Course Descriptions for Our Information Technology Program

For prerequisites, consult the listing of required courses on the degree page.

CPST 1000 Intro to Office Apps
This course introduces students to applied technology concepts and common office applications used in industry. Special attention is given to industry standard productivity applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and file manipulation and storage. This course includes hands-on laboratory sessions; currently, Microsoft Office tools are used for this course.
Note: This course does not count toward requirements for a major or minor in Information Technology.
credit hours: 3

CPST 1070 Discrete Math for Information Technology
This course provides an introduction to discrete mathematical structures and themes with an emphasis on application to computing and information technology. It develops analytical skills used to solve problems concerning the execution speed and logical structure of computer software, computer hardware, and computer networks.
Note: This course does not count toward the requirements for a major or minor in Information Technology but may be used to satisfy a SoPA mathematics requirement.
credit hours: 3

CPST 1200 Fundamentals of Information Systems and Technology
This survey course provides a broad foundation in the concepts of modern information systems, information processing, and information technologies. It provides an overview of the key technology components that make up modern information systems.
credit hours: 3

CPST 1400 Internet Collaboration
This course acquaints the students with a wide variety of internet tools and applications for effectively collaborating common office applications across various cloud technologies. Students will have the opportunity to learn capabilities of the World Wide Web, internet applications, and embrace the innovation of cloud computing to collaborate across the internet. A focus of this course will be on storing, retrieving, sharing, and multi-collaboration of office documents.
Note: This course does not count toward the requirements for a major or minor in Information Technology.
credit hours: 3

CPST 2200 Application Development Fundamentals
This course presents a structured approach to problem analysis, algorithm design and solution implementation in a high-level computer language. Students will learn how to analyze problems and create solutions through computer programming. Students will study the basic concepts of programming, internal representation of data, simple data types, searching and sorting techniques. Topics include software development methodology, data types, control structures, functions, arrays, and the mechanics of running, testing, and debugging.
credit hours: 3

CPST 2300 Database Fundamentals
Introduction to common database management systems with an emphasis on relational database concepts, database processing, data modeling, database design, development and implementation. Topics include: introduction of relational database concepts, database design and modeling, database query using SQL, DDL and DML, and an introduction to database administration, database warehouse and cloud services, including Data as a Service (DaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
credit hours: 3

CPST 2400 Webpage Design and Development
This course goes beyond mere use of the Internet into the tools and techniques needed to successfully publish digital media. Through lectures, class discussions, and hands-on lab work, you will become acquainted with the hardware, software (on workstations, on servers, and on the Internet), and tool management techniques needed to create and maintain web documents and sites. The course includes coverage of HTML and CSS.
credit hours: 3

CPST 2500 IT Infrastructure Fundamentals
This course covers the basic principles and applications of technology architecture including hardware, software, virtualization of servers, storage, and networking. Utility servers/appliances, server environments, and Cloud architecture will be presented in the course.  Software to be studied includes Operating Systems, virtualization software, application software, and hardware appliance management software. Key concepts such as security, redundancy, reliability, maintainability, and availability will be discussed. Students will be provided with an overview of technology architectures, data systems, and the applications that manage system resources.
credit hours: 3

CPST 2600 Networking Fundamentals
This course covers topics related to wired/wireless connectivity and data exchange between digital devices. In addition to learning common networking terminology, students will examine and perform hands-on exercises using existing and emerging networking standards and architectures. Also covered are network operating systems, topologies, structured cabling, communications protocols, LAN-to-LAN interconnectivity and WAN fundamentals. This course is intended to provide a solid foundation for further study of IT networking connectivity principles.
credit hours: 3

