CAS in Information Systems and Telecommunications Managment: Curriculum

To earn the IS&TM certificate, you must complete 15 graduate credits. The certificate stands alone; however, after successful completion, you have the option of continuing to earn a master's degree in Information Management or in Telecommunications and Network Management.

I. Certificate Core: 4 credits

All students must take IST 601 and either IST 621 or IST 653:

IST 601 Information and Information Environments (1 credit)
Provides a broad overview of the field and an orientation to the School of Information Studies. Describes the past, present, and future of information studies.

-AND-IST 621 Introduction to Information Management
Provides an overview of general management concepts, IM implementation concerns and strategies, information life cycle management, and preparation for an IM career.
-OR-IST 653 Introduction to Telecommunications and Network Management
Focuses on telecommunications management and application, including planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of voice and data networks, local and wide-area networks, and overall network management. This course also reviews industry trends and career planning.

Note: Students wanting a general preparation in both information systems management and telecommunications management may wish to take both introductory courses, substituting one for an elective below.

II. Certificate Electives: 11-12 credits

Students complete 11-12 credits from the following recommended courses:

IST 552 Information Systems Analysis
Concepts and methods of systems analysis through decomposition and modeling. Extensive practice with structured methodologies. Systems analysis project management techniques. Introduction to automated tools and technology. Group project to apply skills.

IST 553 Information Architecture for Internet Services
Building and management of Internet information services, including information organization, information management, and information dissemination. Understanding of the use of Internet technologies within an organizational context. Practice with searching tools and markup languages.

IST 645 Managing Information Systems Projects
Emphasis on the concepts and techniques, focusing on the role of managers who work in the information systems function of an organization.

IST 656 Telecommunication and Information Network Technology
Essential elements, hard and software technologies in telecommunication and information networks. Design, maintenance, and management considerations.

IST 659 Database Administration Concepts and Database Management
Definition, development, and management of databases for information systems. Data analysis techniques, data modeling, and schema design. Query languages and search specifications. Overview of the organization for databases. Database administration concepts and skills.

IST 673 Strategic Planning in an Information-Based Organization
Linking information needs and technology support to organizational goals as a critical skill for information professionals. How to develop a strategic planning process for information resources, identify strategic issues, link strategic planning with organizational mandates and mission, write a strategic plan with appropriate performance measures, implement the strategic planning process, and evaluate the planning system and outcomes.

IST 682 Telecommunication Policy and Regulation
Local, state, national, and international telecommunication policy issues. Background, current status, and trends in the regulation of common carriers and electronic media, including legislative, FCC, and judicial decisions.

IST 683 Managing Information Technology-Enabled Change
Fundamentals of information technology-enabled change management. Comparison with more traditional approaches that facilitate change. Estimating the magnitude of change efforts and identifying key stakeholders. Diagnosis through project scoping and modeling processes.

IST 775 Information Industry Strategies
Survey of the industry. Specific criteria, measures, and methods for evaluation of products and services from various components of the information processing industry.

Other graduate courses offered during the spring and fall, or in the summer, may be used as electives with the advice of the student's advisor. To see a full listing of courses, visit the graduate course catalog.

Course Delivery Options
Courses may be taken through the on-campus or limited-residency distance learning option. Students may progress through the certificate at their own rate.

On-campus option: Courses are offered both during the daytime and the evening.

Limited residency distance learning option: The certificate can be completed through the limited residency distance option. Students come to campus for 9 days at the beginning of their program, taking IST 601 and either IST 621 or IST 653. Further courses are taken over the Internet: some with a short on-campus residency and some without a residency requirement.

Summer Institute courses: The Summer Institute on Leadership and Change in an Information Society, running from early July to early August, offers cutting-edge courses on the Syracuse University campus in intensive formats. Students in both on-campus and distance options take these courses.

Earn a Master's Degree
Participants in the certificate program have the option of applying these graduate credits toward a master's degree offered at the School of Information Studies. Credits completed for the IS&TM certificate can transferred to the schools: 42-credit requirement Master of Science in Information Management 36-credit hour Master of Science in Telecommunications and Network Management Selective credits may be applied to the 36-credit Master of Science in Library and Information Science