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Missouri S&T is one of only 5% of business schools in the world to meet this high-quality standard.

Information technology continues to transform every aspect of our economy and society. The rapid spread of technology has generated the need for highly trained professionals to implement and maintain information systems to support business success. Our master of science in information science and technology (M.S. IST) will teach you how to design, develop and apply information systems in organizations and businesses.

You can choose to take your classes in-person on the Missouri S&T campus or online from anywhere in the country using our state-of-the-art virtual classrooms. Our online graduate degree programs are considered among the best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. This degree program can be completed in 12 to 24 months if taken full-time, or in 24 to 36 months if taken part-time.

Our M.S. IST degree requires 30 graduate credit hours and is available in two options—with or without a thesis.

The M.S. degree with thesis requires the completion of 24 hours of graduate course work (5000-level or above), 6 hours of research, and the successful completion and defense of a research thesis. Courses below the 5000-level will not count toward the M.S. degree, even if they are taken to fulfill prerequisites. 9 credit hours of graduate work (including research) must be at the 6000-level. A minimum of 12 credit hours must be in either IST or ERP courses. Up to 6 credit hours may be taken outside the department with advisor approval if courses are not counted towards a graduate certificate. Up to 12 credit hours may be taken outside the department with advisor approval if courses are counted towards a graduate certificate. A placement examination will be given. See footnote 1 with regard to the placement exam.

The M.S. degree without thesis requires the completion of 30 hours of graduate course work (5000-level and above). Courses below the 5000-level will not count toward the M.S. degree, even if they are taken to fulfill prerequisites. 9 credit hours of graduate course work must be at the 6000-level. A minimum of 12 credit hours must be in either IST or ERP courses. Up to 6 credit hours may be taken outside the department with advisor approval if courses are not counted towards a graduate certificate. Up to 12 credit hours may be taken outside the department with advisor approval if courses are counted towards a graduate certificate. A placement examination will be given. See footnote 1 with regard to the placement exam.

The following five courses are required of all M.S. IST students.

  1. Student will be skills tested before enrollment. If test is passed, student can replace with any 5000-level and above course in BIT.

Students often have difficulty deciding what electives to take. The following sets of courses have been identified as useful for students seeking specialization in particular fields of IST. Note there is no specific recognition of tracks in the degree.

Project Management, Management and Leadership Track (choose 5 courses):

Enterprise Resource Planning Track (choose 5 courses):

Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Track (choose five courses):

General Information Science and Technology Track (choose five courses):

Choose five courses not counted as required courses to satisfy overall degree requirements.

Many M.S. IST students opt to complete a graduate certificate to fulfill some of the electives. Our department offers over a dozen graduate certificates in many popular, high-demand fields. Each certificate is comprised of four courses selected to fit a specific area of emphasis. This option allows you to give your master's degree a documented focus.

Explore graduate certificates

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