Mar 29, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog (ARCHIVED) 2020-2021 
    
Undergraduate Catalog (ARCHIVED) 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Fast Track (4+1) Graduate Program (BIS)


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Program description, goals, and benefits

The Fast Track program at DSU provides a unique opportunity for high achieving undergraduate students to obtain both a Bachelors and a Master’s degree in five years. This is accomplished by allowing these students to take selected graduate courses during their senior year. These courses will also count towards their undergraduate course requirements thereby accelerating completion of a graduate program. In effect, students will be able to:

  • Leverage their presence on campus to complete some of the requirements of the graduate program during the last semesters of their undergraduate degree, thus reducing completion time by at least one semester. In effect, obtaining a BS and a MS degree in five years.
  • Save on tuition cost by taking up to 9 credits of graduate course work that will count towards undergraduate and graduate program requirements.

Specific Undergraduate and Graduate Programs for Fast Track Requirements

The Fast Track programs are specifically for the Masters of Science in Anayltics, Information Systems, and Health Informatics and Information Management graduate programs in the College of Business and Information Systems.

Undergraduate students in:

  • BS Computer Information Systems would select either MS Anayltics or MS Information Systems program.
  • Health Information Administration would select the MSHIIM program.

Admission requirements

Students in the identified majors may be admitted to the Fast Track program upon completion of their junior year. Accordingly, they can apply to the program in the last semester of their junior year. To be considered, the student will have to meet the following requirements:

  • Have senior status by the time they commence their joint undergraduate/graduate program.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher after grades have been posted from their junior year.

Application requirements

A Fast Track application can be picked up in either the College of Business & Information Systems or the Office of Graduate Studies & Research, or on the graduate website. A completed application package is required once a student has earned his/her BS degree. See program information for specific application requirements.

Sample Programs of Study for College of BIS


Computer Information Systems with MS Analytics Program of Study


Students will be allowed to take up to 3 credits courses during their senior year.  Substitute three specific INFS courses to replace three CIS courses (a total of nine credits).

Computer Information Systems with MSIS Program of Study


Students will be allowed to take up to 3 graduate courses from either Plan A or Plan B during their senior year.

Plan A


Substitute three specific INFS core courses for three specific CIS courses (a total of nine credits):

Plan B


Substitute three specific INFS core courses from the list to replace three CIS Electives (a total of nine credits)

Recommended selections:

  • INFS 720 - Systems Analysis & Design Using Case-based tools
  • INFS 724 - Project and Change Management
  • INFS 730 - Programming for E Commerce
  • INFS 750 - IT Infrastructure, Technology and Network Mgmt
  • INFS 760 - Enterprise Modeling, and Data Management
  • INFS 780 - Information Technology Strategy and Policy

Health Information Administration with MSHIIM Program of Study


Students will be allowed to take up to 3 graduate courses during their senior year.  Substitute three specific HIMS core courses to replace three electives (a total of nine credits). 

Recommended selections:

  • HIMS 742 Healthcare Information Infrastructure
  • HIMS 744 Healthcare Information Analysis
  • HIMS 747 Business of Health Informatics

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