Masters of Science, Information Systems

Comprehensive Exam Review

Fall 2009

The comprehensive exam is on-line and consists of 4 questions, 1 from each of the 4 four core courses in the Information Systems Program. Each student will choose 3 of the 4 questions to answer. Each question is graded on a pass/fail basis, and a passing grade is required on each of the 3 questions selected.

You will have four (4) hours to complete the entire process once you reveal the questions.

You must be able to create and email a ZIP archive, apply for the exam prior to 11/11/2009, and must submit the completed material prior to 11/18/2009.

The availability date for the exam is November 11, 2009. Sign up by November 11, 2009 for the comprehensive exam using the electronic submission below. Late applications will be rejected. 

Study guide for Foundations of Computer-Based Systems (CIS 503)

1. The programming process (Steps for writing a program).
2. Program design and development tools and techniques.
3. The evolution of programming and programming languages.

Suggested textbooks for review:

• Bradley, Julia Case and Anita C. Millspaugh. Programming in Visual Basic 6.0. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1999. ISBN 0-07-231190-8.
• Zak Diane. Programming with Visual Basic .NET. Boston: Course Technology, 2002. ISBN 0619016620.
• Russell, Jack P. Business Programming Logic & Design, 2nd edition. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-673-46840-2.

Study guide for Telecommunications for Managers (CIS 504)

1. Data Communication Industry Components
2. Regulatory agencies
3. Standards Groups
4. Hardware components
5. Top-Down Model
6. OSI Model

Suggested textbooks for review:

• Goldman. Applied Data Communications.

Suggested Study for Managing Information Systems (CIS 511)

You will be given a hypothetical situation where you are the consultant to a new startup company.  You will be required to prepare and justify:

1. IS Administrative Functions and Relationships(roles, not people)
2. Proposed IS Staffing Positions and Responsibilities(people who will do the roles).
3. IS training plan.
4. Hardware requirements(generic).
5. Software requirements(generic).
6. Systems Administration, Data and Website Maintenance, Data Input Requirements.
7. Conclusions. 

Suggested Study for Applied Database Management (CIS 516)

1. Historical development of database systems
2. Techniques of converting old databases to a new DBMS
3. The Relational database model, and it’s advantages and disadvantages.
4. Structured Query Language (SQL)
5. Entity-Relationship (E-R) Modeling
6. Normalization of database tables.

Suggested textbooks for review:

• Rob, Peter and Carlos Coronel.  Database Systems:  Design, Implementation and Management, 4^th edition.  Cambridge Massachusetts:  Course Technology, 2000.  ISBN0-7600-1090-0.
• Post, Gerald V.. Database Management Systems - Designing and Building Business Applications. McGraw Hill, 1999. ISBN 0-07-289893-3.
• Abbey, Michael and Michael J. Corey.  Oracle 8:  A Beginner’s Guide. New York:  Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1997.  ISBN 0-07-882393-5.
• Morrison, Joline and Mike Morrison.  A guide to Oracle 8.  Course Technology  Cambridge, MA., 2000 (ISBN 0-619-00027-9).

The Rules:

The rules of the exam to be satisfied are:

1. One of the two following conditions are true:
1. You have successfully completed all the courses covered by this exam, or
2. You are expecting to graduate this term, have completed three of the courses covered by this exam, and are concurrently enrolled the fourth.
2. You will be assigned to a computer to prepare your answers using the WORD processor.
3. You are not permitted to use the Internet services in preparing your answers.
4. You assert that the work you submit will be your own.
5. You will provide the title of your selected question, your name, and sequential page number at the top of each page.
6. You will provide a printed copy of your answers.
7. You will provide the disk on which you saved your word file(s).
8. Your grade is PASS/FAIL. If you fail, you will be notified when you can take a second examination, and its format.
9. You assert that you have read the study guides and these rules, and are registering youself for the examination by supplying:

Name (Last, First)
Student ID
Email Address
Current telephone