Admission to Degree Program

The degree program in the department carries special enrollment limitations. Please see the Marriott School of Management Advisement Center for specific details.

The Discipline

Computer-based information systems have become a critical part of the products, services, operations, and management of all organizations. The effective and efficient use of information and communications technologies is an important element in achieving competitive advantage for business organizations as well as achieving excellence in service for government and non-profit organizations. The twenty-first century has seen the rapid growth of the Internet, eCommerce, and purely electronic enterprises. These organizations would not even exist without the technology provided by computer-based information systems. The importance of information systems to organizations and the need for well-educated professionals in the field is the basis for strong educational programs and the development of a professional community of information systems (IS) practitioners.

Information systems involves two broad areas: (1) the acquisition, deployment, and management of an organization's information systems resources and services and (2) the development of computer-based systems and technology infrastructures for use in organization processes. Information systems professionals provide services ranging from the managerial to the highly technical. Information systems and technology skills are critical to the success of virtually all modern organizations, including small business, corporations, government, and educational institutions.

Career Opportunities

Information systems graduates work in large and small organizations of all types, helping maintain existing technology infrastructure and specifying technology solutions to business needs. They serve as the bridge between an organization's technical personnel and its business side. Well-educated information systems graduates are in high demand in accounting firms, consulting firms, large corporations, midsized companies, technical companies, government agencies, and smaller entrepreneurial concerns. Challenging career opportunities embrace a wide range of interests. The variety of employment prospects includes opportunities for everyone from those who are primarily interested in people and organizations to those who enjoy very technical activities such as database and network administration or software development.

General Information

Undergraduate Application Requirements

Admitted applicants to the information systems program begin major coursework each fall semester. The following items are taken into consideration for all applicants during the admission process:

1. Average GPA of prerequisite courses and cumulative GPA.
2. Review of academic transcript.
3. Applicant essay.
4. Comments from Information Systems professors.

Application Guidelines

Beginning Fall 2012:

1. Completion of the following prerequisite courses: IS 201, IS 303 (or CS 142), ACC 200, FIN 201, and BUS M 241. Note: A minimum 3.0 average GPA in the prerequisite courses is required, with no less than a B grade in IS 201 and IS 303 (or CS 142).
2. Repeating courses to improve a grade is strongly discouraged. Repeated and transfer courses are discounted 0.3 of a grade for admission purposes only (e.g. an A- grade would be discounted to a B+ during the admission process).
3. Completion and submission of the online application, including the applicant essay. The deadline to submit the application is the last working day of June at 4:30 pm.
4. Meeting or exceeding admission criteria does not guarantee admission. The Information Systems Department reserves the right to make exceptions to admission policies as deemed necessary to admit the most qualified applicants.