REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT A MASTER’S OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN INFORMATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT UW-MILWAUKEE PREAPARED
BY UW-MILWAUKEE ABSTRACT
The School of Information Studies (SOIS) at UW-Milwaukee (UWM) proposes a Master’s of Science in Information Science and Technology (MSIST) as a professional graduate degree program for those who seek advanced training to meet the ever increasing need for information technology (IT) professionals. The degree will supplement our Bachelors of Science in
Information Science and Technology. It will be comprised of 36 credit hours—27 for the core and nine in electives.
PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION Institution Name
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Title of Proposed Program
Masters of Science in Information Science and Technology
Degree/Major Designations
Masters of Science
Mode of Delivery
On site and online
Projected Enrollments by Year Five
The chart below represents enrollment and graduation projections for students entering the program over the next five years. By the end of year five, it is expected 225 students will have enrolled in the program and 100 students will have graduated from the program.
Year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
New students admitted 25 (20 PT | 5 FT) 50 (40 PT |10 FT) 50 (40 PT |10 FT) 50 (40 PT |10 FT) 50 (40 PT |10 FT) Continuing students 5 (5 PT) 25 (20 PT | 5 FT) 40 (30 PT | 10 FT) 60 (40 PT | 20 FT) 80 (60 PT | 20 FT) Total enrollment 30 75 90 110 130 Graduating students 0 10 25 30 35
Tuition Structure
Aligned with the UWM tuition schedule, in-state students who take onsite MSIST courses will pay $2,529 for a 3-credit graduate course ($1,196/ per credit) which includes segregated fees. Those who enroll in an on-line 3-credit graduate course in the SOIS will cost $2,280.00 ($760.00/per credit). This fee is assessed for all on-line courses regardless of your geographic location. This fee is assessed in lieu of standard UW-System tuition and campus segregated fees. Students will pay approximately $100 per class for books with no additional cost incurred by the student for software. Said software will be provided for them at no additional cost. The cost for the software is included in their overall costs.
College, School, or Functional Equivalent
The proposed program will be housed within the School of Information Studies—a non-departmentalized unit.
Proposed Date of Implementation
If all goes well we would like to implement the program in the fall of 2016.
INTRODUCTION
Rationale and Relation to Mission
The proposed MSIST degree will expand the existing graduate degree program offerings at UWM to meet evolving needs in information and technology. Every aspect of industry has an ever-growing need for those who understand and can manage, facilitate and improve upon technology in a technology-driven world. Knowledge in web applications, services, and protocols; data management; and information security are among the top five rapidly growing skills sets that industry needs now and in the future. Even with outsourcing, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the demand for information technology
professionals will continue to grow 17% between 2012 and 2022—faster than average for most careers (BLS.Gov, 2015).1 Locally, Information Security Analysis, one of the areas of focus for the MSIST degree, is listed as one of the fastest growing profession in Wisconsin.2 And on average, we can expect to see a 10% growth in the need for IT related professionals in
Milwaukee County over the next decade.3 Clearly there is a need for continued training in the IT field to meet the county, regional, and nation-wide employment needs.
1 Bls.gov. (2015). Computer Support Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-support-specialists.htm
2 Worknet.wisconsin.gov. (2016). Worknet-High-Growth Jobs. Retrieved from http://worknet.wisconsin.gov/worknet/joblist_highgrow.aspx?menuselection=js 3 Worknet.wisconsin.gov. (2016). Worknet-High-Growth Jobs. Retrieved
http://worknet.wisconsin.gov/worknet/jsoccsrch_results.aspx?menuselection=js&area=079&area name=Milwaukee+County&occ=151141
SOIS is one of a handful of iSchool—that which focuses upon the intersection between people, information and technology—in the country. As such we are in a unique position to contribute to the economic development of southeastern Wisconsin by educating future professionals to meet the current and future demands of local, national and global employers.
The mission for the MSIST program is aligned with UWM’s vision and mission statements in that it is a collaborative program with Computer Science to prepare students for “sustainable prosperity” in professions that require “technological expertise.” The MSIST focuses upon “heightened intellectual” skills that move beyond that of an undergraduate degree in IT as it prepares professionals who focus on human/computer interaction raising “humane sensitivities” in technology.
The program operationalizes SOIS’s vision of itself as “a premier, international information school that shapes knowledge and information technology through innovative research and teaching.”4 Like UWM, SOIS also values collaboration—ergo our partnership with Computer Science. Our commitment to students with diverse backgrounds includes, but is not limited to, those who do not have undergraduate degrees in IT as well as those from a range of gender, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. This is paramount in technology as the industry finds itself woefully short on said diversity.
