Overview
System integration is a pervasive aspect of IS practice. After completion of the foundation and core courses, MSc IS students need to synthesize what they have learned. Each project shall be in an area directly related to IS/IT and must have a research component.
Project Route (Integration Project): require the completion of one elective course (3 credits) plus the integration project (9 credits). The integration project should provide a useful demonstration of a novel capability using existing technology, or explore a novel implementation technique. The project should be articulated around a well-defined research problem or hypothesis.
Outline
The Integration project consist of three 3-credits elements, namely, COMP697, COMP698 and COMP 699. These elements are not conventional courses; however, they are treated similarly for administrative purpose.
The project topic must have the approval of a supervisor before the start of the term. The student submits detailed proposal, schedule, progress reports and final report to his supervisor. A copy of the detailed proposal and the final report should be sent to the course coordinator, who will be managing the review of the report by the supervisory committee or additional reader. The additional reader and supervisory committee members may be a faculty member or an industry resource person approved by the Program director.
Evaluation
To receive credits for the integration project, the student must obtain a PASS grade for each of the required courses.
Materials
The course materials is available in electronic format and include: a Integration Project Handbook that provides guidelines and explains the project stages, and the MSc IS Style Guide.
Special Course Features
Students are expected to obtain and pay for all materials used in the projects. The MSc IS program does not currently offer funding for students to conduct their projects, however, information on Athabasca University Graduate Research fund can be found on the Research Centre's website.