Online Master of Science in Information Technology

Available entirely online!

Start Earning Your Advanced IT Degree Online!

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that demand for Information Technology workers is expected to continue its growth trajectory through 2018.

To respond to that need, UMass Lowell is pleased to announce a new Master of Science Degree in Information Technology (MSIT) offered by the UMass Lowell Computer Science Department in collaboration with the Division of Online and Continuing Education.

This contemporary degree is technically-focused and features cutting-edge knowledge content critical to the workforce needs of the IT industry.

Offered fully online, this new degree also provides a pathway for students who have completed a Bachelor’s in Information Technology degree and for working professionals who want to pursue advanced graduate studies in information technology. The online delivery framework will provide an accessible format for students juggling work and family responsibilities.

Students may also count courses in the two graduate IT certificate programs in Systems Models and Management and Network Security towards the Master’s Degree in Information Technology.

The 10-course master's degree program is designed to provide both a principled and applied exposure toward designing, managing and deploying networked systems of computers. The program places emphasis on practical skills based on Linux/Unix, Windows and Apple platforms, but also teaches general principles along with their technical and ethical foundations. Courses include general system administration, virtualization technologies, core networking, cloud computing, routing, large scale application deployment, mobile computing, security analysis and regulatory compliance.

Working professionals completing the degree program are better-prepared to fill senior level IT management and consulting positions as well as information security and IT strategic planning functions.

Program Outline

10 courses total

System Infrastructures Courses

Choose 2 of the following:

1. 94.511 Network and Systems Administration (3cr)
2. 94.517 Operating Systems Organization (3cr) - Available Summer 2013!
3. 94.519 Managing Virtual Systems (3cr)
4. 94.5xx Systems Security and Auditing (3cr)

Network Infrastructure Courses

Choose 2 of the following:

1. 94.560 Network Infrastructures (3cr)
2. 94.561 Computer Network Security (3cr)
3. 94.562 Digital Forensics (3cr)
4. 94.563 Secure Mobile Networks (3cr)
5. 94.565 Cloud Computing (3cr) - Available Summer 2013!

Software Management Courses

Choose 2 of the following:

1. 94.518 Large Scale Application Deployment (3cr)
2. 94.531 Project Management (3cr)
3. 94.532 Managing and Mining Large Data Sets (3cr)

Program Electives

Choose 4 additional 94.xxx courses from this Program Electives category or from any of the first three categories above, as long as you have not already taken the course to fulfill the above category requirements.

1. 94.535 Agile and Iterative Project Management (3cr) - Available Summer 2013!
2. 94.566 Advanced Cloud Computing (3cr)
3. 94.5xx Information Security, Privacy and Regulatory Compliance (3cr)
4. 94.5xx Intrusion Detection Systems (3cr)

Admission Requirements

1. Completion of an undergraduate BS or BA degree from an accredited institution
2. Mathematical Maturity: Students should have completed a minimum of one semester of precalculus mathematics, one semester of discrete mathematics and one semester of statistics as part of their undergraduate studies, or possess the equivalent experience
3. C Programming proficiency, to include a minimum of one semester of C Programming and one semester of Data Structures, or the equivalent experience.

Note: Students who do not meet the requirements above may need to take additional undergraduate courses in order to meet the requirements.

Course Descriptions

94.511 Network and Systems Administration

This course will organize and examine the network and systems administration methodologies of both Windows and Linux/Unix based environments. Topics will include the deployment and aggregation of networked systems, user and privilege management, application and license management, security frameworks, resource sharing models and data collection and analysis. System configuration and registry structures will be discussed, along with both GUI and command line approaches to maintaining them. Several data collection and analysis tools will be evaluated from both platforms, with an emphasis on observing and optimizing system performance and security metrics. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.517 Operating Systems Organization

This course investigates the organization and deployment of contemporary operating systems. The process model is examined both generically and in the context of the current Linux/Unix and Windows implemantations. Process attributes such as address spaces, threads, channels and handles, access rights, scheduling behaviour and states and state transitions will be studied. Memory management, deadlock management and the file system development are also evaluated. A subsystem of system configuration options will be considered during the course in order to highlight the functional deployment of the core OS issues discussed. Pre-req: BS in IT or equivalent. Cannot be used toward MS or PhD in Computer Science. 3 credits. Prerequisite: BS in IT or equivalent. This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.518 Large Scale Application Deployment

This course will develop a systematic framework for the life cycle management of large scale applications. Beginning with requirements assessments, and impact analysis, and continuing through regulatory compliance, lifetime maintenance, scalability concerns, and end-of-life evolution, the material in this course will characterize the stages and transitions of large scale applications. Deployment and management tools will be examined in the context of live applications, with an emphasis on convergent analysis and configuration. Several case studies will be considered, including operating systems, database applications, mailing systems and collaboration systems. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.519 Managing Virtual Systems

This course will investigate the current state of virtualization in computing systems. Virtualization at both the hardware and software levels will be examined, with emphasis on the hypervisor configurations of systems such as Vmware, Zen and Hyper-V. The features and limitations of virtual environments will be considered, along with several case studies used to demonstrate the configuration and management of such systems. Para-virtualized software components will be analyzed and their pros and cons discussed. Processor and peripheral support for virtualization will also be examined, with a focus on emerging hardware features and the future of virtualization. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.531 Project Management