CPST 2910 Documentation & Technical Writing
This course provides a complete process for planning, creating, and editing technical content, for both internal and external audiences including assessing the needs of users, selecting appropriate formats, making effective use of media, and selecting the best content organization and delivery platform. Students demonstrate proficiency in written content creation and presentation skills by producing different technical writing products, including formal research reports and workplace writing (e.g., technical reports, manuals, explanations of how to understand or use a product or service, proposals, etc.). Students will be exposed to software applications to architect, organize, and publish technical content and media. This course will also address the job duties of technical writers/editors. Topics include establishing positive working relationships with writers, management, and subject matter experts.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3050 Technology and Ethics
This course examines the ethical and social aspects of information technology. Pertinent issues include technology industry business models, data access, stewardship, liability, freedom, privacy, personal identifiable information control and security.
Note: This course can be used to satisfy a School of Professional Advancement’ Humanities Distribution Requirement. Also, this course is a SOPA Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Course and satisfies a SoPA Writing Requirement.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3110 Ethics and Technology through Science Fiction
The primary goals of this course are to introduce the theories, concepts, and vocabulary of philosophical ethics and to apply these notions to contemporary moral issues and considerations of technology use, including human enhancement, artificial environments, the treatment of nonhuman animals, personal identity, and artificial intelligence. The course provides a discussion of classics and/or modern philosophical views of human values, ideals, and morality as it related to applied technology use. It further provides a survey of some main ethical dilemmas and problems that arise in technology use.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3200 Automation and Bot Development
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that is transforming the way modern businesses operate. The same way the advent of computers shifted people from using paper to using computers, the arrival of RPA is bringing another shift in the workplace, causing people to perform their jobs using information instead of computers. Over time, mundane and repetitive computer software tasks that humans perform will be replaced by software “bots”. As RPA shifts work from computers to information, one of the new jobs that will emerge across most industries will be that of a “bot developer”. Learning this technology positions students for job opportunities in this field. This course provides students with an overview of RPA and the basics for building software robots using automation software. Students will learn how to build “bots” ranging in functionality that will be modeled after “real world bots” that a student might be required to create in industry or government.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3210 Python Game Development
This course provides introduction to both fundamental programming concepts and the Python programming language. Students will be exposed to hands-on exercises including creating a 2D game using Python and Pygame.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3220 Object-Oriented Programming with JAVA
This course presents the fundamentals of the JAVA programming language. Topics include JAVA syntax, data types, design of classes, class libraries, data structures, exception handling, threads, input and output, and applet programming.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3230 App Development in C++
This course presents the fundamentals of the C++ development language. It covers development of technology software applications in C++, using object-oriented and event-driven design, and accessing and manipulating databases.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3240 Visual Application Development
This course presents the development of computer based solutions within a “visual” tool environment using object-oriented and event-driven techniques. It covers fundamental data types and derived data structures of a database engine and the design of effective graphical user interfaces.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3250 UI/UX Design
This course introduces students to User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design concepts. UX/UI concepts and best practice, along with rationale, will be discussed in the context of designing and developing effective human interactions with computer applications. Topics covered include usability principles, UI design principles, managing design processes, prototyping and construction, interface metaphors, interaction styles, interaction devices, UI builders, evaluation paradigms and techniques, usability testing, and user manuals.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3260 Virtualization & Cloud
This course focuses on the skills and knowledge necessary for provisioning and managing virtualized services in cloud Infrastructure as a Services (IaaS) environments including:  virtual networks, virtual machines, containers, web and mobile apps, and storage; planning and managing cloud resources, and configuring Azure AD integration with on-premises Active Directory domain.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3270 Cloud Foundations
This course provides a detailed overview of cloud concepts, services, security, architecture, pricing, and support. Students will receive an overview of the fundamental concepts of cloud computing independent of specific technical roles. Students will be exposed to cloud infrastructure and will deploy basic cloud services.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3280 Cloud Architecture
This course covers the concepts of building IT infrastructure on a public cloud service provider’s infrastructure. The course is designed to teach students how to optimize the use of the cloud by understanding a variety of service solutions and how these services fit into cloud-based solutions. Because cloud-based architectural solutions, and related costs, can differ depending on environment, type of applications, and size of business, this course emphasizes best practices for cloud computing architecture, and it recommends various design patterns to help the student think through the process of architecting optimal IT solutions.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3290 Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
This course teaches students about the nature, benefits and drawbacks of using a Hybrid Cloud solution, in relation to other deployment models. Students will also learn to implement a hybrid cloud computing environment using industry standard cloud service provider tools. Students will learn how to install, configure, use and maintain a hybrid cloud environment. Students will be exposed to the myriad of decisions and actions required when implementing a hybrid Cloud solution. This course covers core hybrid cloud services: identity, storage, image, networking, compute, memory, and management dashboards.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3300 Mobile App Development
