Information Systems & Technology

All Programs

Location	Email Address	Program Website
3068 DB	maist@yorku.ca	ist.gradstudies.yorku.ca

The Graduate Program in Information Systems & Technology was created to address advanced topics in information technology (IT) through a dual focus approach. This approach aims to combine the application of research-based knowledge with the real world challenges experienced by working professionals in IT. Offered in both part-time and full-time formats, the program fits the needs of IT academics and professionals alike.

As part of the leading interdisciplinary institution in Canada, this graduate program explores various ways in which the integration and customization of new and existing technologies can meet the needs of a wide range of users. Fostering creativity and productivity across a variety of sectors is a major aim. To this end the program benefits from the unique position it occupies between the disciplines of computer science and business studies. The program investigates the intersection of IT with a range of disciplines, from business to the sciences, to the arts and humanities.

Students benefit from a close relationship with faculty members who have a strong background in research and publication as well as consistent success in competitions for research funds. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty members who are engaged in major, ongoing projects of a national or international nature.

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts Program

To be considered for admission, candidates must have completed an honours undergraduate degree program (typically a four-year degree), in information technology or a related field, from a recognised postsecondary institution, with a minimum grade point average of B+ in the last two years of study. Related disciplines may include but are not limited to library science, health informatics, or computer science and engineering.

Applicants with an honours bachelor’s degree in an area other than those listed above may be considered for admission if they have at least five years work experience at a senior level in the field of information technology.

All applicants must:

submit a curriculum vitae.
provide 3 letters of reference.
submit a written statement describing research experiences and areas of interest. The statement should be one to two pages long.

Advanced standing is not available and transfers are not accepted.

Proof of language proficiency is required for applicants who do not meet one of the following criteria:

their first language is English; OR
they have completed at least one year of full-time study at a recognized university in a country (or institution) where English is the official language of instruction.

A minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 577 (paper based) or 90 (internet-based) or International English Language Testing System 7 is required.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts Program

Overview

Students have three options for completing their program of study. They must select one of the following options prior to beginning the program. Option changes are possible with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Thesis Option
Five 3.0 credit courses and a thesis.

Major Research Paper Option
Seven 3.0 credit courses and a research project.

Coursework Option
Ten 3.0 credit courses.

Students choosing the coursework option are advised that this option may limit their eligibility for most PhD programs in the area of information technology.

Students must successfully complete the following:

The required half course:
Information Systems & Technology 6310 3.0: Research Methods in Information Technology

An additional 12 credits (thesis); 18 credits (major research paper); 27 credits (coursework) from the Graduate Program in Information Systems & Technology core:

Information Systems & Technology 5150/4060 3.0: Enterprise Architecture
Information Systems & Technology 5210/4010 3.0: Systems Analysis and Design
Information Systems & Technology 6205 3.0: Advanced Web Mining
Information Systems & Technology 6110 3.0: Business Process Management and Service Oriented Architecture
Information Systems & Technology 6120 3.0: Systems Requirements Management
Information Systems & Technology 6130 3.0: Service Oriented Computing
Information Systems & Technology 6140 3.0: Software Product Lines
Information Systems & Technology 6150 3.0: Information Systems Architecture
Information Systems & Technology 6160 3.0: Introduction to Cloud Computing Systems
Information Systems & Technology 6170 3.0: Information Visualization
Information Systems & Technology 6210 3.0: Advanced Information Retrieval Systems
Information Systems & Technology 6220 3.0: Advanced Information Management
Information Systems & Technology 6230 3.0: Health Information Systems
Information Systems & Technology 6320 3.0: Information Technology and Organizational Strategy
Information Systems & Technology 6330 3.0: Designing and Building e-Business Application Information Systems & Technology 6340 3.0: Application and Design of Metaheuristics
Information Systems & Technology 6510 3.0: Applied Optimization Techniques in Information Systems
Information Systems & Technology 6520 3.0: Agent-based Information Technologies
Information Systems & Technology 6710 3.0: Introduction to Blockchain and Financial Technologies
Information Systems & Technology 6970 3.0: Advanced Topics in Information Technology

Up to six credits of elective courses from other units may be taken in place of credits from the Graduate Program in Information Systems & Technology core, where appropriate, to support students’ research or career specializations, and with permission of their supervisors and the Graduate Program Director. Students may choose from the following list or suggest suitable alternatives:

Critical Studies in Disability 5060 3.0: Disability in an Age of Information Technology
Communication & Culture 6500 3.0: Advanced Communication Technology
Computer Science & Engineering 5441 3.0: Real-time Systems Theory
Computer Science & Engineering 6412 3.0: Data Mining
Computer Science & Engineering 6590A 3.0: Special Topics: High-Performance Computer Networks
Education 5850 3.0: Science, Technology and Society Education 5855 3.0: Cultural Studies of Technology for Education
Education 5860 3.0: Issues in Digital Technology in Education
Education 5861 3.0: Digital Literacies and Social Media
Education 5862 3.0: Gender, Equity, New Technologies & Education/Same as Women’s Studies 6122 3.0
Education 5863 3.0: Digital Games and Learning
Humanities 6306 6.0: The Wired World: Culture, Technology and Contemporary Philosophy
Mathematics & Statistics 6340 3.0: Ordinary Differential Equations
Mathematics & Statistics 6630 3.0: Applied Statistics I
Mathematics & Statistics 6651 3.0: Advanced Numerical Methods
Mathematics & Statistics 6931 3.0: Mathematical Modeling

Program Entry

The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

Program Length

The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 5 terms. For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 5 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 5 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.

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