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Online M.S. in Information Systems Policies

Policies and Procedures

All standard UMBC, Graduate School, and IS Department policies and procedures apply to this program with the exception of those items identified below.

  • Students may take no more than 3 classes per semester without prior permission from their advisor and the Graduate Program Director.
  • Students may take ONE independent study. To do this, the student must submit in writing to the IS department an abstract of the course of study. The student must have the written permission of the IS department before the student registers for credit.
  • No more than two electives may be taken outside of your program’s curriculum. Approval from your faculty advisor and the graduate program director is required before these courses can be taken.
  • Graduate students may be recommended for dismissal after earning 3 Cs (this includes C+, C, or C-), or a D or F in any graduate level course.

Technical Requirements

Since the degree is delivered entirely online, students are expected to have a strong online presence. This includes Internet access and some PC-based tools. Students must have reliable access to the internet via both a web browser and e-mail. It is recommended that students upgrade to the latest version of their preferred web browser.

A particular course may expect the student to use telnet to access a computer resource or ftp to move files across the Internet. Both telnet and ftp software are part of the Windows operating system.

Students are expected to have access to Microsoft Office 2000 or higher.

Individual classes may have specific technical requirements. Those requirements will be listed in the course’s syllabus.

Refund Policies

The first $200 of tuition is non-refundable for all classes in the online MS program as this covers the cost of books, materials, delivery of these materials, and administrative expenses. As a result, any refunds will be based upon the tuition paid minus $200. However, if a student drops a course prior to the start of the semester, and the textbook is returned, the $200 non-refundable fee will be reversed.