Management and Information Systems
Department Head: Dr. Laura Marler
Area Advisors:
M.S.I.S.: Dr. Robert Otondo
Ph.D. concentration in Management: Dr. Benjamin McLarty and Dr. Mel Fugate
Ph.D. concentration in Information Systems: Dr. Kent Marett
320 McCool Hall
Box 9581
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-3928
E-mail: gsb@business.msstate.edu
The Department of Management and Information Systems offers the following graduate programs:
- Master of Science in Information Systems (M.S.I.S.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a concentration in Management (Ph.D.)
The department also participates in the interdisciplinary Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program. See the Business Administration section of this publication for M.B.A. and Ph.D. information.
Master of Science in Information Systems
The mission of the Master of Science in Information Systems program at MSU is to prepare students to become information systems professionals who can successfully develop, acquire, and integrate information technology across levels and functions of a firm. The M.S.I.S. program prepares students by equipping them with critical technical skills; strengthening communication skills; enhancing the students’ understanding of business functions/operations; developing professional attitudes; and enhancing the students’ understanding of the link between an organization and information technology.
Admission Criteria
The applicant for the Master of Science in Information Systems (M.S.I.S.) program should hold a bachelor’s degree from a fully recognized four-year institution of higher learning that enjoys unconditional accreditation by appropriate regional accrediting agencies. The applicant must meet all general requirements stated in this publication.
The applicant for the M.S.I.S. program must have a grade point average of 3.00/4.00 or higher over the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Admission to the M.S.I.S. program also requires a competitive score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). While either GMAT or GRE scores are accepted, the GMAT is strongly preferred.
When a student is deficient in one of the criteria cited, the student's application may still be considered based on the strength of other materials contained in the student's application. However, reasonable minimum levels must be achieved in both the applicant's GPA and GMAT/GRE scores.
Our full-time, on-campus, and distance M.S.I.S programs accept applications for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The deadlines for submitting all application materials, including GMAT or GRE scores, are the same general deadlines used by The Graduate School. These deadlines can be found in the Admissions Requirements section of the Graduate Catalog.
International Applicants
An international applicant not holding a prior degree from a U.S. institution must submit an indicator of English proficiency including one of the following: (1) TOEFL score of 575 PBT (84 iBT) or (2) IELTS score of 7.0.
Transfer of Credit
Up to 6 hours of graduate transfer credits may be accepted toward fulfilling the requirements for the M.S.I.S. degree, provided the credits have been earned in a recognized (regionally accredited) institution and are considered applicable to the student's graduate program. These credits are considered part of the student's program and must adhere to the eight-year time limit restriction. Grades of C or below are not acceptable, nor are extension credits from other institutions.
Provisional Admission
An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's program of study. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program. Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.
In addition, students must complete the foundation courses listed below (or have equivalent undergraduate credit) with a grade of C or better. The College of Business offers survey courses in place of some undergraduate prerequisites. These are especially designed for non-business undergraduates and may be taken before or during the M.S.I.S. program. For each row in the table below, students without equivalent undergraduate credit must choose either the course from Column A or–if available–alternative course(s) from Column B.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| ACC 2203 Survey of Accounting | ACC 2013 Principles of Financial Accounting or ACC 2023 Principles of Managerial Accounting |
| BQA 8443 Statistical Analysis for Business Decision Making* | BQA 2113 Business Statistical Methods I & BQA 3123 Business Statistical Methods II |
| MGT 3113 Principles of Management | |
| EC 2113 Principles of Macroeconomics or EC 2123 Principles of Microeconomics | |
| FIN 3123 Financial Management | |
| MKT 3013 Principles of Marketing | |
| 3 hours of programming courses** |
*Offered only through the distance program.
**Examples of prerequisite classes that would fit the programming requirement include the following. Note that these are just examples. Any 3 hours of programming will be allowed.
Examples of Prerequisite Courses Fulfilling Programming Requirement
| BIS 1523 | Web Development I | 3 |
| BIS 2523 | Web Development II | 3 |
| BIS 3523 | Advanced Languages I | 3 |
| CSE 1233 | Computer Programming with C | 3 |
| CSE 1273 | Computer Programming with Java | 3 |
| CSE 1284 | Introduction to Computer Programming | 4 |
Academic Performance
A grade of C or better is required on all undergraduate prerequisite courses. A student in any graduate degree program in the College of Business may not continue in the program with grades below B in more than 6 hours of core graduate coursework, regardless of the overall average. Thus, any program is terminated automatically when a seventh credit hour below B is recorded on core graduate coursework. In addition, the normal MSU requirements for satisfactory progress in a graduate program will be applied.
Minor in Information Systems
A graduate minor in information systems is offered to both business and non-business graduate students. Students interested in business and technology may wish to pursue this minor. Typical career paths range from programmer to systems analyst, database administrator, network administration, IT manager, and chief information officer.
Accelerated Program
Highly qualified undergraduate BIS majors are encouraged to apply to the BIS Accelerated Program. This program permits students to earn up to 9 hours of graduate-level courses and earn both undergraduate and graduate credit simultaneously. Students must consult with a graduate advisor to ensure graduate credit could be applied to a program of study for the graduate degree. Application to this program may be made as early as the end of the junior year (i.e., after completion of 90 or more hours of graded undergraduate courses). Students interested in applying should see Accelerated Programs for information and contact the department's M.S.I.S. Area Advisor, Dr. Robert Otondo, at rotondo@business.msstate.edu for more details.