School of Computer and Information Sciences


 Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems (DCIS)

 Introduction
 Admission Requirements
 The Curriculum
   Concentration in Information Security
 Orientation and Academic Advising
 Program Formats and Term Dates
 Time Limitations
 Attendance Policy
 The Dissertation/Evaluation of Dissertation Progress
 Course Descriptions

 Graduate Catalog
 Dissertation Guide

 Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences home page

Introduction

This program offers a course of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Information Systems or the Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security. It is offered in the cluster format, which combines traditional and online instruction to provide professionals the opportunity to pursue graduate study while continuing to work in their current positions. The program is especially well suited to information technology professionals in business, government, industry, or education who are involved with research, design, implementation, management, evaluation, utilization, or teaching of computer information systems. It provides information technology professionals with the knowledge and ability to develop creative solutions to substantive real-world problems. Each student must complete eight core courses, two research project courses, and a dissertation.

The concentration in information security is recognized by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) based on its certification of the school’s curriculum for compliance with the requirements of NSA national training standards NSTISSI No. 4011 (Information Systems Security Professionals) and CNSSI No. 4013 (System Administrators). Students who complete the concentration may also request a graduate certificate.

A graduate with a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems will have the ability to: (1) Acquire advanced knowledge and deeper understanding of the field of computer information systems; (2) Communicate professionally and ethically about computer information systems research issues; (3) Identify, analyze, and synthesize scholarly literature related to computer information systems; and (4) Generate new knowledge through research/scholarship and disseminate that knowledge to others by demonstrating the necessary technical and intellectual skills to produce a written document that makes an original contribution to the field of computer information systems.

This program is designed for the student with a master’s degree in computer information systems, computer science, information technology, or a closely related field. The applicant should satisfy graduate prerequisites or have equivalent experience in information systems, programming languages, database systems, systems analysis and design, and data communications and networks. Alternatively, GSCIS master’s students in computer science, computer information systems, information security, or information tehnology may apply for early admission into the Ph.D. program.

The Curriculum

The program requires 64 credit hours, of which 40 are for courses and 24 are for the dissertation. Courses and dissertation registrations are listed below:

Core Courses  (four credits each) (Select eight of these.)
DCIS 710  Decision Support Systems
DCIS 720  Human-Computer Interaction
DCIS 730  Network Security
DCIS 735  Knowledge Management
DCIS 740  Data Communications and Computer Networking
DCIS 750  Database Systems
DCIS 760  Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
DCIS 770  Software Engineering
DCIS 791  Distributed Systems
DCIS 799  Special Topics in Computer Information Systems (offered on various subjects)

Research Project Courses  (four credits each) (Select two of these. Must be taken concurrent with, or following completion of, the corresponding core course.)
DCIS 810  Research Project in Decision Support Systems
DCIS 820  Research Project in Human-Computer Interaction
DCIS 830  Research Project in Network Security
DCIS 835  Research Project in Knowledge Management
DCIS 840  Research Project in Data Communications and Computer Networking
DCIS 850  Research Project in Database Systems
DCIS 860  Research Project in Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
DCIS 870  Research Project in Software Engineering
DCIS 891  Research Project in Distributed Systems
DCIS 899  Research Project in Special Topics in Computer Information Systems

Dissertation Registrations
DCIS 910  Dissertation I (12 credits)
DCIS 915  Dissertation II (12 credits)
DCIS 920  Continuing Dissertation (6 credits)

Curriculum for the Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security

The Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security was developed to address the rapidly growing global problems of maintaining and securing computer information. The program requires 64 credit hours, of which 40 are for courses and 24 are for the dissertation. The dissertation must be in an area closely related to information security. Courses and dissertation registrations are as follows:

Required Core Courses  (four credits each)
DCIS 730  Network Security
DCIS 750  Database Systems
DCIS 765  Secure Systems Analysis and Design
DCIS 770  Software Engineering
DCIS 775  Privacy
DCIS 791  Distributed Systems