This course focus on developing hybrid mobile applications using the web technologies (HTML5, CSS and JavaScript). This course makes use of the Ionic framework that is built with mobile optimized HTML5 and CSS based components and Angular (JavaScript framework). Students will learn about UI development with Ionic and then using Apache Cordova’s modules to access the native mobile platform’s capabilities from JavaScript. Students will finish an in-class project by following along with the Instructor step by step throughout a complete mobile app project in class, then build their individual mobile app (as homework) by finishing their individual project supervised under the instructor. At the end of this course students will be able to (1) Build mobile applications targeting multiple platforms with a single codebase, (2) Use various features of the Ionic framework to build hybrid mobile applications, (3) Leverage their HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and Angular skills.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3310 Relational Database Design and Development
This course covers design and development concepts for relational database systems. The students will work on the design and development of a database application by analyzing organizational data needs, model and present those needs using diagrams and specifications, exploring different database designs, and implementing the design in a working system. Topics include normalization, entity-relationship modeling, database application design, data base processing using internet technology, managing multi-user data bases, accessing the database server, and sharing enterprise data.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3400 Website Development with XML/XHTML
This course provides students with an introduction to web development using Extensible Markup Language (XML). XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format which is both human-readable and machine-readable.  Students will develop XML documents using a given Document Type Definition (DTD); create a DTD; create a CSS and/or XSLT style sheet; create an XML-based information system that brings together the skills learned throughout the course.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3410 Website Development with JavaScript
This course provides the opportunity to obtain a solid understanding of some of the tools and techniques, beyond basic HTML, used to publish on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Through online 'lectures' and posted materials, electronic discussions, and hands-on 'lab' work you will become acquainted with the computer hardware, software (both used on your machine and the Net), and programming techniques needed to design, create and maintain fully interactive Web documents and sites. This course will focus primarily on JavaScript programming and some additional advanced techniques and concepts.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3420 App Dev using Perl
This course provides students with an introduction to Pearl, a powerful cross-platform, object-oriented scripting language. Students will learn to develop useful scripts as well as complete applications. Pearl is often used for graphics, batch jobs, system and network administration, and other applications.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3430 Website Development with ASP
This course teaches the fundamentals of programming for Web sites using ASP (Active Server Pages), a popular tool for enhancing home pages. The language is part of Microsoft's Internet development tool effort and may be found on millions of Websites. Students develop ASP based functions and use SQL statements with Access or SQL Server to interface with a small database application using ASP code.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3500 IT Project Management
This course examines the concepts, tools, and methodologies used to develop and support information technology systems. Students will explore systems and product planning, analysis, design, and implementation, including interactions with product managers and end users. Techniques for studying, documenting, specifying, designing, implementing technology systems, both small and enterprise-class, are covered in this course. Students will also explore traceability of requirements and design to production-ready systems including quality assurance and testing.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3550 System Analysis and Design
Examines the concepts, tools, and techniques used to develop and support computer-based information systems. Systems planning, analysis, design, and implementation are covered. Techniques for studying, documenting, specifying, designing, implementing and testing small and/or enterprise-wide business systems. Analysis and design includes structured and object-oriented methods, using CASE tools.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3610 Internet Server Administration with Windows Server and IIS
This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of all facets of Microsoft Windows server based Web service installation, configuration, administration, and maintenance. The course will focus on hardware, software, Internet protocols, and advanced Web server hosting and services. It provides students with the understandings and skills needed to effectively plan, implement, and deploy valuable World Wide Web services in a professional or personal capacity.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3650 Linux Administration and Linux Security
This course will provide students with an understanding of how to install, administrate, and maintain a secure Linux server. The course will introduce students to Linux utilities while applying this knowledge towards more advanced system security principles. This course provides students with the concepts needed to effectively plan, implement, and deploy Linux technology for personal applications or enterprise Linux infrastructure.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3690 Microcomputer Hardware
The course provides learning opportunities in the various industry-standard hardware components of microcomputers. It also covers their interconnectivity relationships and fundamental system software. This hands-on course emphasizes managing and maintaining the personal computer components: system board, storage drives (especially hard drives), and peripheral equipment (e.g., video and network cards), managing upgrades, etc.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3900 Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
This course provides the student with an overview of the field of cybersecurity and assurance, and a foundation for understanding the key issues associated with protecting information assets, and designing a consistent, robust cybersecurity posture. Students will be exposed to the spectrum of cybersecurity activities, devices, methods, methodologies, and procedures. Coverage will include inspection and prevention, detection, and response to cybersecurity threats, and an overview of the cybersecurity planning and staffing functions.
credit hours: 3

