Admission Requirements

Unconditional Admission

An applicant for the M.S. in Applied Digital Technology degree program will receive unconditional admission by meeting the following criteria: 

1. Submitted a completed application for admission and a nonrefundable application fee, at least 30 days in advance of registration. 
2. Submitted official transcripts from each previously attended college or university. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions. 
3. Earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent.
4. Earned a graduate or post-baccalaureate professional degree from a regionally-accredited (U.S.) institution; OR achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale; OR achieved a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours of coursework (undergraduate, graduate, or combination thereof).

Conditional Admission

Applicants that meet the first three criteria above but not the fourth criterion may receive conditional admission. Consideration for conditional admission is given to applicants that: 

1. Earned a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale; OR a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours of coursework (undergraduate, graduate, or combination thereof); OR submitted a statement of purpose that will be evaluated by the director of graduate programs and the graduate programs admissions committee. 

The following course restrictions will pertain to conditionally admitted applicants:

• Conditionally admitted students in the traditional face-to-face program can take no more than 6 graduate credit hours during a traditional length semester.
• Conditionally admitted students in the online program can take no more than 3 graduate credit hours during each seven-week term.

Conditionally admitted students will be moved to unconditional admission status upon completion of 6 hours with a grade of “B” or better in each course. While conditionally admitted, a grade of “C” or lower in any graduate-level course will result in suspension from the graduate program.

Core Courses

Students complete a 12-credit core of courses. The core enables students to build solid foundations in critical areas such as information systems, database management, and sustainable business practices.

Emphasis

Students complete one of the following 12-credit hour emphases as part of the program.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Learn the principles of artificial intelligence and machine learning for business and creative industries. Apply basic programming languages/technologies and design/deployment skills through thesis projects which combine theory and technical skill.

Cloud and Cybersecurity: Learn the principles of cloud computing and computer security for business and creative industries. Apply basic programming languages and technologies through thesis projects which combine theory and technical skill in regard to data, network and internet security risk management.

Game and App Design: Learn the principles of human centered design for business and creative industries. Develop thesis projects which apply basic iOS mobile design/programming skills combined with game design technologies/theory.

Business Analytics: Learn common techniques in business analytics to make informed managerial decisions from business data. Use analytics software to analyze business data via descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, simulation modeling, data mining, and data visualization.

Elective Courses

Nine hours of graduate electives may be selected in statistics and business (approval granted by graduate program director).