People who want to pursue a career in information technology often turn to programs that teach them about the role of technology in business. A bachelor’s degree in information systems is a good start in moving toward this goal, but to qualify for top roles it can be valuable to earn a master’s in information technology.
Students working toward their MS in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama at Birmingham will have to choose whether they want to concentrate on cyber security management or information technology management.
Both concentrations give aspiring IT professionals ample knowledge and in-demand skills relating to key business functions. In many ways, they are very similar; of the 10 courses every MS MIS student in the Collat School of Business will take, seven are key for both concentrations. However, the remaining three courses dive into targeted areas of Cyber Security Management and Business Analytics.
Details of the cyber security management concentration
Students who follow the cyber security management path can learn how to lead security teams tasked with keeping sensitive information protected against malicious cyber attacks.
Professionals with this expertise are highly important in today’s business environment. Data hacks have become common, and consumers want to know their personal information is safe. Sensitive business information must also be secured against criminal activity.
Three courses specific to the cyber security management concentration include:
IS 613: Information Security Management
In this course, students will explore relevant security management issues that affect today’s enterprises. They’ll discuss the concepts of developing technology policies and information resource management.
IS 620: Cyber Attacks & Threat Mitigation
One way of anticipating potential problems is stepping into the shoes of your adversary. In this course, students will look at networks and seek vulnerabilities through the lens of a hacker. They’ll learn about innovative cyber attacks, as well as how to detect and remedy weaknesses in networks. Further, they’ll dive into related legal issues and learn how to design, build, and maintain network systems.
IS 644: Digital Forensics
A cyber attack is harmful in itself, but it also sets off a series of processes aimed at catching the criminal, recovering from the breach, and responding to consumer concerns. In this course, students will learn about digital forensics investigation, as well as how organizations identify and track criminals.
Details of the business analytics management concentration
IS 617: Data Science for Business
This course will introduce students to the rapidly growing fields of business analytics/ data science, focusing on how data can be used to support decision making in organizations. It explains what and how principles and technologies of data science can be used to extract useful information and knowledge from large volume of structured and unstructured data (e.g., textual content) in order to improve business decision making. Prerequisite: IS 608 or equivalent.
IS 619: Advanced Business Analytics
The course is the study and practice of how we can extract insightful knowledge from large amounts of data. It is a burgeoning area, currently attracting substantial demand from academy and industry. Prerequisite: IS 617 or equivalent
IS 651: Data Management & SQL for Analytics
Explore various concepts of data management/ data warehousing for business analytics. The focus of this course is the process of extracting data from a diverse set of sources, transforming and cleaning data, and loading this data into a format used by analytics professionals. Students will also gain expertise in advanced data querying using Structured Query Language (SQL).
IS 652: Data Visualization for Business
In this course, students gain experience with techniques on how to effectively communicate the results of an analysis using information and visual aids. Students learn effective methods of presenting information in textual and graphical formats and how to frame data results in a business case format for interpretation by business managers. Students gain hands-on experience with the use of modern visualization tools.
UAB’s MS MIS program can lead to rewarding opportunities
Students working toward their master’s in information technology can gain a plethora of valuable skills and information that may contribute to a successful career in IT. Choosing a concentration that focuses on IT or cyber security management provides a deeper look into a particular aspect of IT careers and helps develop specific skills related to students’ future professional goals.
To learn more about the nuances of the IT or cyber security management concentrations, reach out to an enrollment advisor today.
Recommended Readings:
5 Key characteristics of an effective MIS leader
Information security management: What you can learn at UAB
Sources:
UAB MS MIS Course Descriptions