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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (June 29, 2009) — Students can now complete a major in computer information systems (CIS) in the comfort of their own home or office. Milligan College recently announced plans to offer their CIS major online. The first courses, Computer Applications and Object Oriented Programming, are being offered to students this summer.
A requirement for many information systems (IS) positions, the CIS major is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of careers, such as programmers, network managers, management information systems directors, and systems project leaders for applications in business, industry and government.
“In this age of technology, the demand for IS professionals is greater than ever; however, working professionals often are unable to complete their degree or add a second major in a traditional college setting,” said Dr. Carolyn Carter, professor of computer information systems. “The CIS-Mobile, or CIS-M, courses can easily be accessed from anywhere through multiple technologies allowing the student flexibility while adding valuable training to their skill set.”
According to Carter, CIS-M courses, which follow the ACM Curricular Model, will mirror those currently available to traditional, on-site students at Milligan. The courses are not cohort-based, meaning students can take just one class or complete the major requirements in as little as five semesters.
“The major encompasses all aspects of the CIS discipline from programming to networking to systems analysis and software development,” said Carter. “We have developed a mobile major that will be engaging, rigorous and cutting edge, using MP3s, podcasting and simulations for fundamental, hands-on labs.”
CIS-M courses will be rolled out over a two-year period with on-site and online courses being taught simultaneously within each 15-week semester, explained Dr. Mark Matson, academic dean and vice president for academic affairs. Courses will be delivered to the student via Milligan’s Internet course management system and the technology development lab using a server dedicated to facilitate student access to software supplied by Milligan’s Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) agreement to enrolled students. Students must meet the college’s admissions requirements but no previous college courses are needed. To earn a bachelor’s degree, students must also complete the college’s general education requirements.
The CIS-M major is designed for non-degree seeking students and working professionals in the college’s Advanced Degree Completion Program. Traditional day students are not eligible for these online courses. Traditional undergraduate students who need to re-take a traditional course that is also offered online may seek approval from the Academic Dean’s office to re-take the online version.
“We are excited to begin our first online program, and in particular, that we can make our CIS major available to students who might not be able to fit a regular day program into their schedules,” said Matson. “We are confident that our content, quality and the extent of faculty engagement will be similar to our on-campus program.”
Milligan is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; 404-679-4501) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Interested individuals should contact Milton Carter, director of Milligan’s Office of Lifelong Learning, at 423.461.8782 or mcarter@milligan.edu to review previous transcripts and discuss a course plan. Additional information also is available online at www.milligan.edu/CIS.