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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Direct inquiries to: Dr. Baram, 305 Wachman Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, (215) 204-6847
E-mail: baram@cis.temple.edu

General Statement

The Graduate Certificate in Information Technology offered by the Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) Department is free standing. The Certificate Program is carefully tailored to the needs of students with varying backgrounds. A typical student is expected to choose six (6) graduate courses based on student background and interest from the list of courses provided at the end of this section.

Graduate credits obtained toward the certificate may be applied toward a master’s degree in Business and Management with a concentration in Computer and Information Sciences, subject to the standard policies of the Temple University Graduate School and the Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management (SBM).

Objectives

The Certificate Program is intended to provide students with both a detailed knowledge and a broad background in the technology of information processing and in the managerial use of computerized information systems. Students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze and understand business-oriented problems and apply current information technology to help solve these problems. The emphasis throughout is on the development of problem solving and communication skills and the use of technology to redefine and improve organizational processes and develop computerized systems to support these processes.

Substantial laboratory work will be required. Students will participate individually and in groups in the design, development, testing, and documentation of information systems using various hardware and operating system environments and a variety of programming languages. They will learn how to analyze client needs, define systems to meet these needs, coordinate information processing operations, and act as technical intermediaries between management and technical staff. CASE tools and relational data base management systems will be used in a number of the courses.

Student Enrollment Base

The program is targeted to students from all segments of the business, university, and government communities. It should be of interest to established employees desiring to upgrade their skills, as well as to professionals seeking a career change. This latter group of students normally will have an undergraduate degree in a non-CIS field and will require more extensive training in order to change to a career in information systems.

The program is structured to provide the flexibility for training persons with varied backgrounds such as:

  • Persons with non-CIS undergraduate or graduate degrees and limited experience in Computer or Information Sciences. (These students may also be required to take some prerequisites.)
  • Persons having an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in Computer or Information Sciences.
  • Persons with an undergraduate or graduate degree outside of Computer or Information Sciences who have practical experience in the CIS field.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Certificate Program, students must normally meet the following admissions standards of Temple University and the Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management:

  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
  • An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8; and
  • A least one letter of recommendation.

In addition, the departmental requirements for admission include:

  • Basic knowledge of information systems; and
  • The equivalence of two consecutive programming courses in the same language, such as: CIS 81 and 83.

Applicants will be evaluated carefully, enabling students with varying backgrounds to be admitted, assuming sufficient strength overall. Competence in the prerequisite knowledge areas may be demonstrated by professional work experience or acquired by completing selected CIS undergraduate courses covering the required material.

Admission to the program is administered by the CIS Department Graduate Adviser. Applicant backgrounds in information systems are reviewed to determine which track of the program is most suitable and to identify needed prerequisites (if any). Student progress is monitored by the CIS Department on an on-going basis.

Certificate Requirements

A total of six (6) graduate level courses (500 level or higher) are required. These courses normally must be selected from the existing list of courses in the master's program in Information Systems (MSA) offered through the Temple University Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management. Students may select courses based on background and interest.

Important Note

Students wishing to apply Certificate Program credits toward the Master’s Degree (MS) must be admitted to the program no later than the start of the semester in which the fourth graduate course is taken. Thus, a maximum of three courses (9 credits) may be taken by non-matriculated students and applied to the degree.

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