Core Requirements Credit Hours: 12

• IT 7130 - IT Governance (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7131 - Information Technology Research Methods (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7134 - IT Project Management (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7135 - Seminar in IT (3 Credit Hours)

Electives Courses Credit Hours: 12

• IT 5090G - Selected Topics in Information Technology (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 5135G - Data Analytics (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 5233G - Web and Mobile Security Fundamentals (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 5236G - Distributed and Mobile Systems (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 5433G - Information Storage and Management (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 5434G - Advanced Network Security (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7090 - Selected Topics in Information Technology (1-3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7133 - Digital Security and Forensics Investigation (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7176 - Data Visualization (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7177 - Reliable IT System Design (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7178 - System Security and Information Assurance Strategies (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7179 - Web Graphics Design Studio (3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7790 - MSIT Internship (1-3 Credit Hours)
• IT 7895 - Special Problems in IT (1-3 Credit Hours)
• Or other elective courses approved by MSIT Program Coordinator

Thesis Credit Hours: 6

• IT 7999 - Thesis (1-6 Credit Hours)

Total Credit Hours: 30

¹ A minimum of 50% of courses for the Master of Science in Information Technology degree must be taken at or above the 6000 level.

Thesis

Each candidate for the Master of Science in Information Technology Thesis Option degree must complete a thesis on a subject approved by the graduate thesis committee. The major professor supervises the research, directs the writing of the thesis, and approves the thesis in its final form. Prior to the final approval, the thesis is read by the thesis committee. One member, termed the second reader, has responsibility for an intensive and rigorous criticism of the thesis and a third member of the thesis committee has the responsibility of an “editorial reader.” Both second and third readers must report all comments to the major professor. The thesis must be defended in an oral examination before the graduate committee prior to final approval and sign-off. The style and format for the completed thesis shall follow that prescribed by the Program Director for the Master of Science in Information Technology degree. Procedural steps in the preparation of the thesis are as follows:

• The prospectus for the thesis shall be submitted to the major professor and thesis committee for approval.
• The student must prepare the thesis for electronic submission following the latest version of the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD): Student Guide to Preparation and Processing manual.
• The thesis must be electronically submitted to the ETD site for format check by the final thesis submission deadline as stated in the University Calendar.
• The final corrected thesis must be electronically submitted to the ETD site by the ETD format check submission deadline as stated in the University Calendar. The final document must be electronically approved by the Thesis Committee.

Accelerated Bachelors to Masters (ABM)

Degree Requirements: 30 Credit Hours

In accordance with SACSCOC requirements, 120 unique credit hours are required in a Bachelors degree program, and at least 30 unique credit hours are required for a Masters degree program. The MSIT-ABM program combines 124 hours from the BSIT program and 30 hours from the MSIT program, exceeding the required 150 unique hours between undergraduate and graduate degree programs by 4 hours. The Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies Handbook for Program Directors and Graduate Advisors permits a maximum of 9 shared credit hours between the undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Therefore, BSIT-ABM students may share a maximum of 4 credit hours of graduate level courses (5000G) in satisfying the requirements of both degree programs.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

For regular admission to the Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s of Science in Information Technology (ABM-MSIT) degree program, the applicant must have:

1. Enrollment as a current Georgia Southern undergraduate student majoring in Information Technology.
2. Completed at least 45 credit hours completed in the undergraduate program; including the courses MATH 1111 , COMM 1110 , STAT 1401 , IT 1130 , and IT 2333 , each with a grade of C or better.
3. A 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative GPA or higher in undergraduate coursework.

ABM programs do not allow provisional admission. ABM programs are designed for students who have demonstrated a high level of undergraduate academic performance that validates their ability to be successful graduate students. Students who do not meet the minimum requirements for regular admission may be granted admission to the program upon approval of an admissions committee consisting of at least the Department Chair and the Graduate Program director.

ABM Degree Requirements: 30 Credit Hours (Thesis & Non-Thesis)

1. A student in the ABM program will be allowed to use up to 4 credits of upper division IT courses offered within the Information Technology program in meeting the requirements of both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.
2. Maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 (grade of “B” or better) in their graduate degree course work (including the 4 credits of graduate course work shared with the undergraduate degree).
3. Meet all requirements for both the BSIT and MSIT degrees.
4. An undergraduate student enrolled in graduate classes is limited to 6 credit hours of graduate coursework per semester.
5. A minimum of 50% of courses for the Master of Science in Information Technology degree must be taken at or above the 6000 level.

General Requirements