OPSC 501
Explore Information Technology with Software Engineering & Project Management (M.S.)
Take your technical expertise to the next level with an MS in information technology degree specialized in software engineering and project management. This project management for software development program is designed for professionals with technical backgrounds in various fields of study including computer and information systems, computer science, software development, web design and development, and more. This unique master of science in information technology with an embedded software engineering and project management certificate was developed in response to industry demand, providing a path for IT professionals to master their crafts and demonstrate they are technically focused to be compatible with today’s long-term technological workforce needs—in high-performance fields from cloud computing to information security.
This multidisciplinary MS in information technology program teaches you how to specify, model, and manage the development and successful delivery of high-quality software projects. In your software engineering courses, learn how to apply software testing techniques to ensure the quality of software products, follow agile project management best practices, use the latest analysis requirements to specify software products, and more.
Build Your Career Future
Designed for those looking to take their software development knowledge to the next level, this MS in information technology program with a specialization in software engineering and project management was built with IT professionals' needs and industry trends in mind. You’ll graduate with a strategic, integrated view of information technology that will provide a robust framework for today’s technical professionals to think more critically and approach complex organization challenges more innovatively. You’ll also gain essential soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and leadership, that will be key assets for future career advancement as technology evolves.
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Academic Excellence and Recognition
Regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
Designated as a Military Friendly School for our commitment to the military community
Ranked among the best by Tech Guide for game design and computer science
Named the among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com
Prepare for What's Next
As technology evolves and changes, the industry’s need for highly skilled and qualified technical professionals is fast-growing across all sectors. With a valuable combination of technical acumen, subject matter expertise, and critical soft skills, graduates of Champlain's master's in information technology with a concentration in data science program will be prepared to pursue advanced roles in the information technology field.
Master’s degrees are in high demand in the vast and varied world of information technology, and employment in master’s-level occupations is projected to grow by 13% from 2020 to 2030 - much faster than the average for all occupations. Additionally, the median annual salary for computer and information technology occupations is $91,250.*
*Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2020
Master's in Information Technology Careers
- Computer Network Architect
- Computer Programmer
- Computer Support Specialist
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Computer and Information Research Scientist
- Data Scientist
- Database Administrator
- IT Manager
- Network & Computer Systems Administrator
- Software Developer
- Web Developer and Digital Designer
Program Details
Learn more about Champlain's 100% online master's in information technology with a software engineering & project management graduate certificate, designed for working professionals.
MS Information Technology Courses
Required Courses (21 credits)*
Electives (3 credits)
Software Engineering & Project Management Graduate Certificate (12)
* For admission to this program, students must demonstrate previous coursework and/or experience in information technology (IT) and Digital Forensics. Students who do not display sufficient IT knowledge and skills will need to complete CMIT-500 and those without the necessary level of digital forensics experience or skills will be required to complete DFS-500 before starting the program.
Required Courses
Students will be using FTK Imager, Magnet Encrypted Disk Detector, OS Forensics Volatility Workbench, Kali Linux, Reg Ripper, Network Miner, and Wireshark to develop a foundation framework for the practice of Digital investigations, including technical and managerial issues.
Understanding risk and identifying the threats organizations face are essential skills for today's information security professionals. In this course that introduces students to the graduate degree program, students learn to compute impact scores for vulnerabilities, classify data, and use Champlain College Online's virtual environment to explore how to use IOCs (Indicators of Compromise).
In this course students learn to differentiate relational and non-relational databases, and to design a database to an organization's requirements. Preparing raw data for import into a database, using queries to manipulate data, and developing reports to meet stakeholder needs, and database integrity and security are also covered.
Students will gain an understanding and respect for emerging technology by exploring current trends in security and examining topics such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and behavior analytics. Students will analyze the science behind these technologies as well as the ethical and privacy concerns and implications that may hinder their widespread adoption.
Prerequisites
This course is designed to introduce a systematic process for planning, organizing and controlling projects. The course will present a practical methodology for completing projects more quickly with fewer problems. Student work will consist of readings, research, class special-topic presentations, group activities, a project management journal, and participation in a real world IT business project. Students will be encouraged to apply project-management techniques to solve existing real-world technology-related business problems.
In SDEV-520, Software Engineering, students learn about the field of software engineering, including project management methodologies applied to the field of Software Development, economic factors that affect development decisions and product life cycle, requirement gathering and assessment, and modelling languages. Disruptive technologies and methodologies and their impact on this field are also covered in this course.
Prerequisites
Complete MBA-506
In this course students demonstrate mastery of the information technology concepts and skills learned and acquired through the Master of Science in Information Technology degree program via successful completion of a Capstone project. Students are required to complete a reflection assignment to produce additional insight.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of 30 credits in the degree Information Technology MS program.
Students learn to create and use scripts to access, acquire, prepare, and transform data, including structured and semi-structured data, and to define and detect patterns in unstructured data to demonstrate how real world problems can be answered with data.
Scripting languages like Python can help security professionals extend available tools but also create new tools to address specific needs. Extensive labs in this course have students attacking MD5 hashes, web scraping, parsing security logs and breaking a cipher.
Prerequisites
Complete OPSC-501
Students will develop the ability to write basic python scripts (WIngIDE) to help in digital investigations. Students will also interpret scripts written in other languages, like EnCase Enscript or Perl or Microsoft Powershell or UNIX Shell Script.