Elective Core Courses  (four credits each) (select two of these)
DCIS 710  Decision Support Systems
DCIS 720  Human-Computer Interaction
DCIS 735  Knowledge Management
DCIS 740  Data Communications and Computer Networking
DCIS 760  Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
DCIS 799  Special Topics in Computer Information Systems (offered on various subjects)

Research Project Courses  (four credits each) (Select two of these. Must be taken concurrent with, or following completion of, the corresponding core course.)
DCIS 830  Research Project in Network Security
DCIS 865  Research Project in Secure Systems Analysis and Design
DCIS 875  Research Project in Privacy

Dissertation Registrations
DCIS 910  Dissertation I (12 credits)
DCIS 915  Dissertation II (12 credits)
DCIS 920  Continuing Dissertation (6 credits)

Orientation and Academic Advising

New Ph.D. students must attend an orientation day on the main campus in Fort Lauderdale at their first cluster or institute meeting. The orientation includes introductions to the program office staff, computer requirements, online access, software tools that enhance the educational process, library services, financial aid, and academic integrity. The school’s website provides an extensive online “help” system including downloadable software and documents. Students are offered dissertation counseling throughout the program. Advisement is provided by the program office and the faculty.

Program Formats and Term Dates

Terms for the Ph.D. program are five months long. The student enters candidacy upon completion of course requirements with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25. Immediately following candidacy, the student registers for the dissertation at 12 credits per term for two terms. Students who have not completed the dissertation after registrations for Dissertation I and Dissertation II must register for Continuing Dissertation until they have satisfied the dissertation requirement. Students are strongly encouraged to register for each term following the one in which they enter candidacy until the dissertation has been completed. Doctoral residence is defined as continuous enrollment for two consecutive terms at a minimum 12 credit hours per term.

Students may select one of two formats: cluster or institute, with the exception of computer information systems and computer science which are offered in cluster format only. Cluster students, while taking courses, attend four cluster meetings per year, held quarterly over an extended weekend (Friday, Saturday, and half-day Sunday) at the university. Cluster terms start in March and September. Cluster weekends are held in March, June, September, and December. Institute students, while taking courses, attend a weeklong institute twice a year at the university. Institutes are held in January and July at the start of each five-month term. Clusters and institutes bring together students, faculty, and staff members for participation in courses, dissertation counseling (individual and group), special lectures, and ample opportunity for student-faculty and student-student interaction. Students are required to attend all of their scheduled cluster or institute class sessions.

Between on-campus meetings, students work on core course assignments and research project courses and participate in online activities that facilitate frequent interaction with the faculty and with other students. The online component involves use of the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of WebCT as a course management system which includes threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, WebCT enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors’ reviews of assignments online in the same formats. Students are provided NSU computer accounts but must obtain their own Internet service providers and use their own computer systems.

Time Limitations

Students must complete requirements for the Ph.D. degree within 10 years from the date of their first registration. No extensions will be granted. Students dismissed for exceeding the time limit will have no right to apply for readmission.

Attendance Policy

Ph.D. students are required to attend all of their scheduled clusters or institutes and must attend all of their class sessions. Failure to attend may result in withdrawal from courses and suspension or dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Exceptions to this rule may be made in the case of illness and possibly in other hardship situations. Such exceptions must be approved first by the course professor and then by the program director. Absence from individual class sessions must be approved by the course professor. Students are required to advise the program office and their course professor in advance of any anticipated absences. Participation/attendance policies regarding the online components of doctoral courses will be covered in the syllabus of each course.