CPST 3930 Cyber Threats and Cyber Security
“Cyberspace” has become a pervasive presence in modern society, and a healthy functioning cyberspace is elemental to our economy and to national security. Along with benefits, however, there exists threats and malicious actors who seek to exploit cyberspace vulnerabilities, and, in doing so, threaten critical infrastructure and threaten our financial system and national security. This course will study the nature of cyber threats, including computer and digital crimes, information warfare and cyber terrorism, and related threats to personal, organizational, economic and national security. Students will gain an understanding of the variety and nature of cyber threats including digital espionage, computer break-ins, computer hacking, malware, communications eavesdropping, forgery, disruption to information flow, cyber war and the growing presence of terrorist organizations on the internet.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4000 PHP and Data Structures
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to build and maintain websites that use PHP with MySQL. The prerequisites for this course is that you have basic HTML and CSS skills. This course gets you started with PHP and MySQL as quickly as possible and then builds out your skills in a professional way. This course presents an array of PHP and MySQL skills in a manageable progression designed to allow you to develop websites. Ever since it was created in 1995, PHP has been a favorite of developers for server-side web programming. In some surveys, it stands as today’s most popular web programming language. By most counts, over a million websites have been written in PHP, including portions of today’s largest, most recognizable sites, and often in tandem with MySQL as the database. As a result, there’s a continuing demand for web developers who know PHP and MySQL at the professional level. With this book, you can become one of them.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4340 DB Admin-SQL
A technical overview for SQL Server administration. SQL Server offers a platform for enterprise data management, robust development, and implementation of modern databases. Students will be exposed to how to install, administer, maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft SQL Server Databases.  This course also provides students with the technical skills required to write basic Transact-SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server. Students will work in a lab environment to install SQL Server 2016 and will then work through a series of various activities to learn the crucial tasks of an SQL Server administrator.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4250 Integrated Application Development- Capstone
The purpose of this course is to provide a summative crowning achievement towards the undergraduate concentration.  This workshop style course involves two major deliverables; the capstone portfolio and the capstone project. The capstone Portfolio requires students to create a body of work informed by previous concentration core courses that demonstrates knowledge in the technical discipline. The capstone project allows students to apply theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the Information Technology program in a realistic setting.  Note: only seniors who have completed their concentration required courses may take the capstone course.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4320 Business Intelligence
This course introduces students to structures and techniques used to transform data into information for decision-making. Business Intelligence (BI) is an increasingly important part of both small and large businesses as well as government decision making. Business intelligence is used across a wide spectrum of enterprises, such as healthcare, exploration, security, identifying markets, predicting behavior and forecasting demand. This course offers both a theoretical understanding and practical application of the key methods of classification, prediction, reduction and exploration of data. This course uses real business cases to illustrate the application and interpretation of these methods. The material and assignments in this course are designed to give the student an understanding of important new tools to assist in business decision making.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4350 DB Admin-Oracle
This course provides a firm foundation of the Oracle Database Management System (DBMS). Students will learn how to install, configure, troubleshoot, and perform administrative tasks within the Oracle DBMS. Students are presented with a conceptual understanding of the Oracle DBMS architecture.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4450 Multimedia Website Development
This course provides understandings and skills with some of the tools and techniques of designing, developing and publishing multimedia components on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Students become acquainted with the computer hardware, software (both used on the desktop and the Net), and programming techniques needed to design, create and maintain fully multimedia Web documents and sites. This course will primarily focus on sound, video, and animation component development and publishing. The course relies primarily on plug-ins.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4500 System Requirements Development and Testing
This course provides a study of concepts and techniques for planning and developing high quality information systems. Fundamentals of specification (including formal models and representations, documents, and standards) are examined. Methods of specifying, developing, and tracing requirements for generating information systems are discussed. It covers the tools, methods, and current practices for assessing the quality and correctness of information systems, and the importance of requirements gathering in differing project methodologies (Agile, waterfall). Topics include the roles of testing and formal verification, fundamentals and formal models of program verification, planning and documentation for quality assurance, methods of performing technical reviews, strategies of system testing (including automated testing) and integration planning, and principles and practices used in conducting tests. Projects using these techniques are included.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4550 Product and Program Capstone
The purpose of this course is to provide a summative crowning achievement towards the undergraduate concentration.  This workshop style course involves two major deliverables; the capstone portfolio and the capstone project. The capstone Portfolio requires students to create a body of work informed by previous concentration core courses that demonstrates knowledge in the technical discipline. The capstone project allows students to apply theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the Information Technology program in a realistic setting.
Note: only seniors who have completed their concentration required courses may take the capstone course.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4610 Windows Server Administration
This course is designed to prepare the student to work with the latest iteration of Microsoft Windows Server. Individuals are given detailed insight and experience on common, foundational Windows Server configurations. Students also learn about the Microsoft Hyper-V environment and how features like high availability, fault-tolerance, disaster recovery, automated backups and network load balancing can be achieved through it. Topics also covered are the storage aspect and the basic protocols and techniques which can be used to configure local storage systems.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4640 TCP/IP Protocol
This course will focus primarily on the TCP/IP protocol suite and a set of related network services. It is designed to help students understand networks that use TCP/IP, the suite of protocols that is used today for the Internet and most modern networks. Students will utilize hands-on labs for deep TCP/IP packet inspection and network administration.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4650 UNIX Systems Administration
The Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS) is the foundation on which some of the world's leading companies are built. Offering high levels of reliability, availability, security, and scalability, Solaris systems meet today's demands while anticipating tomorrow's innovation. The objective of this course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the administrative aspects of the Solaris operating system. At the end of the course students will have the skills required to administer a Solaris system, including user management, disk management, backing up procedures, startup and shutdown procedures, and process management. The course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and apply administration in a comprehensive manner indicative of Information Technology programs of study.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4670 Identity & Access Management
This course is designed to prepare students to leverage Microsoft technologies that focus on access and identity management. Students will learn to deploy, configure, and troubleshoot identity services on Microsoft Windows Server. Identity services will cover Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), Group Policy, Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), and Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS).
credit hours: 3

