Graduate Courses
Master of Science Course Descriptions
| Core Courses | Aviation Management (Area of study) |
| Clinical Trials Management (Area of study) | Information Technology (Area of study) |
| Nuclear Energy Technology Management (Area of study) | Technical Studies (Area of study) |
| Master's Project |
For all areas of study except Information Technology, the Master of Science degree program includes 18 credits of core courses, 12 credits of area of study requirements and a 6-credit Master's project. For the Information Technology area of study, students who are not working as information technology professionals at the time of their admittance into the program will be required to take 18 credits of core courses and all students in the Information Technology area of study are required to complete 15 credits in the area of study, bringing the total credits needed to earn the degree to 39 credits. Students who are IT professionals at the time they are admitted into the program will not be required to take MSI-501, pending a review by the dean.
Core Courses: 18 credits
This course introduces project management from the standpoint of a manager who must organize, plan, implement, and control tasks to achieve an organization's schedule, budget, and performance objectives. Tools and concepts such as project charter, scope statement, work breakdown structure, project estimating, and scheduling methodologies are studied. Students will practice with Microsoft Project software to be able to manage a project from start to deployment. What is a project? How is it managed? What is the best approach? This course will answer those questions and many more. This is an opportunity to learn the project management fundamentals that can guide a project through a maze of challenges to successful completion. Successful projects do not occur by luck or by chance. In fact, many projects do not achieve their organization's goals.
This course provides an overview of the most successful strategies and approaches for achieving performance improvement in technology-based organizations, using the latest research findings and examples of high performing technology organizations. Topics covered include organizational capabilities in managing costs and productivity, performance measurement, leadership system for high performance, enhanced quality in products and services, employee engagement, and enhanced customer engagement and satisfaction as well as performance capabilities (such as organizational values, adaptability, flexibility, agility, responsiveness, and decisiveness) that enable organizations to anticipate and respond to change. The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence are examined as assessment tools for achieving desired organizational capabilities. Discussion also covers specific approaches that contribute to high performance and organizational effectiveness, such as customer relationship management, supply chain management, Six Sigma, lean methodologies, and other process improvement tools. Successful applications of these strategies and approaches are illustrated through practical applications.
This course examines the relationship between sustainable growth, innovation, and the commercialization process. Particular emphasis is placed on how to drive profitable innovation through a dynamic process of constantly creating new business models, improving customer experiences, opening new markets, and commercializing or launching new products. Students will research innovative technologies; identify processes that transform technology innovations, research, and results from the laboratory to the real marketplace; determine their commercialization potential; and discuss different types of legal protection.
This course provides a comprehensive discussion and analysis of organizational concepts and practices with implications for individual and group behavior in technology-based organizations. The primary purpose of the course is to provide students with an understanding of how people and teams interact in the workplace and how technology-based organizations can be managed more effectively for improved productivity and organizational effectiveness. The key objective is to help students become more skilled at managing interpersonal challenges of the workplace. Additionally, the course will facilitate the effective experiential learning of students through activities and real-world problem-solving exercises. Topics of discussion include but are not limited to conceptual frameworks, case discussions, diversity in organizations, attitudes and job satisfaction, personality and values, perception and individual decision-making, motivation, individual and group behavior, work teams, communication, leadership, power and politics, conflict and negotiation, the structure and culture of organizations, and organizational change and development.
Decisions on large and small programs, whether in government or industry, always have a financial component and financial impacts. This course will provide students with an understanding of the financial aspects of decision making. The focus will be on the application of cost estimates and cost benefit analyses to program and financial management, budget preparation and justification, the understanding and use of financial statements, and program control. In addition, the course will help participants to become informed consumers of cost estimates and cost benefit analyses. Being informed includes evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the cost-benefit analysis approach as well as the role of risk and uncertainty, comprehending sensitivity analysis, and knowing the right questions to ask when the individual is the recipient of a cost-benefit analysis.
Technology and the Human Community: Challenges and Responses looks at technology historically and philosophically. The course focuses on technological issues affecting contemporary and emerging professional, public, and private structures. A central issue is the role of the citizen in dealing with political, economic, and social pressures related to technology. A key purpose of this course is for students to exchange views by engaging in and discussing serious social and technological issues with a view toward their resolution.
Information Technology: 15 credits
This course is a survey course on information technology (IT). It is designed to give students ample opportunity to review critically emerging trends and implications for business managers and IT professionals. Topics covered include IT foundation concepts, data/information management systems, networking systems, enterprise models/systems, IT management processes, IT security, and IT ethics.
This course examines data communication and networking technologies from the business perspective. Topics covered include the networked enterprise, telecommunication network models, communication hardware, and trends and emerging technology, such as social media, mobile computing, cloud computing, big data, and the internet of things (IoT). Emphasis is on data communications as an integral element of business.
This course provides students with knowledge and skills for object-oriented design and implementation of software applications. Students will learn to apply object-oriented concepts in solving computational problems and implementing structured and easily maintainable software solutions. The course also covers concepts on algorithmic design for problem solving and computer language mechanics.
Advisory: This course is designed for students with a basic understanding of computer programming. Specific programming skills or previous programming experience is not required. However, object-oriented application development will be fully explored so having a basic, working knowledge of computer programming is encouraged.
