Informatics (MS)

CIP Code

11.0103.00

Overview

Master of Science in Informatics (MSIN) provides students with skills in informatics, which encompasses Information Technology, Cyber Security, Information Sciences, Information Engineering, and related disciplines. Students may elect either the thesis option or the course work option. Students who elect the thesis option will pursue supervised research in a specific area. The thesis option will be comprised of 24 hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis. The non-thesis course work option will be comprised of 30 hours of course work and a comprehensive exam.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program in informatics, prospective candidates must first meet all the requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:

Bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security or a bachelor’s degree in another field. Students admitted with a non-cyber security degree may be required to complete leveling coursework.
Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
Letter of intent detailing professional goals & reasons for pursuing the graduate degree.
Resume

Application for admission must be submitted online prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.

Program Leveling Requirements

Students are expected to have the following background at the undergraduate level to pursue the graduate degree:

Precalculus,
Programming using arrays, structures, linked lists, files, and object-oriented programming, and
Linux OS, scripts, automating tasks, architecture, security infrastructure, networking, scheduling, resource allocation, and signals & systems.

Program Requirements

Non-Thesis Option

Required Courses - 6 Hours

CYBI 6304	Foundations of Informatics & Cyberspace I	3
CYBI 6306	Foundations of Informatics & Cyberspace II	3

Prescribed Electives - 24 Hours

Choose eight from the following:

CYBI 6300	Topics in Cyberspace and Informatics	3
CYBI 6303	Principles of Information Technology Systems	3
CYBI 6307	Foundations of Systems in Computer Science	3
CYBI 6312	Advanced Internet Applications Programming	3
CYBI 6314	E-Commerce Systems and Implementation	3
CYBI 6315	Applied Database Systems	3
CYBI 6318	Cybersecurity and Forensics	3
CYBI 6364	Advanced Digital Forensics	3
CYBI 6365	Network Management and Security	3
CYBI 6375	Data Science for Business Intelligence with Python	3
CYBI 6378	Statistics and Data Analysis with Python	3
CYBI 6381	Independent Research and Study	3

For CYBI 6300, a maximum of six credit hours on different topics can be counted as electives.

Capstone Requirement

All students in the non-thesis option must take and pass the required Written Comprehensive Exam in the semester of graduation. Students who fail an exam must wait until a subsequent semester to retake the exam.

Thesis Option

Required Courses - 6 Hours

CYBI 6304	Foundations of Informatics & Cyberspace I	3
CYBI 6306	Foundations of Informatics & Cyberspace II	3

Prescribed Electives - 18 Hours

Choose six from the following:

CYBI 6300	Topics in Cyberspace and Informatics	3
CYBI 6303	Principles of Information Technology Systems	3
CYBI 6307	Foundations of Systems in Computer Science	3
CYBI 6312	Advanced Internet Applications Programming	3
CYBI 6314	E-Commerce Systems and Implementation	3
CYBI 6315	Applied Database Systems	3
CYBI 6318	Cybersecurity and Forensics	3
CYBI 6364	Advanced Digital Forensics	3
CYBI 6365	Network Management and Security	3
CYBI 6375	Data Science for Business Intelligence with Python	3
CYBI 6378	Statistics and Data Analysis with Python	3
CYBI 6381	Independent Research and Study	3

For CYBI 6300, a maximum of six credit hours on different topics can be counted as electives.

Thesis - 6 Hours

CYBI 7301	Thesis I	3
CYBI 7302	Thesis II	3

Typically, CYBI 7301 is taken in the second to the last semester of the program, and CYBI 7302 is taken in the last semester of the program.

Total Credit Hours: 30