Prerequisites
Complete DFS-501
In SDEV-530, students will use software modelling techniques and formal representation, including Unified Modelling Language (UML), to represent and design software systems.
Prerequisites
Complete SDEV-520
In this course students study the specificity of managing software development projects, covering all areas identified by the Project Management Institute in the PMBoK? Software Extension. The application of these concepts to alternative forms of project management are also covered in this course.
Prerequisites
Complete SDEV-520
In this course, students study Agile project management methodologies, in the context of software development, as a way of achieving Software Engineering quality goals. Students will learn what projects lend themselves to an agile approach, and how the agile approach relates to traditional project management, while learning the tools and techniques of Agile.
Prerequisites
Complete SDEV-520
In this course, students will learn how to plan and implement software testing using quality assurance frameworks.
Prerequisites
Complete SDEV-520
In addition to developing advanced analytical skills, and a strategic mindset, graduates of the MS in Information Technology online program will demonstrate a mastery of the following industry-specific competencies:
- Develop classifications of systems and information to determine priorities based on importance or sensitivity
- Relate market, organizational, and operational factors to innovation and the development of new technology
- Plan, implement, and conclude a project with appropriate management of requirements and change, applying critical thinking and reasoned decision making to achieve project objectives.
- Design a database and develop reports to meet stakeholder requirements, and use queries to manipulate data while acknowledging the need to maintain data integrity and security.
- Use objective measures to determine the feasibility of software development projects, summarize objective ways of collecting functional and nonfunctional requirements, decide the most appropriate modeling language for a variety of software projects, and categorize software verification and validation techniques.
- Develop practical, in context, programming/scripting skills.
- Compare public and private sector, and criminal and civil digital investigations and processes for preparing digital evidence, within a moral, legal, and ethical framework.
In addition to the learning outcomes of the MS in Information Technology, graduates of this program with a certificate in. software engineering & project management will also master the following:
- Specify software products, using the latest techniques for requirements analysis, and systems’ modelling
- Apply industry-standard Project Management principles and best practices to software development projects, in order to develop products that fully satisfy functional and non-functional requirements
- Apply software testing techniques and develop strategies to ensure the quality of software products
In addition to the admission requirements for all graduate program applicants, our online MS in Information Technology program has specific requirements that must be met.
Admission to this program is open to students from diverse backgrounds, including the several fields of information technology (IT) and career changers looking to combine their skills with IT. Students who demonstrate, through coursework and/or professional experience, sufficient IT knowledge and skills might not be required to complete CMIT-500, those who similarly demonstrate sufficient digital forensics knowledge and skills might not be required to complete DFS-500.
Champlain College Online's computer science faculty, led by Department Chair Richard Pickering, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s IT systems professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the world of information technology, and create a rich community of career-focused learning.
Increasing your career mobility is at the center of everything we do. As an online master's degree student, you get free access to the Fast Start Formula Career Bundle for getting noticed and getting hired, taught by Jen Morris, a leading executive career coach that partners with us to support our students in their job search journeys.
Tuition & Costs
Graduate Tuition Fall '23 - Summer '25
$595
per credit
$1,785*
per course
$450**
PER CREDIT FOR ALUMNI WHO EARNED A DEGREE FROM CHAMPLAIN, ON-CAMPUS or online
$450
per credit military service members (family members see truED tuition)
$150
One-time graduation fee
*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits
** Starting Summer 2024, not retroactive
See the graduate cost of attendance and fees here
Save Up To $200 Per Course
Save up to $200 per course when you take two courses per term in spring and summer 2025.
Talk to your advisor about this opportunity to accelerate your program where you could save money on tuition.
If you enroll in two courses during any term within the Spring or Summer semesters, you will receive a special tuition rate on your second course. This discount is for graduate students in good standing, enrolled in a degree program.
- For the standard tuition rate receive $200 off your second course of the term
- For the truEd/partnership rates receive $150 off your second course of the term
Important Note: This special tuition rate is based on course availability. If a second course isn’t available in your degree program for a given term, the rate cannot be applied.
This offer applies to each of the four terms during the 2025 Spring and Summer semesters—Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, and Summer 2, up to four times during these semesters. This special tuition rate does not extend to any additional courses, such as a third course in a term.
The special tuition rate will be applied to the next semester as a credit after the entire semester is complete. If you do not plan to return for the next term, graduate from your program, or have other extenuating circumstances, the credit may be issued as a refund. This special tuition rate is available if you complete two courses in a term and have paid your tuition. For example, if you register for two courses but drop one, the rate will not be applied.
Upcoming Information Sessions
Meet the Program Director
Richard Pickering, PhD
Department Chair - Cybersecurity and Assistant Professor
Oversees
- Computer Science
- Software Development
- Software Engineering & Project Management
- Web Design & Development
About
Dr. Richard Pickering is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for Technology here at Champlain College Online. Richard has a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning coupled with an MBA and numerous technology-related certifications.
Prior to Champlain, Dr. Pickering enjoyed a distinguished career blending pedagogical expertise with strategic leadership in program management and product development in the educational business sector.
Dr. Pickering also has held positions as Chief Executive Officer at Virtual High School Global Consortium, Chief Operating Officer at Victory Productions, various Program/Product Manager posts as well as Adjunct Professor appointments.
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Learn what you can expect from our online MS in Information Technology with a certificate in software engineering & project management.
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