CPST 4700 Advanced IP Networking
A comprehensive overview of networking topics, at an advanced level. Students will focus on core concepts that will allow the experienced network individual to understand the “why” behind the protocols they work with every day and see the big picture of networking. This course explores advanced switching concepts such as Spanning Tree and link aggregation. Dynamic Routing Protocols are covered in detail. Students will be exposed to advanced hands-on routing and real-world switching exercises.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4710 Network Infrastructure Capstone
The purpose of this course is to provide a summative crowning achievement towards the undergraduate concentration in System and Network Administration.  This workshop-style course involves two major deliverables; the capstone portfolio and the capstone project. The capstone Portfolio requires students to create a body of work informed by previous concentration core courses that demonstrates knowledge in the technical discipline.  The capstone project allows students to apply theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the Information Technology program in a realistic setting.
Note: only seniors who have completed their concentration required courses may take the capstone course.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4750 IP Routing and Switching
IP Routing and Switching provides a detailed examination of routers and switches and the common network routing protocols. This examination gives you the context for understanding how routers can be used most effectively in today's networks, as well as how they will continue to be used in future network design.  Students will receive details on the architecture, operation, and configuration of industry standard IT routers and switches. Students will be exposed to a wide range of topics, including quality of service (QoS), multicast, networking infrastructure, private virtual LANs (VLANs), Access Control Lists (ACL) and configuration using native and hybrid software interfaces. Network design advice and configuration examples are discussed liberally throughout this course to provide students with the best perspective on effective network deployment techniques.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4810 Windows Security
In this course, students learn to apply security industry best practices and to harden the Windows operating system in a variety of configurations and roles. Students learn how to protect Windows-based systems from attacks, reconfigure the operating system to fully protect it, and scan hosts for known security problems. By the end of the course, students have a solid understanding of the security architecture of Windows operating systems.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4850 Penetration Testing
This course provides an introduction to computer and network security penetration testing techniques, tools, and methodologies.  It will provide an overview of activities that are used during the planning, reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, post-exploitation, and reporting phases of a penetration testing process.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4870 System Forensics, Investigation, and Response
This course provides forensics analysis skills through use of forensics tools and techniques, and forensic lab practices. The course also covers investigation and response to cyber-attacks. Students will be exposed to forensic evaluation of evidence, and determination of breach impact as essential components in a cyber security response plan. Methods of planning, documenting and implementing a practical cyber security forensics approach for information systems are discussed.  The course uses case study and subject matter expert best practices to provide insight and learning on modern computer system forensics.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4900 Cybersecurity-Capstone
The purpose of this course is to provide a summative crowning achievement towards a Cybersecurity degree.  This workshop-style course involves two major deliverables; the capstone portfolio and the capstone project. The capstone Portfolio requires students to create a body of work from previous concentration core courses that demonstrate knowledge in the technical discipline. The capstone project allows students to apply theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the Information Technology program in a realistic setting.  
Note: only seniors who have completed their concentration required courses may take the capstone course.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4930 Network Security
This course is designed to provide fundamental skills needed to analyze the internal and external security threats against a network, and to develop a security posture that will protect an organization’s information. Network defense and countermeasures provide a guide to perimeter defense fundamentals, including network security planning, integrated support from anti-virus software, intrusion detection systems. This will include related tools such as packet filtering and analysis, firewalls, proxy servers, secure remote access, and network traffic signatures.
credit hours: 3

