Management Information Systems

[Admissions Requirements] [Contact Information] [FAQs]

Metropolitan State University offers graduate certificate programs designed to meet the rapidly-evolving needs of information systems and business professionals in the field of management information systems (MIS).

There are two certificates offered. The generalist certificate is designed to give a thorough overview in current basic areas of MIS. The systems analysis and design certificate is tailored more to the needs of the information systems professional interested in upgrading skills within the field. Each certificate consists of five courses, which may be used as a first step in working towards a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or Master of Management Information Systems (M.M.I.S.).

To be considered for admission to the MIS Graduate Certificate program, you must submit the following materials:

official undergraduate transcript verifying a bachelor's degree;
a current resume and at least one year of full-time professional work experience, recommended;
essay: "Why I wish to earn the MIS Graduate Certificate," two pages in length;
diagnostic assessment scores, and
application and $20 nonrefundable application fee. Because this is not a degree-granting program, applications from international students studying on an F-1 student visa will not be accepted.

If the MIS coordinator determines that you have full prior competence in a certificate course, you may be given credit for the competency and allowed to take sufficient alternate credits, again with coordinator approval, to meet the total credit requirement of the certificate.

MIS Generalist Graduate Certificate

If you are a general business graduate with workplace experience in information systems or an MIS technical professional, the MIS generalist certificate brings you up to speed on important MIS management issues. The program helps you understand new MIS technologies and how to manage them and be aware of important new strategies for managing distributed computing environments, including Internet, intranets, extranets, VPNs and many others. You also learn project management skills that are crucial in the MIS environment and in great demand in the marketplace, and how to integrate many new MIS and management models. The expected outcomes include improved preparation for management in an increasingly information-intensive world, ability to develop organizational strategies based on using MIS as competitive tools, and broadening of your knowledge of MIS management areas, including project management, and of MIS technology and its application.

Requirements (20 credits)

MIS 600 Management Information Systems (4 credits) OR
DSCI 620 Project Management (4 credits)
MIS 662 Management of Distributed Computing (4 credits)
MIS 663 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation (4 credits)
MIS 671 Problem Formulation and Data Presentation (4 credits)

MIS Systems Analysis and Design Graduate Certificate

This certificate has similar goals and outcomes to the MIS generalist certificate, but is tailored more towards MIS technical and technical management audiences. Emphasis is placed on components of new systems design and decision-support concepts and techniques. By completing this certificate, you are better prepared to use new system design methodologies to improve the systems in your organization and to oversee development projects in traditional systems, client/server systems and distributed systems, including Internet and Web technologies.

Requirements (20 credits)

MIS 600 Management Information Systems (4 credits)
MIS 662 Management of Distributed Computing (4 credits)
MIS 665 Systems Design and Decision Support (4 credits)
MIS 667 Telecommunications and Internet Management (4 credits)
DSCI 620 Project Management (4 credits)

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College of Management Admissions Requirements

College of Management Graduate Degree Programs

The College of Management offers three graduate degrees: the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), the Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration (M.P.N.A.), and the Master of Management Information Systems (M.M.I.S.). The M.B.A. is designed to prepare you for a professional career in business or for-profit organizations. The M.P.N.A. prepares you for a career in government and not-for-profit organizations. The M.M.I.S. prepares you for leadership of your organization's information systems and technology-related areas. In addition, graduate certificate programs are offered in project management and MIS.

The College of Management graduate programs are offered in three formats: regular classroom-based courses, Web-enhanced courses that meet every other week in the classroom with online work in between classes, and fully online courses.

Together, the graduate programs in the College of Management have more than 1,400 alumni, most of who continue to live and work in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Desired College of Management Graduate Program Outcomes

Graduate programs in the College of Management are designed to enhance the management skills and knowledge of experienced adults. Mastery of management skills is a process that engages you throughout your professional life. For this reason, the desired outcomes of the three graduate programs focus on an ongoing process of learning and mastery. At the heart of the college's graduate programs is the expectation that accomplished managers:

know themselves, especially their values, well enough to develop an appropriate management style, philosophy and set of ethical guidelines;
have developed a universe of management concepts, paradigms and "maps," and are dedicated to exploring and creating ever-better ways to manage;
know when to take initiative and responsibility and when to empower others, and anticipate the consequences of their actions;
work effectively and sensitively with people of other races, gender, ethnic and age groups;
communicate effectively in writing, speaking and listening in a variety of settings;
know content, process and applications in key organizational areas;
understand how to motivate people, design work, evaluate the performance of others and provide an environment for personal growth;
obtain, understand, analyze and evaluate quantitative and qualitative information, manage modern information-handling technologies, and synthesize information from a variety of sources for decision making;
think strategically when identifying issues, problems and opportunities, evaluating alternatives, and implementing appropriate actions;
identify an organization's philosophy and goals, and derive objectives from them;
analyze internal resources and the external economic, political, legal and cultural environment in order to make strategic choices;
develop and implement a plan of action integrating activities of the various parts of an organization;
provide visionary direction for an organization and contribute to the process of innovation and creative development; and
envision, understand and facilitate change and anticipate the possible impacts on the organization.

