The Master of Science in Informatics requires:

1. Successful completion of an approved program of study, from the courses below, providing 30 hours of graduate credit.
2. Students must complete one course of independent study (INFO U798) but can optionally choose to complete a second for a total of 6 credit hours.
3. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) is required over the entire graduate program, and a minimum grade of C is required in all graduate courses.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
I. Core Courses
INFO U650	Cloud Based Information Resource Management	3
INFO U710	Management of Innovation and Intellectual Property	3
INFO U762	Interoperability	3
INFO U763	Advanced IT Project Management	3
INFO U798	Independent Graduate Study in Informatics	3
II. Electives
Select any combination of five courses of the following:		15
Information Resource Management
INFO U622	Advanced Knowledge - Based Systems
INFO U720	Information Architecture
INFO U740	Cognitive Systems
INFO U761	Business and Competitive Intelligence
Health Informatics
HIMS U750	Health Services Research Methods and Analytics
HIMS U751	Healthcare Purchasing, Supply Chain & IT Vendor Management
HIMS U753	Strategic Planning for Healthcare Information Management Systems
HIMS U752	Compliance in the Healthcare Industry
Independent Study / Special Topics
INFO U796	Special Topics in Graduate Informatics
INFO U798	Independent Graduate Study in Informatics
INFO U799	Thesis Preparation
Cybersecurity
INFO U717	Information Privacy
INFO U727	Cybersecurity Management
INFO U745	Digital Forensics Technology
Business Analytics (up to 4 courses)
MSBA U700	Introduction to Quantitative Analysis and Programming
MSBA U705	Data Mining and Management
MSBA U715	Principles of Business Analytics
MSBA U720	Data Visualization
MSBA U760	Data Governance, Law, and Ethics
MSBA U765	Business Process and Operations Analytics
MSBA U770	Programming for Analytics
MSBA U775	Web & Social Media Analytics
Total Hours		30

USC Upstate Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems Graduate Mission Statement

Information management professionals in the graduate program at USC Upstate are broadly prepared in information technology, communications, and business theory. Graduates choosing the electives in Information Resource Management (IRM) understand unique challenges of managing people, projects, information, knowledge, processes and information resources in today's quickly changing globalized market. Graduates choosing electives primarily in Healthcare Information Management (HIM) understand how to apply and manage information management resources in the health sciences setting.

Degree Candidates

Individuals seeking admission to USC Upstate as a degree candidate, will be considered for full admission when the USC Upstate Admissions Office receives all admissions material. However, students are eligible to take up to 6 hours of program courses pending receipt of all materials. Applications are reviewed holistically in their entirety and in comparison to other applications received to select candidates who are a good fit for and who will be reasonably expected to succeed in the program. If the student meets all criteria, the student will be accepted as a degree candidate. Requirements are:

• Professional resume
• Application as a degree-seeking student
• Graduate application fee
• State residency status form
• Two (2) letters of recommendation using forms provided in the application packet
• Official test scores: submission of either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is acceptable. Note: MAT and GRE scores are only valid for five years. Test scores may be waived in exceptional circumstances.
• Official copies of all previous graduate and undergraduate studies
• A minimum GPA on all undergraduate coursework of 2.5 on a 4.0-point scale
• Proof of immunization for measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella) if born after December 31, 1956
• An interview with a Department of Informatics faculty member
• A written statement of intent as to why the applicant wishes to apply to the program

Conditional Admission

As long as all other admission requirements have been fulfilled, a student may apply for conditional admission by submitting a written request to the chair of the Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems in either of the following cases:

• If, after two attempts, the student fails to meet the required Miller's Analogy Test score of 390 or Graduate Records Examination of 146 on the verbal section and 140 on the quantitative section
• The student has a GPA on all undergraduate coursework of below 2.5 on a 4.0-scale.

If the student is granted conditional admission, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.25 on the initial twelve (12) hours of USC Upstate graduate coursework to be fully admitted as a Master's candidate, or meet the criteria set forth by the Informatics Graduate Faculty committee as appropriate. If the student fails to achieve this GPA, the student may not continue in the Master's program.

Each candidate will be reviewed by an admissions panel consisting of faculty from the Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems. The panel will make recommendations including possible remedial coursework (additional courses at the undergraduate level to repair any deficiencies in the candidate's background), to the chair of the Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems who will make the final decision on admission. The Dean of the College of Science and Technology will be able to reverse any admission decision made by the chair. Before a student begins the independent study or research portion of the curriculum, each student will be assigned a faculty mentor to serve as the student's advisor. Some students may be offered graduate student stipends depending on availability of funding.