CPST 4950 Web Application Security
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to Web application security and privacy issues and to educate students in the technologies, terms, and processes related to Internet security. Students will be exposed to a broad overview of web application hacking tools and techniques, reconnaissance process, detection of attacks and their countermeasures. Students will also be introduced to malicious input, web services vulnerabilities, advanced session analysis, and web application security assessment.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6010 Information Technology Fundamentals
This course provides an overview of the concepts of modern information systems, information processing, data storage, critical infrastructure and information security and how these systems and aspects inter-relate. The course includes the key technologies and components that make up modern information systems as well as professional and ethical considerations when managing an Information Technology environment.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6050 Application Development Foundations
This course provides an overview of application development principles. Core concepts include code constructs, problem analysis, algorithm design and solution implementation in a computer development language. Students will learn how to analyze business problems and create solutions through the development of technology applications. Students will study the basic concepts of development, internal representation of data, simple data types, searching and sorting techniques. Topics include software development methodology, data types, control structures, functions, arrays, and the mechanics of running, testing, and debugging.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6100 Networks and Systems
This course covers topics related to computer network connectivity and data exchange between digital devices. Students will examine common networking terminology, and perform hands-on exercises using existing and emerging networking standards, protocols and architectures. Also covered are network operating systems, topologies, structured cabling, communications protocols, virtualization of servers, storage and enterprise technology infrastructure, including cloud. This course is intended to provide a solid foundation for further study of IT networking connectivity, IT infrastructure, and cloud computing principles.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6150 Databases, Data Analysis, and Data Structures
This course provides an introduction to common database management systems with an emphasis on relational database concepts, database processing, data modeling, database design, development and implementation. Students will be exposed to relational database concepts, database design and modeling, database query using SQL, DDL and DML. This course provides a solid foundation to database administration, data warehouses and cloud services, including Data as a Service (DaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
credit hours: 3