Student Information

Admission Requirements for College of Management Graduate Programs

Materials submitted to the College of Management Graduate Program Office become the property of Metropolitan State University and are not returned. Applicants should allow 7-10 business days for review once all required application materials are received and sent to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee.

To be considered for admission to the M.B.A., M.M.I.S, M.P.N.A., or certificate programs, you must submit:

Application - complete the Metropolitan State University Graduate Programs Application, including a $20 nonrefundable application fee (waived for baccalaureate graduates of Metropolitan State);
Official Transcripts - showing a baccalaureate degree or equivalent earned from an accredited institution with grade-point average or narrative description describing courses completed from all schools attended after high school and transcripts from any graduate or professional programs;
Test Scores
*M.B.A. applicants must submit official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores - examinee copies are not acceptable. Note: If you already possess an earned Ph.D., D.D.S., M.D., or J.D. degree from an accredited U.S. institution or are participants in a College of Management special program, the requirement for the GMAT or assessments may be waived.
*M.M.I.S., M.P.N.A. and certificate program applicants should submit recent assessment scores;
Current resume - two years of professional work experience is required for M.B.A. and recommended for M.P.N.A; one year is required for the M.M.I.S.
Goals Essay - a word-processed paper (double-spaced and approximately two pages) explaining "Why the Master's Degree Would Help Me Achieve My Professional Goals," with specific reference to the M.B.A., M.M.I.S., M.P.N.A. or certificate program; significant achievements; planned career and community or personal activities, including what you can contribute to the program;
Two References - (using the required reference form) from employers or others who can attest to the importance of the master's degree in enhancing your professional development and commenting on your ability to pursue and successfully complete a graduate program. Faxed or electronic references are not accepted. (Not required for certificate programs).

In addition to the above admission documents required of all College of Management graduate students, international students should note the requirements described under Admission Information earlier in this catalog and are required to submit the following documents:

Official TOEFL score if you received your undergraduate degree outside the United States. Permanent residents, political refugees, resident aliens and international students on a nonstudent visa who received an undergraduate degree outside the U.S. must also submit official TOEFL scores. Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly to the College of Management Graduate Program Office at Metropolitan State University. Examinee copies are not accepted.
Official copy of a course-by-course transcript evaluation if your undergraduate degree was received outside the United States. The international course-by-course transcript evaluation conducted by an independent agency, such as Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Evaluation Services (WES), must be sent directly to the Graduate Program Office. Examinee copies are not accepted.
Financial support documents, verifying funds for two years of study.
Photocopy of the information page in your passport.

Additional documents required for F-1 international students currently in the United States on an I-20 from another college or university who wish to transfer to Metropolitan State include the following items:

Official transcripts from all U.S. colleges attended
Transfer verification form
Photocopy of current I-20, visa and entry stamp, I-94

Note: International students may apply for classroom based degree programs only. Applications from international students for the MIS or Project Management Certificate programs will not be accepted. These students will be referred to existing degree programs.

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester, August 1
Spring Semester, December 1
Summer Term, April 1

Application Deadlines - International Student Applicants

Fall Semester, May 1
Spring Semester, September 1
Summer Term, No summer admissions

Application deadlines will not be waived. Applications for admission are not considered until all requirements are met and fees received. International student applications are not processed until specified program prerequisite courses are successfully completed and official course-by-course transcript evaluations, TOEFL, GMAT or assessment scores are submitted. If you are unable to complete the assessments prior to admission, a GMAT or GRE score can be substituted. Admission is not granted, nor is an I-20 issued, without fulfilling all of the requirements for international student admission. NOTE: I-20s are not issued for certificate programs.

Admission Decisions/Categories

The College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates your application for evidence of undergraduate scholarship, professional experience and demonstrated aptitude for successful graduate business study. If you meet all application requirements, you are given full admission to the program for which you applied. If you have one or more prerequisite courses to complete and your application otherwise supports the conclusion that you can successfully undertake graduate study, you may be granted conditional admission to a program. As a conditionally-admitted student, you must complete these prerequisites prior to completing any graduate course work. Applicants denied admission may not take graduate level courses in the College of Management graduate programs.

Reapplication for Denied Applicants

If your application for admission to a College of Management graduate program is denied, you may reapply for admission to that same program only after a minimum of six months has passed after the denial. You will need to demonstrate a substantive difference in the reapplication to be considered for admission.

If your application to one College of Management graduate program is denied, you may apply for another College of Management graduate program. A new application form must be accompanied by a $20 application fee, a new goals essay, updated resume, two new references and GMAT scores and/or assessment test scores appropriate to the degree for which you are applying.

