From: norcio@sunchips.ifsm.umbc.edu (A. F. Norcio)
Newsgroups: soc.college.gradinfo
Subject: MS & PhD Programs in Information Systems
Followup-To: soc.college
Date: 7 Jan 1993 01:43:44 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland (UMBC), Information Systems Department
NNTP-Posting-Host: sunchips.ifsm.umbc.edu



Department  of  Information  Systems
University  of  Maryland
Baltimore,  Maryland 21228-5398 


M.S. and Ph.D. Programs in Information Systems

The Department of Information Systems offers programs leading 
to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.  The principal objective of the
information systems graduate program is to provide  
critical study and research in the discipline of 
information systems.  The course work encompasses the theoretical
foundation upon which information systems are constructed, as 
well as the current range of applications of information systems.
Completion of the program provides 
career opportunities in scholarly, commercial, government, 
and service organizations that employ 
information systems.  The M.S. and Ph.D. programs 
provide the competence needed to enter the private and public 
sectors as systems analysts; database designers; software designers
for database users; decision support system administrators; 
documentation and technical manual designers; coordinators between 
engineering and management personnel; expert system designers for
industry, law and health sciences; administrators of databases 
within public and private sector organizations; and information 
systems scholars for research institutions and organizations.

Areas of specialization include Human-Computer Interfaces, Management 
Information Systems, Decision Support Systems, and Foundations of 
Information.  Application areas may be applied to many different 
areas, e.g. computer systems, theoretical applications, law information,
health sciences information, management information, music, operations
research, public services information, and expert systems.  

The M.S. program can typically be completed in two to three years and 
the Ph.D. program normally requires four to six years.


Research Facilities

The Department of Information Systems maintains extensive hardware 
and software facilities.  These include UNIX-based HP 375 
minicomputers with three gigabytes of disk storage and OSF motif 
graphic user interface.  The department also maintains Sun SparcStations, 
NeXT machines, and high-end Macintosh computers.  Numerous Xterms, laser
printers, and graphic plotters are included in the department's facilities.  

In addition, the department has a dedicated laboratory for personal
computer applications and graphic terminal interfaces.  This facility 
is capable of supporting interactive video disk and CD-ROM-based 
applications.  This laboratory also contains a network 
of personal computers, laser printers, and many other peripheral 
devices.

All equipment is networked via Ethernet, allowing access to all
hardware resources from any one location.  The campus Ethernet network 
allows access to additional computer resources including a VAX 8600 
cluster, Silicon Graphics system, and an Ardent superminicomputer.  

The department maintains several dedicated laboratories.  One lab houses 
frame creation machines and numerous Septre terminals.  This facility 
is dedicated to studying videotext as a delivery mechanism for decision 
support systems. 
 
Another lab supports psychophysiological research focused upon stress
effects of VDT-based performance and countermeasures to those effects.  
This lab's facilities include equipment that monitors blood pressure and
heart rate and an EMG with on-line graphic displays.

The Health Informatics Lab contains specialized equipment and software
for conducting research into information systems for real-time 
medical delivery systems.

The Hypertext Lab supports research into the structure and
organization of information as well as the human comprehension of
information structures.

With respect to software, the department maintains over 100 software 
packages.  Among the many applications are expert systems, neural 
networks, CASE, databases, modeling and simulation, statistics, decision 
support systems, quantitative management, graphics, desktop publishing, 
software and program development, and authoring systems.  In addition,
the software libraries include SAS and several HCI shells.


Financial Aid

The graduate program offers a number of research and teaching 
assistantships. Inquiries about availability should be made to the 
department.


Tuition and Expenses

Tuition for graduate study is currently $129 per credit hour for 
residents and $229 per credit hour for non-residents.  Books and other 
expenses average $600 to $800 per academic year.  


Cost of Living

Single students should anticipate off-campus living costs of between 
$4000 and $8000 per year.  The campus is surrounded by numerous apartment 
and townhouse communities. 


Student Population

There are approximately 120 students in the graduate programs.
Seventy five percent are MS students and 25 percent 
PhD students.  Degree-seeking students have prior degrees in many 
fields including arts, sciences, and business, representing a broad range 
of information systems applications.  


Location

The University campus is located close to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., 
with convenient interstate highway access to both metropolitan areas. 
The area abounds with opportunities for practical experience in law, 
health science, public service, business, government, and industry. 


The University and The Department

The University of Maryland Baltimore campus is one of the 
seven campuses of the University of Maryland System.  It has grown to be
identified with high-technology research and application programs, with an enrollment of 11,000 students.  The Department of Information Systems has the largest undergraduate major on the campus with an enrollment of more than
1,300 students each year.  The faculty's research interests 
cross most areas of information systems and their applications.


Admission

The department admits new students once a year for the Fall semester.
Applications must be received by the Graduate School by February 15.
Applications for Graduate Assistantships must be submitted directly to 
the department by February 15.  Other types of financial aid are available
directly from the Graduate School.
 


Correspondence and Information

For additional information on the programs and requirements, contact:

	Director of Graduate Programs
	Department of Information Systems	
	University of Maryland 			  
	Baltimore, Maryland 21228-5398

	Phone: (410) 455-3688
	Fax: (410) 455-1073
	Internet: gradinfo@ifsm.umbc.edu

Xref: sparky soc.college.gradinfo:1831 soc.college:5902 sci.psychology:4891