Science B), which, combined, will be the equivalent of CS 113 and CS 113A. CS 110 (Computer Science A) is for additive credit, and no credit will be awarded unless CS 111 (Computer Science B) is also successfully completed.

**Students enrolling in the Database, Networks, Systems Analysis & Design, Intelligence and Decision Support or Web Engineering tracks (see below) are required to take CS 114.

***In Lieu of Math 226, students may also take CS 241 (with a CS 114 prerequisite), or R640:237 (Discrete Mathematics at Rutgers-Newark)

****The IS Application Environment represents a coherent set of five courses (at least three of which should be upper division), focusing on a discipline and/or subject area relevant to the methodologies of, the design of, or the application of information systems. The courses the student selects for his/her IS Environment must form a coherent unit, can only be chosen from non-CS courses, and must be approved by the Department of Information Systems. The three Information System Environments are; (1) Business, (2) Legal Arts and Criminal Justice, (3) Graphic Design, Digital Media and Communications. (Specialized IS Environment concentrations may also be developed for a student, in consultation with an Academic Advisor, and with the approval of the Department of Information Systems). Further details and sample course sequences for the approved IS Application Environments are available from the IS Academic Advisor, or may be viewed at the Department of Information Systems' web site.

*****Information Systems Specialization Tracks (12 credits, students take 4 courses in one track)

1. Database: IS 392 (Text Processing, Mining and Retrieval), CS 434 (Advanced Database Design),IS 441 (Geographic Information Systems), CS 482 (Data Mining), Data Warehousing (course to be developed), a graduate course in Database (CS 631, 632) or an advisor approved elective.

2. Networks: CS 451 (Data Communication and Networks), CS 456 (Open Systems Networking), IT 220 (Wireless Networks Technology), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), IT 202 (Internet & Applications), CS 408 (Cryptography and Internet Security), IS 448 (Ubiquitous Computing), or an advisor approved elective.

3. Management of IS: IS 392 (Text Processing, Mining and Retrieval), IS 433 (Electronic Commerce Requirements and Design), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), and an advisor approved elective.

4. Human Computer Interaction: IS 447,CIS 475 (only by BAIS students), IT 201 (Information Design Techniques), IS 658 (Multimedia Systems), IS 485 (Pervasive Computing), or an advisor approved elective.

5. Systems Analysis & Design: CS 280 (Programming Language Concepts), CS 288 (Intensive Programming Practicum), CS 490 (Guided Design in Software Engineering),? or an advisor approved elective.

6. Intelligence & Design Support: CS 370 (Introduction to Artificial Intelligence), IS 441 (Geographic Information Systems), IS 461 (Systems Simulation), CS 482 (Data Mining), CS 434 (Advanced Database Systems) or an advisor approved elective.

7. Web Engineering: IS 433 (Electronic Commerce Rquirements and Design), IS 373 (World Wide Web Standards), CS 375 (Application Development for the World Wide Web), IT 202 (Internet and Applications) or an advisor approved elective.

8. Information Systems Security, Auditing and Crisis Response: IS 413 (Requirements for Emergency Management Information Systems), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), and two courses chosen from the following: CS 408 (Cryptography and Internet Security), CS 458 (Technologies for Network Security), IS 461 (Systems Simulation), IT 230 (Computer & Network Systems Security), IT 330 (Computer Forensics).

Notes:
Basic Social Sciences GUR: Three credits of the basic social sciences requirement must be taken in economics; acceptable courses are SS 201, Econ 265, or Econ 266. The remaining 3 credits may be satisfied by HSS 202, STS 257 or STS 258. Students also may take approved introductory courses in basic social sciences at Rutgers-Newark to fulfill this requirement.

Cultural History GUR: Take two courses (6 credits) from among HUM 211, HUM 212, HIST 213, and 200-level history courses at Rutgers-Newark.

Lit/Hist/Phil/STS GUR: Students must take one 300-level course from any of the following fields: literature; history; philosophy; or science, technology, and society (STS); or an approved 300-level course at Rutgers-Newark.

Capstone Seminar in Humanities and Social Science GUR: All students, except those enrolled in the honors college, take one of the following: HSS 403, HSS 404, HSS 405, HSS 406, HSS 407, HSS 408, HSS 409. Students enrolled in the Honors College take one from HSS 491H-499H.

Management GUR: Students take IE 492 or Mgmt 390 (or AS 333, which is acceptable only for students taking the aerospace option). IE 492 is strongly recommended for its emphasis on Project Management.

Science: A two-course related sequence (8 credits minimum) of laboratory science in physics, chemistry, biology, or as approved by advisor. These courses satisfy the Natural Sciences GUR.

Refer to the General University Requirements section of this on-line catalog for further information on electives.

Co-op

In Information Systems, IS 310 and IS 410 are taken for additive credit. With departmental approval, students may extend the project developed in IS 410 to be used as an individual research project in IS 492.