This course explores the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that project managers use when managing information technology projects as well as the current IT factors that affect IT project management decision making. Special emphasis will be placed on learning the best practices currently used by organizations and practitioners to ensure the best chance for project success by learning and applying the concepts of managing scope, risk, budget, time, expectations, quality, people, communications, procurement, and externally provided services. Students will be expected to perform research in the above areas as well as using tools such as Microsoft Project to solve project management related problems. Special attention will also be placed on the issues affecting project managers today such as PMOs, virtualization, green IT, and out sourcing. Practical examples will be used to demonstrate the concepts and techniques, plus you will receive hands on experience by working on a case study. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.532 Managing and Mining Large Data Sets

The amount of data generated by businesses, science, Web, and social networks is growing at a very fast rate. This course will cover the algorithms and database techniques required to extract useful information from this flood of data. Data mining, which is the automatic discovery of interesting patterns and relationships in data, is a central focus of the course. Topics covered in data mining include association discovery, clustering, classification, and anomaly detection. Special emphasis will be given to techniques for data warehousing where extremely large datasets (e.g.,many terabytes) are processed. The course also covers Web mining. Topics covered include analysis of Web pages and links (like Google) and analysis of large social networks (like Facebook). 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.535 Agile and Iterative Project Management

This course covers the principles and approaches of Agile Project Management with a specific focus on Information Technology and Software Development projects. In today's aggressive business and technology environment, senior executives who are spending millions of dollars on IT infrastructures, e-Business initiatives, wireless applications and new product development, can't rely solely on traditional project management practices but rather on those practices that support the speed, flexibility, and adaptability needed to drive success. The course begins by exploring traditional project management approaches but quickly delves into Agile Project Management and the differences between the two. The course explores the principles of Agile Development through application within each major project management process: Project Initiation, Project Planning, Project Execution, Project Closing. Students will select a project from their organization and put theory to work. The project will be developed in a timely matter, encouraging frequent adaptation, self-organization, accountability and rapid delivery from the project team. Upon completion, students will understand how to apply agile principles and practices, recognize ways to increase team performance through better communication and close involvement of customers, and recognize the key success criteria for implementing Agile Projects. Agile Project Management is imperative in today’s projects that test the limits of traditional approaches with tight schedules, fluctuating requirements, leading edge technology and high quality results. 3 credits. Prerequisite: BS in IT or equivalent. This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.560 Network Infrastructures

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts in the design and implementation of computer communication networks, their protocols, and applications. Topics to be covered include: an overview of network architectures, applications, network programming interfaces (e.g. sockets) , transport, congestion, routing, and data link protocols, addressing, local area networks, network management, and emerging network technologies. Cannot be used toward MS or D.Sc. in Computer Science. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.561 Computer Network Security

This course is aimed to provide students with a solid understanding of key concepts of computer network security and practical solutions to network security threats. Topics to be covered include common network security attacks, basic security models, data encryption algorithms, public-key cryptography and key management, data authentication, network security protocols in practice, wireless network security, network perimeter security and firewall technology, the art of anti-malicious software, and the art of intrusion detection. Pre-Req: BS in IT or Equivalent. Cannot be used toward MS or D.Sc. in Computer Science. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.562 Digital Forensics

Identifying, preserving and extracting electronic evidence. Students learn how to examine and recover data from operating systems, core forensic procedures for any operating or file system, understanding technical issues in acquiring computer evidence and how to conduct forensically sound examinations to preserve evidence for admission and use in legal proceedings. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.563 Secure Mobile Networks

This course covers principles and practices of wireless networks, including cellular networks, wireless LANs, ad hoc mesh networks, and sensor networks. The potential attacks against these wireless networks and the security mechanisms to defend these networks will be discussed. Topics to be covered include cellular network architecture, wide-area mobile services, wireless LANs and MACs, introduction to emerging wireless networks, survey of malicious behaviors in wireless networks, securing wireless WANs and LANs, securing wireless routing, securing mobile applications, wireless intrusion detection and prevention, challenges in securing next-generation wireless networks, and privacy issues in wireless networks. 3 credits. Prerequisite: This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.565 Cloud Computing

This course starts with an overview of modern distributed models, exposing the design principles, systems architecture, and innovative applications of parallel, distributed, and cloud computing systems. The course will focus on the creation and maintenance of high-performance, scalable, reliable systems, providing comprehensive coverage of distributed and cloud computing, including: Facilitating management, debugging, migration, and disaster recovery through virtualization. Clustered systems for research or ecommerce applications. Designing systems as web services. Principles of cloud computing using examples from open-source and commercial applications. 3 credits. Prerequisite: BS in IT or equivalent. This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

94.566 Advanced Cloud Computing

This course is a continuation of the 94.565 Cloud Computing course and will cover in further detail such topics as Cloud Based Storage, Virtualization, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), High Availability, Scaling, and Mobile Devices. The course will also study the role of Open Source cloud software such as Hadoop, OpenStack and others. Similar to the first course where hands-on projects included the use of Cloud Services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Apps and App Engine, and Windows Azure, this course will continue with those services and add others such as Rackspace and VMware. Current articles and publications in this fast moving field of Cloud Computing will also be followed. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 94.565. This course may be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. in Information Technology; it cannot be used towards UMass Lowell’s M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

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