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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.
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 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.) Research Project Courses (four credits each) (Select two of these. Must be taken concurrent with, or following completion of, the corresponding core course.) Dissertation Registrations 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) Elective Core Courses (four credits each) (select two of these) Research Project Courses (four credits each) (Select two of these. Must be taken concurrent with, or following completion of, the corresponding core course.) Dissertation Registrations 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. 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. 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. 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.) DCIS 710 Decision Support Systems (4 credits) DCIS 720 Human-Computer Interaction (4 credits) DCIS 735 Knowledge Management (4 credits) DCIS 740 Data Communications and Computer Networking (4 credits) DCIS 750 Database Systems (4 credits) DCIS 760 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems (4 credits) DCIS 765 Secure Systems Analysis and Design (4 credits) DCIS 770 Software Engineering (4 credits) DCIS 775 Privacy (4 credits) DCIS 791 Distributed Systems (4 credits) DCIS 799 Special Topics in Computer Information Systems (4 credits) DCIS 810 Research Project in Decision Support Systems (4 credits) DCIS 820 Research Project in Human-Computer Interaction (4 credits) DCIS 830 Research Project in Network Security (4 credits) DCIS 835 Research Project in Knowledge Management (4 credits) DCIS 840 Research Project in Data Communications and Computer Networking (4 credits) DCIS 850 Research Project in Database Systems (4 credits) DCIS 860 Research Project in Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems (4 credits) DCIS 865 Research Project in Secure Systems Analysis and Design (4 credits) DCIS 870 Research Project in Software Engineering (4 credits) DCIS 875 Research Project in Privacy (4 credits) DCIS 891 Research Project in Distributed Systems (4 credits) DCIS 899 Research Project in Special Topics in Computer Information Systems (4 credits) DCIS 910 Dissertation I (12 credits) DCIS 915 Dissertation II (12 credits) DCIS 920 Continuing Dissertation (6 credits)
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Ph.D. in Computer
Information Systems (DCIS)
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.