Electives

*Students may also enroll in the two course sequence CS 110 (Computer Science A) and CS 111 (Computer Science B), which, combined, will be the equivalent of CS 113 and CS 113A. CS 110 (Computer Science A) is for additive credit, and no credit will be awarded unless CS 111 (Computer Science B) is also successfully completed.

** Students enrolling in the Database, Networks, Systems Analysis and Design, Intelligence and Decision Support or Web Engineering tracks (See below are required to take CS 114.

***General Electives may be any Advisor-approved elective, including courses in the College of Computing Sciences.

****Students who complete a Calculus II course have an option to also choose to enroll in Math 333.

*****The IS Application Environment represents a coherent set of five courses (at least three of which should be upper division), focusing on a discipline and/or subject area relevant to the methodologies of, the design of, or the application of information systems. The courses the student selects for his/her IS Environment must form a coherent unit, can only be chosen from non-CIS courses, and must be approved by the Department of Information Systems. The three Information System Environments are; (1) Business, (2) Legal Arts and Criminal Justice, (3) Graphic Design, Digital Media and Communications. (Specialize IS Environment concentrations may also be developed for a student, in consultation with an Academic Advisor, and with the approval of the Department of Information Systems). Further details and sample course sequences for 20 approved IS Application Environments are available from the IS Academic Advisor, or may be viewed at the Department of Information Systems' web site.

******Information Systems Specialization Tracks (12 credits, students take 4 courses in one track).

1. Database: IS 392 (Text Processing, Mining and Retrieval), CS 434 (Advanced Database Design), IS 441 (Geographic Information Systems), CS 482 (Data Mining), Data Warehousing (course to be developed), a graduate course in Database (CS 631, 632) or an advisor approved elective.

2. Networks: CS 451 (Data Communication and Networks), CS 456 (Open Systems Networking), IT 220 (Wireless Networks Technology), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), IT 202 (Internet & Applications), CS 408 (Cryptography and Internet Security), IS 448 (Ubiquitous Computing) or an advisor approved elective.

3. Management of IS: IS 392 (Text Processing, Mining and Retrieval), IS 433 ( Electronic Commerce Requirements and Design), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), and an advisor approved elective.

4. Human Computer Interaction: IS 447, IS 475 (only by BAIS students), IT 201 (Information Design Techniques, CS 458 (Multimedia Systems), IS 485 (Pervasive Computing), or an advisor approved elective.

5. Systems Analysis & Design: CS 280 (Programming Language Concepts), CS 288 (Intensive Programming Practicum), CS 490 (Guided Design in Software Engineering),? or an advisor approved elective.

6. Intelligence & Design Support: CS 370 (Introduction to Artificial Intelligence), IS 441 (Geographic Information Systems),IS 461 (Systems Simulation), CS 482 (Data Mining), CS 434 (Advanced Database Systems) or an advisor approved elective.

7. Web Engineering: IS 433 (Electronic Commerce Requirements and Design), IS 373 (World Wide Web Standards), CS 375 (Application Development for the World Wide Web), IT 202 (Internet and Applications) or an advisor approved elective.

8. Information Systems Security, Auditing and Crisis Response: IS 413 (Requirements for Emergency Management Information Systems), IS 464 (Information Systems Auditing and Security), and two courses chosen from the following: CS 408 (Cryptography and Internet Security), CS 458 (Technologies for Network Security), IS 461 (Systems Simulation), IT 230 (Computer & Network Systems Security), IT 330 (Computer Forensics).

Notes:

Basic Social Sciences GUR: Three credits of the basic social sciences requirement must be taken in economics; acceptable courses are SS 201, Econ 265 or Econ 266. The remaining 3 credits may be satisfied by HSS 202, STS 257 or STS 258. Students also may take approved introductory courses in basic social sciences at Rutgers-Newark to fulfill this requirement.

Cultural History GUR: Take HUM 211 or HUM 212 or HIST 213; or an approved 200-level history course at Rutgers-Newark.

Lit/Hist/Phil/STS GUR: Students must take one 300-level course from any of the following fields: literature; history; philosophy; or science, technology, and society (STS); or an approved 300-level course at Rutgers-Newark.

Capstone Seminar in Humanities and Social Science GUR: All students, except those enrolled in the honors college, take one of the following: HSS 403, HSS 404, HSS 405 , HSS 406, HSS 407, HSS 408, HSS 409. Students enrolled in the honors college take one from HSS 491H-499H.

Management GUR: Students take IE 492 or Mgmt 390 or AS 333, which is acceptable only for students taking the aerospace option. IE 492 is strongly recommended for its emphasis on Project Management.

Science: A two-course related sequence (8 credits minimum) of laboratory science in physics, chemistry, biology, or as approved by advisor. These courses satisfy the Natural Sciences GUR.

Refer to the General University Requirements section of this catalog for further information on electives.

Co-op
In Information Systems, IS 310 and IS 410 are taken for additive credit. With departmental approval, students may extend the project developed in IS 410 to be used as an individual research project in IS 491, which is taken as an elective in the senior year.