English and Quantitative Competence Assessment

All College of Management students, except those in special international cohort programs, are expected to demonstrate English and quantitative competence at a level to ensure success in graduate studies. If your abilities are assessed to be inadequate for graduate study, you may be required to enroll in appropriate undergraduate courses until your skills have been brought to a satisfactory level. These undergraduate courses must be successfully completed prior to taking any graduate level courses.

Orientation

Once you are fully admitted to a College of Management graduate program you will be required to attend a graduate student orientation session before or during your first semester of course work. If you do not attend an orientation session, a hold will be placed on your records preventing you from registering for further graduate classes until you attend orientation.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain in a College of Management graduate or certificate program.

Only courses for which you receive a letter grade of C (2.0) or better count toward degree requirements; and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation.
If you receive a letter grade of C+ or below in any graduate course, you will be placed on academic probation. If you receive a letter grade of C+ or below in two courses, or if your cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, you will be dismissed from the graduate program.
If you have been dismissed from a College of Management graduate or certificate program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may apply for readmission after one calendar year has passed. To reapply, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee indicating what circumstances have changed and how you plan to successfully complete the program. The admissions committee reviews your request and responds in writing.
Only courses in which you receive a letter grade are applied toward your degree. The option of a competence/no competence with a narrative transcript is not available to College of Management graduate students. Only internships are graded using pass/fail criteria.

Appeal of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Removals from the Program

If you are removed from a graduate or certificate program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may appeal the removal to the College of Management dean. The appeal must be in writing, and it must provide specific grounds for the appeal. The appeal is due to the dean within 30 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision to remove you from the program. The dean has 30 days to respond, in writing, to the appeal. Appeals received after 30 days will not be considered.

Reactivating into the M.B.A., M.M.I.S., M.P.N.A., or Certificate Programs

If you are a student in good academic standing who has not registered for courses for three or more consecutive semesters, you must apply to reactivate into the degree program. To reactivate, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee expressing a desire to reactivate into the M.B.A., M.M.I.S., M.P.N.A., or certificate degree program. The admissions committee reviews your request and responds in writing, specifying degree completion requirements and deadline for completion. You may be required to satisfy degree requirements in force at the time of reactivation, even if those requirements differ from those in force at the time of original admission to the degree program.

Extensions

You have five years from your first semester of graduate study to complete your degree program requirements and two years to complete your certificate requirements. You may request an extension of the time limit by writing to the College of Management Graduate Programs Office. Such requests must be received prior to the expiration of the time limit. Requests for extensions should include your reason(s) for requesting the extension, a summary of your plan to finish graduation requirements, and a specific date for the extension to expire. Extension decisions are made by the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee and are not automatic.

Registration by Undergraduate Students

With permission of the college, you may register for graduate level prerequisite courses during your last semester of undergraduate studies.

Transfer Credits

Once fully admitted, you may transfer up to 16 credits into your graduate program. A course is accepted in transfer only if it has been completed within the last five years from an accredited institution, no degree was granted, and a letter grade of B or better was earned in the course. Courses are accepted in transfer upon the approval of the graduate programs director in consultation with discipline coordinators.

College of Management Outstanding Student Award

During your final semester of course work, you may be nominated by the faculty for the College of Management Outstanding Student Award. Nominees are evaluated on the basis of their academic performance in their graduate degree program, as well as achievements in their community and professional contributions. All finalists are recognized in the commencement program, and the outstanding student receives special recognition during commencement.

Accreditation

Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

Affiliation

The College of Management is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and ascribes to its curriculum standards.

College of Management

Office Location: 1300 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Mailing address: 1501 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Phone: 612-659-7290

E-mail: COM.GraduatePrograms@metrostate.edu

Web site: http://choose.metrostate.edu/comgradprograms

Faculty

David Bahn, Allen Bellas, David Bouchard, Kathleen Chalekian, Grover Cleveland, Steven Creason, Dennis Daly, Timothy Delmont, Jennifer Dosch, James Fatzinger, Janet Henquinet, Ken Hess, Roger Israel, Katryna Johnson, Nancy Nentl, Hameed Nezhad, David O'Hara, Narasimha Paravastu, Roger Prestwich, Jayant Saraph, Francis Schweigert, Michael Sher, Adrianne Slaymaker, Joel Wilson, Michael Wilson, Minh Vo, Carol Bormann Young, Kenneth Zapp.

Contact Information

For More Information about the Certificate:

Please contact the Management Information Systems Department for further information:

David Bouchard, Professor and Program Director

Mail:
College of Management
Metropolitan State University
1501 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403-1897

Office:
Management Education Center
13th Street and Harmon Place
Minneapolis

E-mail: david.bouchard@metrostate.edu

Gloria Marcus, Graduate Program Recruiter

Mail:
College of Management
Metropolitan State University
1501 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403-1897

Office:
Management Education Center
13th Street and Harmon Place
Minneapolis

Work: (612) 659-7258
Fax: (612) 659-7268

E-mail: COM.GraduatePrograms@metrostate.edu

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