CPST 6200 Cybersecurity and Information Security
This survey course provides the student with an overview of cybersecurity and a foundation for understanding the key issues associated with protecting digital and information assets. Students will be exposed to techniques needed to design a consistent, robust architecture that improves an organization's cybersecurity posture. Students will be exposed to the spectrum of cybersecurity activities, devices, methods, methodologies, tools and procedures. Coverage will include auditing, inspection, prevention, detection, and response to cybersecurity threats, an overview of cybersecurity governance, and common cybersecurity roles.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6250 Enterprise Information Technology
This course covers the basic principles and applications of information technology infrastructure that is used in large enterprises. Utility servers/appliances, server environments, enterprise applications, and cloud architecture will be presented in the course. Key concepts such as security, redundancy, reliability, maintainability, disaster recovery, and availability will be discussed. Students will be provided with an overview of technology architectures, data systems, and the applications that manage enterprise IT system resources.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6320 Business Intelligence
This course is designed as an upper level undergraduate and graduate level course.This course introduces students to structures and techniques used to transform data into information for decision-making. Business intelligence is an increasingly important part of both small and large organizations, as well as government. Business intelligence can be used across a wide spectrum of enterprises, such as health care, exploration, security, identifying markets, predicting behavior and forecasting demand. The materials in this course are designed to give the student important new tools to assist in business decision making, whether this involves identifying new markets, extracting data to better understand current markets and forecasting demand using simple statistical methodologies.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6500 Systems Requirements Development and Testing
This course provides a study of concepts and techniques for planning and developing high quality requirements management processes and hardware/software testing processes. Fundamentals of requirements analysis are examined, highlighting the importance and value of good requirements. Methods of planning and implementing a practical requirements gathering approach for information systems are discussed. Testing roles, techniques, and processes will be covered and it will be shown where and how the software testing process fits into the overall development methodology. Formal models of program verification, planning and documentation for quality assurance and methods of performing technical reviews will also be detailed. Strategies of system testing and integration planning including principles and practices used in conducting tests will be covered.Subject matter experts will be brought in to share with the class project examples and how they use these requirements management and test techniques in these projects.
credit hours: 3

