All MS-IS students must engage in either IS research or work on an IS project. IS research should culminate in a written research paper. Two kinds of project work are possible: (1) supervised industry practicum (4 quarter-credit hours) along with an approved general elective course or an appropriate study abroad activity; or (2) two quarters of supervised co-op work after joining the MS-IS program in the IS field in a company anywhere in the world.
Supervised Industry Practicum:
A student may work on a technical, managerial or organizational project in the IS field relevant to her/his current employment. The project will be supervised by a committee made up of an IS faculty member and an appropriate member from the employer. The student must prepare a proposal not to exceed two pages which includes the problem statement, the scope of the project, and a project timetable. The proposal must be approved in writing by both members of the committee before the student undertakes the work. At the end of the project, the student must submit a project white paper prepared with guidance from both committee members. The student may be asked to present her/his work in an appropriate graduate class.
Supervised Co-op work:
Dean Herman Schneider, founder of cooperative education at the University of Cincinnati in 1906 stated that “Cooperative education joins theory and practice and links education and industry through knowledge and experience.” The Division of Professional Practice at UC has aptly administered the co-op program over the decades for the undergraduate students and is solely responsible for the nation-wide recognition the program enjoys. A graduate co-op program provides an unprecedented opportunity to leverage the significant experience and industry relationships fostered at UC through its highly successful undergraduate co-op program. The first UC graduate co-op education program has been initiated in the School of Architecture and Interior Design in 2002 with the support of the Division of Professional Practice.
In contrast to internships and other similar arrangements like summer jobs, co-op programs fully integrate the work experience with the education curriculum. While the undergraduate co-op program emphasizes supervised work activities and skill building in specific IS sub fields, the graduate co-op students will be prepared for greater work autonomy such as IS project management. Some of the expected features of the co-op program in the MS-IS are:
In essence, the IS department will work closely with the Professional Practice Division to make sure that the co-op program is in conformance with UC's policies regarding co-op education.
Research project:
This option requires the student to conduct independent research on some subject in the IT domain, under the supervision of a faculty member in the IS department. The student is responsible for identifying a tenure track faculty member in the IS department who is willing to serve as Chair of his/her committee.
The Chair will work with the student to identify an appropriate subject, of mutual interest, for the research paper. The student must conduct a comprehensive review of the academic and practitioner literature on the subject, identify an interesting and original research question, and attempt to provide an answer to this question. The research project may consist of a broad spectrum of research paradigms including, but not limited to: 1) theoretical research, 2) applied research, 3) case studies, 4) data collection and analyses, and any other research process deemed acceptable by the candidate's Chair and Committee.
Upon completion, the student must orally “defend” the work before a committee of three faculty members, including the Chair and at least one other tenure-track member of the IS faculty. The third member of the committee may be a tenure-track faculty member in any department in the College of Business (including IS). A successful defense of the research project requires the unanimous acceptance of all three members of the Committee.
While open to any MS-IS student, this option may be especially helpful for students who may wish to pursue a PhD in the future.