Need as Suggested by Current Student Demand
The program meets the needs of various bodies of students:
Those, like our BSIST graduates, who are seeking to continue their IT education in a specialized area
Students who have established themselves in IT who seek graduate education to validate and promote themselves in the industry
Those seeking to transition into IT from another industry and who need the skills and credentials to do so
Those who are preparing for a PhD in IT
According to a survey conducted of current BSIST students 91% indicated that they want to pursue graduate studies but only 14% expressed an interest in pursuing the existing MLIS degree whilst 83% indicated that they would be interested in a MSIST degree. BS in Computer Science graduates may also want to pursue graduate studies in computing but not in the MS Program in Computer Science currently offered by the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Need as Suggested by Market Demand
As stated above, the Occupational Outlook Handbook projects that the national levels of employment of IT professionals will grow “faster than the average for all occupations.”
Specifically, opportunities for information security analysts and web developers will grow 22% while those for applications software developers will increase 57% between 2010 and 2020.5 Specifically in the Milwaukee area a survey of 16 two-year and four-year higher education institutions in the area (including UWM, UW-Parkside, UW-Whitewater, UW-Washington County and UW-Waukesha) found that employers in the area will in future have “no choice but to look outside the region to fill tech positions--even when they want to hire locally” unless the pipeline of IT graduates increases.6
Emerging Knowledge and Advancing New Directions
Again, there is a greater than average demand for professionals with training in information technology. Our program offers concentrations that further prepare our students for the workforce. These concentrations are information security, data science, computer science, and web and mobile application development. There is also a generalist track for those students whose needs or career goal requires a custom set of courses. TheOccupational Outlook
Handbook projects a 37% increase—which they term “[m]uch faster than average”--in the need for Information Security professionals between 2010 and 2020.7 They also note a 32% increase in the need for Data Analyst (those with skills in Data Science); and a 12% growth in the need for Computer Network Systems Administrators and a 25% growth for Systems Analysts both positions that one with a focus in computer science is prepared to assume. Finally, there is a 22% increase in the need for software and web developers—those with skills in web and mobile application development—again all between 2010 and 2020. SOIS is in a prime position to prepare students for these fields.
DESCRIPTION OF PPROGRAM General Structure
Institutional Program Array
The MSIST degree will provide a graduate degree option for graduates of the BSIST degree program offered by SOIS and the BS in Computer Science offered in the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences (CEAS). It will also complement the existing Masters in Library and
5Bls.gov. (2015). Computer Support Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-support-specialists.htm
6Schmid, J. (2012). Scarcity of local tech talent may force employers to recruit elsewhere:
Educational leaders address remedies. Journal Sentinel.
7 Bls.gov. (2015). Computer Support Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from
Information Science (MLIS) degree in SOIS and the MS Program in Computer Science degree in CEAS.
Other Programs in the University of Wisconsin System
Similar programs in Wisconsin include onsite programs in Data Science (Green Bay, LaCrosse, Oshkosh, and Stevens Point). The MSIST program differs from both of these in that it the degrees in Data Science are interested specifically in how to organize and analyze large amounts of information. UW Stout has a degree in Information and Communication Technologies an online program that focuses in Computer Networking, Digital Marketing Technology, Enterprise Technology (E-Commerce), Learning Technologies, and Visual Communications. Although the core is similar to the MSIST, our areas of focus differs significantly. The MSIST at UWM will offer areas of concentrations in information security, web and app development, data science and computer science—all substantially different than those offered by UW Stout. Similarly there are online degree programs in Data Science (Green Bay, LaCrosse, Oshkosh, and Stevens Point) but, again, this is a distinctly different program than the MSIST.
Collaborative Nature of the Program
The proposed MSIST will also serve to forge a productive relationship between Computer Science and SOIS and promote inter-disciplinary teaching and potentially research across the UWM campus. The degree program will require 36 graduate-level credits with 5 core 3-credit courses offered by SOIS and 3 core 3-credit courses from Computer Science. The remaining 12 credits will comprise electives from SOIS, CS, Health Sciences, and/or Business based on the student’s chosen area of focus.
There will also be a collaborative relationship between the BSIST and the MSIST. BSIST students with a 3.5 GPA in the BSIST program may declare their intention to enroll in the MSIST program upon competing their BS degree. These students may enroll in 6 hours of core courses in the MSIST program at the undergraduate level and pay undergraduate tuition. But, for the course to count toward the MSIST program, the student must do the same amount and level of work as that required of graduate students. This will be noted on their transcript to be referenced once they enroll in the MSIST program. Once in the MSIST program, the core courses they took as an undergrad will be applied to the degree—waving them for the MSIST. Students will use the 6 hours of core courses taken as an undergraduate toward the MSIST program leaving them with 30 hours needed to complete the MSIST.