The Dissertation/Evaluation of Dissertation Progress

Students will be permitted to register for the dissertation after they have completed their required course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. Both Dissertation I and Dissertation II are required. They are usually taken over two consecutive terms. The dissertation is the most important requirement for the Ph.D. Each student is expected, with the approval of a faculty advisor, to select an appropriate topic of sufficient scope to satisfy the requirements for the dissertation. Although registration for dissertation credits typically occurs at or near the end of completion of the course requirements, students are encouraged to learn about the dissertation process as early as possible and to begin talking with faculty members about potential research topics early in the program. The dissertation must be an original work and must represent a significant extrapolation from a base of solid experience or knowledge in the student’s area of concentration. Dissertation results must, in a significant way, advance knowledge, improve professional practice, or contribute to understanding in the field of study. Results must be of sufficient strength to distill from the work a paper worthy of publication in a journal or conference proceedings, or to use the work as the basis of a textbook or monograph. Although publication is not a requirement for completing the Ph.D., students are encouraged to submit their dissertation research for publication. Ph.D. students must follow the policies, procedures, and formatting requirements contained in the Dissertation Guide (www.scis.nova.edu/pdf_documents/Diss_Guide.pdf). It is recommended that students attend cluster and institute presentations on the dissertation process, research methodology, and writing for publication.

Evaluation of Dissertation Progress

Students are evaluated on a number of occasions regarding their dissertation progress. The purpose of such evaluations is to provide students with relevant and timely feedback concerning their overall performance in the dissertation process and to serve as a screening procedure. Failure to demonstrate the ability to complete a dissertation or to maintain satisfactory progress on the dissertation may result in review by the Academic Review Committee and possible probation, suspension, or dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Students are encouraged to register for each term following the one in which they enter candidacy (i.e., complete course requirements with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25). Unregistered dissertation students risk losing their advisors/committees if the stop-out has not been coordinated with their advisors. Registered but inactive dissertation students risk losing their advisors/committees. Students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language in all work submitted during the dissertation process. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, and writing that does not express ideas clearly will not be tolerated and may result in the rejection of dissertation work and review by the Academic Review Committee. The faculty will not provide remedial help concerning grammatical errors or other writing problems that students might have. Students who are unable to write clearly and correctly are urged to obtain remedial help. (See the section Writing Skills and Form and Style Requirements.)

Course Descriptions

DCIS 710  Decision Support Systems  (4 credits)
Principles and techniques relating to automated support for decision making and organizational problem solving. The focus is on current research in decision support systems. Topics include decision theory, modeling and simulation, decision support system architecture, group decision support systems, knowledge-based expert systems, and intelligent systems.

DCIS 720  Human-Computer Interaction  (4 credits)
The course focuses on current and future research in HCI pertaining to computer information systems. Design elements, procedures, tools, and environments contributing to the development of successful user interfaces are explored. Design principles that support usability for user interfaces and methodologies for evaluating user interfaces are presented.

DCIS 730  Network Security  (4 credits)
Study of the technical challenges of securing computer networks, the tools and techniques that have been developed to address these challenges, and the current research in protecting critical information networks. Topics in the course will include network protocols designed to enhance security, wireless security approaches, intrusion detection, cryptography, and authentication and access control techniques. A significant focus of the course will be on current and emerging network security research areas.

DCIS 735  Knowledge Management  (4 credits)
Knowledge management (KM) is said to promote innovation, improve efficiency and effectiveness, and provide a sustainable competitive advantage in today’s global environment. This course examines computer-based systems for supporting KM. Principles of developing systems for KM are explored. System architectures, tools and techniques, and their use in capturing, storing, locating, evaluating, disseminating, and using information and knowledge are examined. Topics will include techniques for indexing, searching, retrieving, and displaying information from knowledge bases. Investigation of the issues in the application of knowledge management to organizational learning and decision making is included. Application of these principles and techniques through the use of rapidly evolving information/communication technologies is studied in the context of their impact on organizations.

DCIS 740  Data Communications and Computer Networking (4 credits)
Recent advances and trends in data communication and computer network research are explored.  Included in the course topics will be ad-hoc networking, mobile and ubiquitous computing, parallel algorithms, software agents, resource discovery and management, communication, performance management, reliability, fault tolerance, and computing services. Infrastructure issues are aligned with research to deliver current and future solutions for dependable information systems.

DCIS 750  Database Systems  (4 credits)
Theory and principles of data models and data modeling, databases and their management. Selected topics in design, implementation, and applications of traditional and nontraditional database management systems. Current issues, trends, future directions, and research topics in the areas will be explored.

