The core curriculum is a combination of five, three-credit courses that cover the field of computing and information systems. These courses review current knowledge, theory, and practice in computing and information systems. The core provides students with the minimum skills and knowledge that will facilitate their understanding and ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, create, and implement information systems. Generally students should complete all IS foundations courses before proceeding to the IS core courses. See individual course descriptions for specific prerequisites.
The IS foundations reflect a minimum level of prerequisite IS knowledge, and are required to prepare students for the IS core.
Elective courses are designed to complement the core curriculum and expand basic knowledge, theory, and practice into areas and issues of individual interest or concern. They allow students to specialize in a particular topic or learn a new set of skills necessary for research and/or practice in information systems. Some elective courses may not be available every year and a growing list of electives will emerge as student and faculty interests change and develop.
Elective courses may be selected from the following areas: IS Technology, IS Management, Information Systems Development, Intelligent Information Systems, e-Services, and Theory of Computing and Information Systems.
Students with specific interests not covered by current course offerings may also work with individual faculty members as a way to fulfill elective requirements. To facilitate this involvement with faculty, students may register in independent study courses. No more than three credits may be earned through independent study.
With program approval, additional courses may be taken from other Athabasca University graduate programs, space permitting.
MScIS courses are delivered in independent paced mode, using distance education instructional design principles and enabling web-based technologies.
Students are expected to use computer-mediated communications for the following purposes:
- Instructor and student-to-student interactions in computer conferences,
- Electronic mail, both within and outside of the course structure,
- File transfer or file attachment of assignments and feedback between instructor and students and between students on joint projects, and
- Accessing web-based resources such as electronic databases (the Athabasca University library maintains subscriptions to ACM and IEEE digital libraries).
To maintain program status, students who are completing the course requirement of the MScIS program must complete a minimum of six credits of course and/or project work during each academic year. Students who fail to maintain a minimum course load will be placed on academic probation.
Students who have finished the course work requirement but who have not completed the project in the required registration period (two terms) will be required to pay continuation fees in order to maintain their position in the program and their status as graduate students. Students who fail to maintain their program status will be considered to have withdrawn from the program.
Students who do not maintain minimum academic standards will be withdrawn from the program. Minimal acceptable academic performance is defined as
- No more than one B- (70 to 73 percent) in a foundations/core course.
- No more than one C+ (67 to 69 percent) in an elective course.
- A 75 percent overall average.
With the exception of the thesis or project, which will be graded on a pass/fail basis, all courses will be graded using the following Alpha/4.0 grading scale effective September 1, 2004.
Students registered in courses with start dates before September 1, 2004 will be graded according to the applicable former Alpha or percentage grade scale.
For courses starting on or after September 1, 2004, the following scale is now effective. Please review the Graduate Grading Policy.
| Alpha Grade | Percentage | Grade Point |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 95 - 100 | 4.0 |
| A | 90 - 94 | 4.0 |
| A- | 85 - 89 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 80 - 84 | 3.3 |
| B | 75 - 79 | 3.0 |
| B- | 70 - 74 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 66 - 69 | 2.3 |
| C | 63 - 65 | 2.0 |
| C- | 60 - 62 | 1.7 |
| F | 59 - 0 | 0.0 |
W Withdrawn in good standing
Projects, breadth essays, courses taken on Letters of Permission, courses for which credit was awarded through Prior Learning Assessment, and courses for which advanced standing was awarded, will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
Registration in courses is subject to prerequisite requirements or professor permission. Elective courses may be taken on completion of the core courses or concurrently with the core courses offered in any term.
Students who cannot complete their course on or before their contract date may apply for an extension by submitting an Extension Request Form and the extension fee.
Students may apply for one extension only per course. Requests to extend the contract must be submitted no later than the original contract date. The extension starts on the first day following the original contract date. An extension provides students an additional two months with full instructor support.
The following MSc IS courses are not eligible for extension: COMP 603, COMP 605, COMP 607, and COMP 695.
Students are allowed only one re-registration in each course. Both the initial registration and the re-registration will appear on the student’s academic record.
Students may re-register in a course only if they have received more than one final grade of B- or lower in a foundations/core course or more than one final grade of C+ or lower in an elective course, or have withdrawn from the course in good standing. In re-registering, students must complete all course requirements and pay the full course fee.
Information effective Sept. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011.
Updated October 20, 2011