Students will also have the option of combining the MSIST degree with the MLIS for a
Coordinate Degree plan. Aligned with the other coordinated degrees offered by the School, 30 hours will be required for the MLIS and 21 for the MSIST. The School reduces the MLIS by 6 credit hours of electives in consideration of another Master’s degree. The requirements for the MSIST used in conjunction with the MLIS are its 7 core courses (one of which is included in the MLIS) and 2 electives for 21 hours. In sum, for 51 credit hours a student can complete both the MLIS and MSIST degrees.
Diversity
The MSIST program seeks to prepare students for a global economy by being aware of the socioeconomic, cultural and political factors that impact the needs of the user, the IT artifact(s),
and the available technological infrastructure. Doing so will prepare our students to work in a variety of settings in Southeast Wisconsin, the United States and the world as a whole.
Program Objective MSIST Program Mission
The mission of the MSIST program is to educate the next generation of passionate, solution
-minded Information Technology professionals by fostering: continuous innovation, interdisciplinary problem solving, and real-world experience
Overall Goals
Students who graduate from this program will be able to:
• Explain the core concepts, capabilities, and tools of information technology;
• Apply analytical and critical thinking skills in a variety of contexts;
• Identify ways in which technology can be applied to solve existing, new or anticipated
problems;
• Assure the quality of information as well as its value to those who will ultimately use it
for decision-making;
• Demonstrate the ability to write and speak cogently and persuasively about ongoing or
anticipated work with colleagues, end-users and corporate leadership, and listen carefully to feedback. This includes the ability to collaborative effectively.
Student Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes for each track differ. They are delineated below:
User Interface Design and Human and Computer Interaction
• Develop interfaces to suit the needs of the end user.
• Assess the needs of the user, create an appropriate interface, and assure that the user can
use the interface in order to perform their designated tasks.
• Help users create a mental model of how the system works and fitting it into their
existing workflow.
Web and App Development
• Demonstrate knowledge of the foundation of web development foundation, focusing on
content and client-side (browser) components, with an overview of the server-side technologies.
• Outline a comprehensive overview of website development. • Design, analyze and revise web and mobile apps.
• Competently use the prevailing vocabulary, tools, and standards used in the field and
articulate how the various aspects including web markup and scripting languages,
multimedia, clients, servers, and databases function together in today's web environment.
• Design, implement, and apply data management techniques.
• Design and maintain big data and data analytics systems using the principles of data
mining, data modeling and data architecture.
Information Security
• Assess risks to the security of proprietary information in an organization.
• Articulate the technical, organizational and human factors associated with these risks. • Evaluate information technology tools designed to protect against threats facing
organizations.
• Assess the impact of security policies on existing complex systems and organizational
objectives while simultaneously considering regulatory requirements and compliance.
• Oversee the information security life cycle of an organization, including planning,
acquisition, development and evolution of secure infrastructures.
Generalist
The learning outcomes from this program will be a combination of those for the specific tracks and depend upon the sequence of courses the student selects in conjunction with their faculty advisor.
Assessment of Objectives
Programmatic learning goals will be assessed annually. Each year a select array of learning outcomes will be evaluated by a group of faculty members who review a sampling of student’s work to determine if the outcomes are being met. These materials will come from each course aligned with the learning outcome. All of the outcomes will be assessed within a five year cycle with each year focusing on one of our five program goals. The results will be used to revise courses and the curriculum to assure that graduates can perform as outlined in our learning outcomes. If, for example, the faculty assessors learn that less than 80% of the students
successfully meet the learning outcomes they work with the lead faculty member for the course or the faculty group associated with the measure, e.g., the MSIST Curriculum Committee oversees the course syllabi and the overall curriculum, to revise the curricular materials, pedagogy, or the assignments—in the case of classes—or, the auxiliary activity such as fieldwork experiences. The faculty assessing the learning outcomes may also recommend
curricular changes to the MSIST Curriculum Committee if they determine that the failure to meet the learning outcome is more systematic. Such continual assessment assures that SOIS graduates meet the learning outcomes and thus, enter the market as competent Information Technology professionals.
Program Curriculum
In response to SOIS’ mission, goals and objectives and aligning with the iSchools’ aims and scope as outlined in the previous section, the proposed MSIST degree will expand the existing graduate degree program offerings to meet the skills needed with respect to information and technology in the following areas:
1. User interface design and human computer interaction, 2. Web and mobile design and development,
4. Information security, and 5. Generalist
While web and mobile design and development will equip students with advanced technical knowledge and skills to develop mobile applications, UI design and HCI will equip students with the necessary knowledge and abilities to develop interaction design that supports and enables users of the mobile applications. Data management and data science is aimed at providing students with advanced knowledge and skills to manage data sets generated by applications whereas information security will focus on techniques on ensuring the security of all data captured, stored and analyzed through applications. Finally, the generalist option is for those students who require a customized program to meet their educational and employment needs. The area of focus will be transcript designated.
