A major force in educational innovation, the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences (GSCIS) provides educational programs of distinction to prepare students for leadership roles in information technology. Its strengths include a distinguished faculty, a cutting edge curriculum, and flexible online and campus-based formats for its six M.S. and four Ph.D. programs as well as for its graduate certificate programs in information security. All programs enable working professionals to earn degrees without interrupting their careers. The school also welcomes full-time students, whether on-campus or online. On-campus evening master’s degree programs are tailored to meet the needs of South Florida residents. Online master’s degree programs require no campus attendance and are available to part-time or full-time students worldwide. A unique online Ph.D. program requires only four weekend or two weeklong campus visits each year. The school has online students living in almost every state in the United States and in 20 foreign countries.

Widely recognized as a leader in online education, the school began offering online graduate programs in 1983 and created the first electronic classroom in 1984. It now offers more than 300 online classes annually.

The school’s research advances knowledge, improves professional practice, and contributes to understanding in the computer and information sciences, and information technology. In addition to its regional accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, NSU has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security. Its curriculum in information security has been certified by NSA for compliance with Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) national standards. Collaborative programs include the U.S. Army’s eArmyU initiative and the Southern Regional Education Board’s Electronic Campus. The school has a chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), the International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines, and a student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), one of the largest in Florida.

The M.S. requires 36 credit hours. It may be completed in 12–18 months. Several of the M.S. programs offer concentration or graduate certificate options which may require additional courses. Terms are 12 weeks long, and there are four terms each year. They start in September, January, April, and June. The school’s M.S. students may apply for early admission into the Ph.D. program, which provides the opportunity to earn the doctorate in a shorter time.

Depending on the program, Ph.D. students may take one of two formats: cluster or institute. Clusters and institutes bring together students and faculty members for participation in courses, seminars, and dissertation counseling. Between meetings, students work on assignments and projects, and participate in online activities that facilitate frequent interaction with the faculty and with other students. Cluster students, while taking courses, attend four cluster sessions per year, held quarterly over an extended weekend (Friday, Saturday, and half-day Sunday) at the university. Cluster terms start in September and March. Institute students, while taking courses, attend weeklong sessions at the university twice a year at the start of each term. Institute terms start in January and July. All Ph.D. terms are five months long.

Online students use the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and other information and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are used throughout the instructional sequence based on the use of WebCT as a course management system. Online activities facilitate frequent student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction. They are supported by threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and other online tools. 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.

We invite you to download our Graduate Catalog , or other documents, and to explore our website and seek ways to fulfill your goals. Thank you for visiting our dynamic learning community. We wish you success in your graduate studies and your career.

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