DCIS 760  Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems  (4 credits)
Theory of, and major approaches to, artificial intelligence. Topics include knowledge representation, heuristic search, and machine learning, and reasoning under uncertainty. Recent research and current trends are explored.

DCIS 765  Secure Systems Analysis and Design (4 credits) 
Study of the tools and methodologies utilized in analyzing and assessing the security of critical information systems. Topics include the design of secure architectures, vulnerability assessments, and the analysis of potential security threats. An emphasis will be placed on current issues, future directions, and research opportunities for students in this field.

DCIS 770  Software Engineering  (4 credits)
Advanced topics in the development of software-intensive systems, system life cycles, requirements definition and analysis, behavioral specification, design, implementation, verification and validation, system evolution, and project management. An emphasis will be placed on current issues, future directions, and research topics.

DCIS 775  Privacy  (4 credits)
This course will study the principles of privacy and current privacy issues regarding information systems. Privacy will be looked at as an extension of basic computer security. Discussions will cover the legal, technological, ethical and policy aspects of privacy in our modern technologically-based society. Techniques and practices used in on-line systems such as e-commerce, transaction systems, and data  management will be included. Methods to address privacy concerns in the development, selection, deployment, and management of systems will be the course focus. Privacy representation languages and trust models will be discussed.

DCIS 791  Distributed Systems  (4 credits)
Students are expected to contribute to the body of research in the area of networking and distributed systems with a focus on dependable distributed applications and information systems. Topics include the components of distributed systems architecture, operating systems, networking, interprocess communication, middleware, security, and software development. The development of the distributed computing model and its application to enterprise strategy, architecture, and management issues are explored with an emphasis on current research, design and development strategies for dependable information systems.

DCIS 799  Special Topics in Computer Information Systems  (4 credits)
Covers advanced topics in areas of current research interest in computer information systems. Topics will vary depending on student and faculty interest.

DCIS 810  Research Project in Decision Support Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in the area of decision support systems.

DCIS 820 Research Project in Human-Computer Interaction  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in HCI related to computer information systems.

DCIS 830 Research Project in Network Security  (4 credits)
Students pursue a research project on a current topic in network security. Topics of current interest include wireless security, intrusion detection, cryptographic theory and applications, enhanced authentication and access control measures, and malicious code detection.

DCIS 835 Research Project in Knowledge Management  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in knowledge management.

DCIS 840 Research Project in Data Communications and Computer Networking  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in data communications and computer networking.

DCIS 850 Research Project in Database Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue a research study on a current topic in database systems and its closely related research areas.

DCIS 860 Research Project in Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in the area of artificial intelligence.

DCIS 865 Research Project in Secure Systems Analysis and Design (4 credits)
Students advance their knowledge of secure systems analysis and design by participating in a series of practical exercises and directed group assignments designed to allow students to demonstrate their abilities to design and assess secure information systems.

DCIS 870 Research Project in Software Engineering  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in software engineering.

DCIS 875 Research Project in Privacy (4 credits)
Students investigate research topics on privacy in systems. Studies include reviewing current research in aspects of privacy, developing publication quality research proposals and interacting with other students in sharing research topics. Some topics of current interest are user perception and actions related to privacy in application areas, preserving privacy in systems, compliance, development of enhanced Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET) and federated identity models and protocols.

DCIS 891 Research Project in Distributed Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in distributed systems.

DCIS 899 Research Project in Special Topics in Computer Information Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic related to DCIS 799.

DCIS 910  Dissertation I  (12 credits)
The student develops a framework within which doctoral research will be conducted and offers evidence of qualifications to pursue the research. Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of all course work.

DCIS 915  Dissertation II (12 credits)
Concepts and theories underlying the student’s doctoral research are articulated; the problem is clearly stated; specific, measurable goals are specified; a thorough literature review is presented; the methods of conducting the research are delineated; and a strategy to achieve the goal is given. Prerequisite: Dissertation I.

DCIS 920  Continuing Dissertation  (6 credits)
Students who have not completed the dissertation by the end of Dissertation II must register for Continuing Dissertation each term in order to receive faculty and administrative advice and support related to the dissertation. Prerequisite: Dissertation II.



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