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Leverage the tremendous demand for IT leaders by advancing your skills in technology management.

Information technology (IT) is at the core of all essential aspects of a 21st century organization, from its public face to its financial records. Business leaders know that the versatility and efficiency of their IT systems could make or break their organizations. If you are a skilled IT manager, your talents are in ever-increasing demand.

Clark University’s M.S. in Information Technology (MSIT) program will prepare you to excel as an IT leader. You will learn strategic uses of IT as well as pivotal aspects of cybersecurity and data management. You’ll also master tools like Tableau and Splunk that allow you to analyze complex datasets. When you graduate, you will be prepared to take on an elevated level of responsibility in your current position or advance into new roles within the IT realm.

International Students

Candidates with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees are sought after across most major industries in the United States. When you graduate with a STEM-designated degree such as the Master of Science in Information Technology, you may be eligible to remain in this country for up to 36 months on Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Why a Master’s in Information Technology at Clark University

  • Work with industry leaders who have deep experience in key technologies and practices such as cybersecurity, data networking, data management, IT strategy, and IT architecture.
  • Learn the core skills necessary to excel in the management of technology, drive change, and motivate and mobilize teams.
  • Understand how to balance the ethical, financial, and business goals inherent in IT management.
  • Pursue a graduate degree in information technology on your own terms—online, on campus, or a hybrid of both—with affordable tuition.
Gio Almuarrawi

I needed a program to cover different aspects of IT, and that’s what I found in the Clark program. Diversity, the types of courses, and their quality – that’s what attracted me to Clark.

Gio Almuarrawi M.S. ’20 - IT

VP, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Risk Management

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The Essentials

Program Overview

Designed for working adults, our program can be completed in three to four years on a part-time basis either online or on campus. Students studying full-time can earn their degree in less than two years. Start dates for the program are in January and September.

Once enrolled, students may elect to pursue a concentration in either Cyber Security or IT Leadership. The MSIT program also includes numerous elective options in data management and project management.  Foundation courses blend management and IT skills with best practices for leading and managing IT operations. In addition, each concentration has its own set of required courses. Students are permitted to take two courses within the MSIT curriculum before formally enrolling in the program.

Learning Outcomes and Competencies – School of Professional Studies

The following sections talk about the specific programmatic outcomes for each credential.  For programs at the Masters level, a core of five core operational competencies informs our theoretical framework for all Clark University School of Professional Studies Master’s degrees. Graduate certificates are not held to the same holistic standard as they are considered to be narrower in focus and more applied in practice.  For the credentials at the Masters level, those competencies are:

Core Competencies for SPS Master’s Degrees
Organizational Systems OR Foundational Elements for STEM Programs Developing an appreciation and understanding of the interdependence of the parts of a system will result in effectively and efficiently assisting an organization by developing its strategy and delivering its intended mission.  For STEM credentials, a solid foundation in analytical and diagnostic competencies which will enable the student to succeed from a technological perspective.
Ethics and Social Responsibility

 

The SPS curriculum will stress the importance of ethics and corporate social responsibility, so all SPS students are aware of the advantages of ethical behavior in business and professional life, and can act from a moral point of view. The notions of ethics and social responsibility are extended to STEM programming through the lens of the issue of data and programming integrity that can inform systems and analytical architecture that is applied in a fair and equitable manner.
Applied Research As a professional, SPS graduates will have the ability to call upon research methodologies to solve practical problems organizations and individuals encounter.  Our professional focus demands that informed research is a core value to knowledgeable problem-solving.
Workplace Dynamics, Communication, and Career Management OR Core Technologies Necessary to Meet STEM Industry Standards Workplace dynamics involve the relationships among the members of an organization, including departmental and interpersonal relationships. The capacity to communicate effectively is an essential skill for the successful professional. Career is an integral component of a professional’s life, and career can be maximized by an awareness of opportunities available consistent with individual talents.  For STEM-based programs, core technological applications and industry standards will be presented to form a foundation of programming and problem-solving competencies for a successful workplace experience.
Theoretical Grounding Each SPS degree is part of a field of study based upon a collection of theories that have proven to be effective when applied to challenges. Students will develop an appreciation for how arguments are used to explain, predict, and understand phenomena.