CPST 6501 IT Project Management
This course provides an exploration into the tools and techniques of project management as they relate to information technology (IT) projects and software development. The course concepts adhere to the Project Management Body of Knowledge® (PMBOK®) description of best practices, and it covers the project management life cycle with its processes of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling the project. Emphasis is placed on areas of project planning and project management that are unique to software development projects and other IT projects.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7000 IT Governance and Policy
The managing of information has become critical to the success of a business or enterprise and the governance of the Information technology (IT) resource has become an integral part of most organizations and is fundamental to support, operate, sustain, innovate and grow a business. IT Governance focuses on delivering value to the business by the proper management of the IT resource. It is an integrated approach consisting of the leadership, organizational structures and processes that ensures the effective alignment of IT with the organizations strategies and objectives. This course presents an interdisciplinary approach to IT Governance. In the course students will learn about specific objectives of IT Governance, along with standards, frameworks, tools and techniques used in the planning, deploying, managing, monitoring, measuring and sustaining a successful IT governance plan. The course leverages and integrates current and emerging industry best practices, standards, guidelines and governance case studies.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7100 Managing the IT Department
This course is designed for graduate students who are, or aspire to be, either business managers or Information Systems (IS) managers, as well as those who are, or aspire to be, primarily technology specialists who will work in and for different types of businesses—including consultant firms and other firms competing in an information technology (IT) services industry. This course presents the tools necessary to best exploit information technology. By using case studies and the coverage of the key technology issues it will provide a perspective on how to evaluate the IS organization, and how to be a partner in managing data, information, and systems. It will prepare the student to be effective exploiters of computing technologies now and in the future by focusing on the information technology resources that organizations need and providing alternative approaches to managing them. Students will study the opportunities and pitfalls provided by these technologies and what they need to know to manage and make effective use of these technologies.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7150 The Business of Information Technology
The goal of this course is to provide IT Management candidates with the experience in handling business processes that are necessary to successfully manage the business aspects of Information Technology. It covers business concepts and processes that art particularly germane to the management and use of Information Technology. These processes include Accounting and Finance, Human Capital and Payroll, Budget, Contract Management, Requests for Proposals, Statements of Work, and Service Level Agreements.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7200 Enterprise Architecture – Software
The goal of this course is to prepare Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology officers and senior managers with progressive approaches for state-of-the-art Information Technology (IT) infrastructures. IT systems exist in an abstraction of an Operating Environment with identifiable system capabilities – physical properties, characteristics, strategies, tactics, security, and sometimes luck. This course addresses Enterprise Software Architecture (ESA) and will identify multiple Systems of Interest (SOI). An analysis of two SOI fundamental types of behavior will be studied – hierarchical and peer level interactions of software. An understanding and adoption of ESA will maximize successful implementation, minimize risk, simplify operations, and insure compliance with regulatory requirements.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7250 Software Development Methodologies
A Software Development Methodology is a framework that is used to structure, plan, and control the process of developing an information system - this includes the pre-definition of specific deliverables and artifacts that are created and completed by a project team to develop or maintain an application. A wide variety of such frameworks have evolved over the years, each with its own recognized strengths and weaknesses. This course explores the many methodologies available for developing software. The business culture and requirements are presented as the center for evaluation of the most effective mix of methodologies for a specific development project. Students will study the software lifecycle from the identification of a need to the retirement of the software product that satisfies that need. They will learn about the strength and weakness of the various development methodologies and the appropriate situations in which to use them.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7600 Enterprise Architecture – Hardware
Enterprise Hardware Architecture (EHA) maximizes business functionality, minimizes risk, simplifies operations, and complies with regulatory requirements. This course will provide students with the knowledge to build an open/standards-based Enterprise Hardware Architecture that utilizes virtualization of servers, storage area networks (SAN), and network capabilities. Utility servers/appliances, Multi-tier server environments, and Cloud architecture will be researched and presented in the course. Key performance parameters, such as security, redundancy, reliability, maintainability, and availability, will be major considerations in the designs. A decision based approach and iterative improvement processes based on service fulfillment and technology trends will be utilized by students to design individual class projects.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7800 Legal Issues in Information Technology
This course is designed to analyze legal issues related to the management of information in contexts in which information professionals are likely to be involved. In an age defined by information, knowledge of the legal issues that establish how information is required to be protected, maintained, collected, stored, and accessed is extremely important. Information Security policies must be evaluated in light of current laws and regulations This course will provide an overview of some of the most important legal issues in managing information so that students will be able to apply the information to particular professional situations that they may encounter. Topics will include such issues as US and international jurisdiction, computer security, intellectual property, electronic commerce, information privacy, freedom of expression, and cyber-crime. Included are analyses of significant legal case studies plus review of applicable federal and state legislation as applied to compliance of standards such as those found in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Sarbanes Oxley, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems (FIPS 200).
credit hours: 3

CPST 7850 Healthcare Informatics
Medical practitioners and healthcare delivery organizations face formidable administrative and technical challenges in the management of patient health and wellness, accurate and timely diagnosis of illness, and the determination and delivery of appropriate care and treatment. Information technology (IT) can play a key role in mitigating these challenges and thereby enabling healthcare performance transformation. Implementation of application and integration middleware (AIM), interoperable with analytics and accessible in real-time at the point of care and elsewhere, is the most cost-effective IT approach. This course explores the many issues and barriers faced by those IT professionals who are working to implement Health Information Systems.
credit hours: 3

CPST 7900 Computer Security
This course provides an overview of the need for, and the technology, algorithms, and standards used in providing computer and communications security. It is concerned with the fundamentals of computer security. Topics in this class can be divided into three main parts: cryptography (with a focus on single-key and public key); computer system security (database and operating systems issues including authentication, access control, malicious software, and network security (including intrusion prevention/firewalls, intrusion detection, Denial of Service attacks, etc.); and the develop of secure programs and applications.
credit hours: 3