Student Advising Page

MS Students

If you are an MS student, you might have been automatically assigned to me as my advisee. In that case, you will need approval for your course registration. This process can be easily handled remotely via email. Please:

• Remember that if you are an international student you need to take enough credits to fulfill your full time student status requirement. It is very important to maintain this status.
• In all your communications with me, please do not forget to include your campus ID number and UMBC user name.
  
• Obtain your latest electronic transcript from myUMBC in pdf. You will need it in the following steps and you will email it to me as an attachment together with your request for approval.

• Do read your program requirements. Make sure you are familiar with them. Remember that, ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to fulfill the program requirements.

• Make sure you have enough time to allocate and complete your courses successfully. On average, a graduate course takes 3 hours in the class and 9 hours outside of the class weekly (also add the commute time for face to face courses). These are average numbers. Being realistic always pays off. Use the below list as a guideline when calculating your workload.
  

• Working more than full time (more than 40 hours a week): At this pace, even taking 1 course will make you very busy.
  
• Full time (40-hour work weekly): Normal load will be 1 course a semester, you should know that 2 courses a semester will make you pretty occupied. If you attempt to take 3 courses, then you should certainly expect to have scheduling and time management problems.
• Part time (20-hour work weekly): Normal load is 3 courses. More than 3 courses can be difficult.
• Not working: 4 courses a semester can be done.
  

• If this is your first semester, you should take the fundamentals first unless they are waived. Remember that you cannot take more than 2 core courses before finishing the fundamentals. These are:

• IS 600 - Introduction to Information Systems Implementation
• IS 610 - Database Program Development
• IS 650 - Data Communications and Networks

• You should take one of the next two core courses as soon as possible preferably in your first semester. Not taking them in the first semester is acceptable only if you have to take fundamentals first or you have time to take only one of them.
• IS 601 - Foundations of Information Systems
• IS 636 - Structured Systems Analysis and Design
• When you finish the fundamentals, go to Core courses and finish them as soon as possible. Remember that before finishing them you cannot take more than 2 elective courses. The core courses are:
  

• IS 601 - Foundations of Information Systems

• IS 603 - Decision Technology Systems
• IS 620 - Advanced Database Project
• IS 636 - Structured Systems Analysis and Design
  • (If you took IS 436 at UMBC - You can replace with an elective. No other way of replacement is accepted)
• IS 651C - Network Design and Management
  • (If you took IS 451 at UMBC - Replace with an elective. No other way of replacement is accepted)

• When the core courses are completed, go onto elective courses. These courses can change from semester to semester.
  

You can use this chart:

• Please visit the course listings at http://www.umbc.edu/AboutUMBC/Schedule/ , click on a particular semester and then click on the Information Systems.
  

• Please compose an email to me from your official UMBC email address, attach your latest electronic transcript (in pdf), summarize your status and standing in the program, and clearly list the course information by copy-pasting from the course listing web page you found in the previous step.
  

 A sample email would be similar to what you see below.

 

Dr. Koru,

My UMBC user name is ____. My UMBC campus ID number is ____. My latest electronic transcipt is attached (in pdf). I have completed all of the fundamental courses. In ____ semester, I would like to register for:

 1.

IS 636 Structured Systems Analysis and Design 3 credits
(PermReq) Grade Method: REG Course meets in ITE 457.

[3658] 0101 Tu.........4:30pm- 7:00pm (TBA) KORU, G

2.

IS 601 Foundations of Information Systems 3 credits
(PermReq) Grade Method: REG

[3643] 0101 M..........4:30pm- 7:00pm (ITE 239) GUO, Z

 

Thanks

Student name

• I'll contact you and Shannon Keegan to indicate whether the registration is approved or not.