 

MS in Information Technology

The Master of Science in Information Technology is designed to equip students with advanced skills and knowledge in the planning, design, implementation, testing and evaluation, deployment, maintenance, and management of applications and systems that embody information and communication technologies for their proper functioning. These skills form necessary foundations for solving practical problems that arise in business, industrial, governmental, and other organizations, as well as for pursuing doctoral studies in information technologies. We are confident that our degree and its concentrations will provide graduates with the skills necessary to work as professionals and take on leadership roles in their organizations.

Operational Competency Learning Outcomes
Organizational Systems – to understand the organizational role played by modern information architecture. (Course: MSIT3100 Contemporary Issues in IT)
  • Students new to IT will gain a high-level understanding of the role of IT within an enterprise and gain insight into today’s major trends within the industry.
  • Develop familiarity and ability to define the terms Big Data, cybersecurity, enterprise collaboration, and enterprise mobility.
  • Understand cloud deployment trends and options for an organization or individual.
  • Understand what is entailed in data center redesign and when this is necessary.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the application development process.
Ethics and Social Responsibility – to apply values and ethics within the public service and non-profit sectors. (Course: MPA3220 Ethics and Professional Life)
  • Identify legal and ethical implications of social equity and diversity in organizations.
  • Analyze action and options in the context of competing priorities.
  • Apply ethics to decision making through the appropriate use of evidence that recognizes stakeholders competing values.
  • Articulate the pillars of social responsibility through levels of attainment: awareness, understanding, application, integration, and leadership.
Workplace Dynamics, Communication, and Career Management – to lead, manage and engage others in an organization. (Course: MSC3300 Professional Seminar)
  • Analyze organizational environments from multiple perspectives and apply analysis to determine the alternative course of action.
  • Evaluate appropriate processes and structures to achieve organizational goals.
  • Examine group dynamics to apply insights into building and sustaining team effectiveness.
  • Understand how to collaborate with multiple stakeholders to build strategic relationships to achieve goals.
  • Create and critique personal models of leadership.
  • Understand how leaders can leverage the power of motivation for achieving organizational goals.
  • Determine the factors that allow employees to adapt and thrive in an organizational culture.
  • Construct persuasive written and oral presentations to contribute to the mission of the organization.
  • Understand the value of planning activities and engagement in jobs over the course of a lifetime for better fulfillment, growth, and financial stability. Career is an integral component of a professional’s life, and career can be maximized by an awareness of opportunities available consistent with individual talents.
Applied Research – to analyze information for effective and efficient decision-making. (Course: MPA3900 Research and MSIT3999 Capstone)
  • Demonstrated evidence of knowledge of the operational perspective of information technology through the experience of systems design and gathering of information.
  • Ability to identify, analyze and evaluate information problems, issues, and choices.
  • Understand basic performance management.
  • Select, apply, critique, and interpret analysis for informed decision making.
  • Utilization of appropriate research-based methodology within the resource constraints of an organization.
  • Design and conduct proper research to evaluate the information needs of an organization.
  • Apply processes for useful resources allocation and management of financial obligations.
Theoretical Grounding – the study of a business problem domain to recommend improvements. (Course: MSIT3050 Information Systems Analysis and Design)
  • Understand when to select a structured, object-oriented, or an agile systems development approach.
  • Serve as a Systems Analyst on a project team.
  • Gather business requirements and turn them into detailed analysis documentation.
  • Articulate the various accepted project management methodologies and further explain the Systems Analyst role within each.

 

We recognize the valuable experience and perspectives that working professionals bring to the class. If you are a student with three or more years in a professional position or hold an industry-standard certification, you can apply for the Assessment Prior Learning (APL) credit.*

You may be awarded APL credit for up to two (2) graduate courses, enabling you to complete your degree more quickly and cost effectively. (An administrative fee is applied if the APL credit is approved.)

*Applies to Worcester campus only.

  • Understanding how technology usage creates strategic opportunities
  • Mastering business intelligence systems, project management, systems analysis, cyber security, and enterprise architecture strategy
  • Gaining the leadership and communication skills needed to lead major IT efforts
  • Gathering, assessing, and interpreting information on emerging technologies and applying them to a particular industry
  • Understanding data security issues, application security, and network security architecture
  • Business Intelligence
  • IT Strategy Leadership
  • Cyber Security Fundamentals

Requirements

10 course units

  • 4 core courses
  • 6 electives (or 3 concentration courses and 3 electives)

Course Catalog

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