The focus of this course is on the identification of an organization problem, the goals and the purpose of information technology (IT) systems, and how to carry out all the activities in the analysis and design of the systems. It addresses the design phases and all the techniques that are used to carry out the activities using a structured approach. Students will be required to apply these techniques to a work group project.
This course covers most of the major advancements in the technology of the design, development, and management of database management systems (DBMS) as well as the theoretical concepts and applications of DBMS. Students will have hands-on experience through case study exercises and the design and implementation of projects.
Note: This course requires that students use Microsoft Access software, which is a Windows-based product and will not run on Macs. Students can run this software and other Windows software on a Mac using Apple's Boot Camp technology or third-party virtualization tools like Parallels or VMWare Fusion. These tools make it possible to run Mac OSX and a Windows operating system side by side. This solution will require a Windows license.
The focus of this course incorporates core concepts of operating systems. Emphasis is placed on interpreting universal concepts that are applicable to a wide range of operating systems. Topics explored include processes and threads, memory management, virtualization, scheduling and interaction between computers, and the services provided by operating systems hardware. Examples are utilized from UNIX, Windows, and Android operating systems.
Nuclear Energy Technology Management: 12 credits
This course examines the prediction of radiological consequences from the dispersion of airborne radioactive effluents. The theoretical models are substantiated by meteorological data and dose assessment. The applications phase will link the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) code RASCAL to nuclear facility licensing, compliance, and emergency planning. Use of the code for analysis and evaluation is incorporated into the course as instruction.
This course assesses nuclear industry prevention of an accidental, unplanned, and inadvertent self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction that could result in large radiation exposures or release of radioactive materials to the environment. The course emphasis is on the analysis of processes or systems that involve fissile materials, double-contingency principles, independent events in processes that must occur concurrently, and the need for continuous improvements based on operating experience.
This course presents current nuclear industry incidents, accidents, and issues confronting the future of the commercial nuclear power industry that will be synthesized and evaluated for the creation of continuous improvement recommendations with justifiable evidence. The course requires students to apply a systematic problem-solving approach for the cases discussed. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, new nuclear power plant construction, and small modular reactors are examples of the sources of issues for the course. The course concludes with the project for each student to develop a comprehensive incident analysis report or case study.
Aviation Management: 15 credits
This course examines programs employed by air carriers and airport operators in operating and maintaining various safety and security services. Special emphasis is on the Safety Management System (SMS) as well as the federal guidelines and their applications at commercial service airports. This course will build on subjects learned in TESU AVF-3030: Aviation Safety Management. Additional topics include: history and evolution of SMS, components of SMS, safety regulations, and aviation security programs.
This course integrates the fundamentals of economics, operations, marketing, and finance in developing the overview of Air Carrier Operations. While these major topics are found in any industry, the uniqueness of Air Carrier Operations requires that they be examined in detail specific to the aviation industry. For example, flight routing structure and queuing are clearly unique to Air Carrier Operations and would not be found in a marketing course. Other fundamental content in the course includes security, regulations, and international flight scheduling. The manager with a broad understanding of the industry and its competitive environment is better equipped to work interdisciplinary assignments within the industry and, ultimately, to succeed and progress in an airline operations career.
This course addresses requirements, responsibilities, and methods of operating major U.S. and international airports. The course studies both Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards regarding airside and landside operations, operational safety, maintenance and construction, security, and emergency preparedness. The course will build on subjects learned in AVF-4720: Airport Management I and AVF-4740: Airport Management II. Airport Management and Operations will provide an in-depth analysis of airport operations and the myriad of responsibilities that airport managers face on a day-to-day basis. It will present airport expansion in its historical context along with the impact airports have had on regional development and on the environment. Students are introduced to the regulatory aspects as well as the operational requirements affecting airports and air travelers. Additional topics include analysis of airport planning and design, financial management, and marketing. Because airports are continually evolving, this course provides airport executives with the knowledge, skills, and expertise to properly evaluate and satisfy these needs while combining fiscal responsibility with sensible management and planning.
This course focuses on the fiscal management and financial issues of airports, airlines, and others in the aviation industry. Topics include a review of Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) and fiscal decision making as they relate to air transportation entities using financial statements, ratios, financial planning, and appraisals. An in-depth examination of operating sources of finance, leasing, costing of operations, and revenue management are explored using finance and micro/macro-economic forecasting. The course integrates economics and fiscal management of airline and airport operations to enable the student to use finance management tools to make knowledgeable and data driven decisions in the air transportation industry.
This course offers a management approach to understanding labor-management relations in the aviation industry with an added focus on the development of labor law in the United States. Additional topics include the collective bargaining process and the use of pressure tactics, contract administration, the arbitration process, legal rights of union members, unfair labor practices, contemporary issues pertaining to labor-management relations in aviation, and current trends in union memberships.
Master's Project: 6 credits
The Master Project in Applied Science and Technology is designed to provide a guided in-depth experience in defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling a significant opportunity or challenge relevant to the learner's applied science or technology workplace or profession. The learner will be expected to acquire knowledge, apply real-life experience, and conduct research to make recommendations that are based upon solid data and benchmarking.