Program Overview

Introduction to the Information Systems M.S. Program

The Information Systems M.S. program, offered by the Information Systems Department, aims to encourage the use and development of information systems to improve societal conditions and contribute to scientific and technological developments. This program welcomes graduates from diverse disciplines to meet the interdisciplinary graduate needs of academia and the public and private sectors. It pursues research and technology development across different disciplines, serving all sectors from business to defense.

Program Overview

The program offers various specialization options, including:

• Data Science
• Digital Transformation
• Software Technologies and Management
• Management Information Systems
• Information and Communication Technologies

Students can conduct research in multiple areas, and the same courses can be taken under different specialization options.

Course Offerings

The complete list of courses offered by the Information Systems department can be found in the course catalog. Students are also allowed to enroll in courses offered by other departments at METU, provided their advisors approve. Electives can be selected from different specialization tracks.

Deficiency Courses

A common academic basis for incoming students is achieved via deficiency courses, which must be completed within a maximum of one year. The deficiency courses for the program are:

• IS 503 Database Concepts and Applications / CENG 302
• IS 504 Comp. Networking for Information Systems / CENG 435 / EE 444 / CENG 530
• IS 507 Introduction to Software Engineering / CENG 350
• IS 545 Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures / MIN 545/OOP (Ex. BIN 500 or CENG 305) + (EE 441 or CENG 301)
• IS 500 Contemporary Issues in Business / BA 1101

Exemptions from these courses can be granted according to the rules determined by the Information Systems academic committee for those who have already taken equivalent courses.

Main Program Courses

The main program includes three courses with credit:

• IS 501 Introduction to Information Systems
• IS 502 Information Systems Project / DI 502
• IS 520 Research Methods in Information Systems / CEIT 520 (Only for Thesis Programs)

Additionally, there are four courses without credit:

• IS 589 MSc Project (for MSc non-thesis students)
• IS 590 Graduate Seminar (Only for Thesis Programs)
• IS 599 MSc Thesis (for MSc thesis students)
• IS 699 PhD Thesis (for PhD students)

Program Structure

The program structure varies by degree:

MSc Course Load - Thesis Option

• 3 Core courses
• IS 590 Graduate Seminar
• IS 599 MSc Thesis
• 4 Elective courses

MSc Course Load - Non-Thesis Option

• 2 Core courses (IS 501 and IS 502 / DI 502)
• IS 589 Term Project
• 8 Elective courses

PhD Course Load

• 3 Core courses
• IS 690 Graduate Seminar
• IS 699 PhD Thesis
• 4 Elective courses

Specialization Tracks

The program offers several specialization tracks with elective courses from the Informatics Institute:

Data Science Specialization Track

• Big Data
• Cloud Computing: Technology and Business
• Knowledge, Discovery and Mining
• Social Network Analysis
• Social Media Analytics
• Machine Learning
• Deep Learning: Methods and Applications
• Mobile and Pervasive Computing
• Energy Informatics
• Software Architecture
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
• Image Processing Algorithms
• Applications of Audio Information Systems
• Foundations of Deep Learning
• Data Driven Organizations
• Deep Learning for Text Analytics
• Sequence Models in Multimedia
• Machine Learning Systems Design and Deployment
• Reinforcement Learning
• Artificial Intelligence for Cognitive Science
• Introduction to Probabilistic Programming
• Probabilistic Models of Cognition
• Multimedia Signal Processing
• Multimedia Standards
• Biological Signal Analysis
• Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation Specialization Track

• Digital Transformation: Management, Technology and Organization
• Innovation Management
• Decision Support Systems
• Energy Informatics
• E-Transformation and Management
• Contemporary Socio-Technical Perspectives In Information Systems
• Regulatory and Legal Aspects Of Information Systems
• Big Data
• Cloud Computing: Technology and Business
• Social Network Analysis
• Social Media Analytics
• Mobile and Pervasive Computing
• Information Security Management
• Technology Entrepreneurship and Lean Startups
• Mobile Business
• Software Project Management

Software Technologies & Management Specialization Track

• Software Architecture
• Software Project Management
• Software Design Patterns
• Introduction To Software Testing
• Software Quality Management
• Software Verification
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
• Formal Verification-Theory and Practice
• Business Process Management
• Systems Engineering
• Management

Management Information Systems Specialization Track

• Information Systems In Organizational Design and Applied Systems Thinking
• Information Technology Acceptance In Organisations
• Contemporary Socio-Technical Perspectives In Information Systems
• Digital Transformation: Management, Technology and Organization
• Information Security Management
• E-Transformation and Management
• Innovation Management
• Decision Support Systems
• Regulatory and Legal Aspects Of Information Systems
• Technology Entrepreneurship and Lean Startups
• Mobile Business
• Software Project Management

Information and Communication Technologies Specialization Track

• Computer Networking
• Applications Security Engineering
• Human Computer Interaction
• Introduction to Modeling & Simulation (M&S)
• Concept Image Processing Algorithms
• Applications of Audio Information Systems
• Big Data
• Cloud Computing: Technology and Business
• Social Media Analytics
• Mobile and Pervasive Computing
• Software Architecture
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
• Information Security Management
• Mobile Business