Admissions Requirements
Students are required to meet the general requirements of the UWM Graduate School of a baccalaureate degree, English proficiency language, a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0, and two letters of recommendation. Those students whose undergraduate GPA is below a 3.0 may meet the admissions requirement through satisfactory scores on the Miller Analogies Test or Graduate Record Examination or a 3.0 GPA in their undergraduate major to be admitted. Prerequisites—Preference will be given to those students who have a baccalaureate degree in information sciences, computer information systems, computer science, engineering, or a related field. Those who have neither of the aforementioned qualifications will be encouraged to take the following prerequisites, or their equivalents, before taking related courses:
INFOST 240: Introduction to Web Design
INFOST 410: Database Information Retrieval Systems INFOST 440: Web Application Development
If taken, these courses must have been completed within the last five years with a grade of B or better (B- not acceptable).
Degree Requirements
The degree program will require 36 graduate-level credits with 6 core 3-credit courses offered by SOIS—this includes a 3-credit capstone course (INFOSTDS 7XX Project Management for IT Professionals)—and 3 core 3-credit courses offered by CS. The remaining 9 credit hours will be comprised of electives from SOIS, CS, Health Sciences, and/or Business based on the student’s chosen area of focus.
The core courses are:
INFOSTDS 581 Human Computer Interaction INFOSTDS 582 Data Science
INFOSTDS 583 Information Security
INFOSTDS 584 Web and Mobil Development INFOSTDS 591 Research Methods
INFOSTDS 7XX Project Management for IT Professionals (Capstone) COMPSCI 702 Software Development for IT Professionals
COMPSCI 703 Software Engineering for IT Professionals
COMPSCI 701 Mathematical and Computing Fundamentals for IT Professionals
Nine hours of electives for each area come from Art, Business, Computer Science, Architecture, Art, Geography, and Health Care Administration to be selected in conjunction with the faculty adviser to meet the student’s career needs.
Projected Time to Degree
2 courses per semester=6 semesters to graduate 3 courses per semester=4 semesters to graduate 4 courses per semester=3 semesters to graduate
Program Review Process
The program will be fully assessed within a five year cycle. Each year a program goal and its associated learning goals will be assessed to assure that at least 80% of students successful meet the learning outcomes. The faculty doing said assessment will also evaluate the program overall using the indicators discussed in the next section.
Institutional Review
The program was approved by the Faculty Council in SOIS. It will now go to the university-wide Academic Program Curriculum Committee (APCC) for their review. Once approved, it will go the Graduate Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Faculty Committee-both located in the Graduate School. Once approved, the program will be reviewed every seven years by the APCC.
Accreditation
2016(FY17) 2017 2018 2019 2020
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
I Enrollment (New Student) Headcount 25 50 50 50 50
Enrollment (Continuing Student) Headcount 5 25 40 60 80
Enrollment (New Student) FTE 18.4 36.8 36.8 36.8 36.8
Enrollment (Continuing Student) FTE 3.3 18.4 30.1 46.8 60.2
II Total New Credit Hours (# new sections x credits per section) 270 675 810 990 1170
Existing Credit Hours 150 225 225 225 225
III FTE of New Faculty/Instructional Staff 0 0 0 2 1
FTE of Current Fac/IAS 3 3 3 4 4
FTE of New Admin Staff 0 0 0 0 0
FTE Current Admin Staff 1 1 1 1 1
IV New Revenues
From Tuition (new credit hours x FTE) $319,200 $684,000 $786,600 $923,400 $1,060,200
From Fees $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Program Revenue - Grants $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Program Revenue - Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Reallocation $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total New Revenue $319,200 $684,000 $786,600 $923,400 $1,060,200
V New Expenses Salaries plus Fringes
Faculty/Instructional Staff $0 $0 $0 $164,400 $246,600 Other Staff $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Other Expenses Facilities $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Equipment $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Other: (20% to campus) $63,840 $136,800 $157,320 $184,680 $212,040 Total Expenses $68,840 $141,800 $162,320 $354,080 $463,640 VI Net Revenue $250,360 $542,200 $624,280 $569,320 $596,560
Add additional rows, if necessary.
a - Number of students enrolled
b - To be based on 12 credits at the undergraduate level and 7 credits at the graduate level
c - Number of faculty/instructional staff providing significant teaching and advising for the program d - Number of other staff providing significant services for the program
Provost's Signature: Date:
