THE NEXT DYNAMIC LEADER IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS LOOKS LIKE

Master's in Information Systems

AT A GLANCE

Credit hours: 30

Full-time, part-time

Online, evening and hybrid class options

Fully online option

Start terms: fall, spring, summer

YOU are the next leader in AI, business intelligence, and digital transformation

The CU Denver MS in Information Systems combines technical expertise with strategic and managerial leadership, preparing you to lead AI-enabled innovation, intelligent decision-making, and digital transformation. Choose a pathway in AI Leadership & Management, Business Intelligence & AI, or customize your degree to match your career goals, with hands-on learning grounded in real-world business challenges.

Request Information

Questions? Ask Our AI Agent

Visit Us Online or In Person

Apply to CU Denver

specializations to tailor your skills

STEM certified

Classes offered in the evening and online

CITI

Center for Information Technology and Innovation

The CU Denver MS in Information Systems program attracts students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, especially those with technology experience, who enrich classroom discussions with their perspectives. With flexible evening, hybrid, and online options, the program allows you to balance graduate study with professional and personal commitments. Combining applied technical training with managerial and strategic coursework, the program prepares you to lead at the intersection of AI, business intelligence, information systems, and digital transformation. The 30-credit program offers pathways in AI Leadership & Management, Business Intelligence & AI, or a customized degree plan aligned with your interests and career goals.

By graduation, you'll have developed advanced technical, analytical, and managerial capabilities to drive innovation and organizational change. Topics include:

Artificial Intelligence & Intelligent Systems

Business Intelligence & Analytics

Database Management

Information Security & Privacy

AI Governance & Responsible Innovation

Business & Information Systems Strategy

Machine Learning & Predictive Analytics

Data Warehousing & Visualization

Digital Transformation

Technology & Project Management

As graduates of the program, international students can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and remain in the US for an additional 24 months.

Learn more about STEM OPT eligibility

You'll have full access to our Business Career Center team for life. With over 10 years of recruiting and advising experience, they'll help you navigate your way through the corporate recruiting process. Our connections to over 300 business partners provide exclusive opportunities to network with industry leaders. Their services include:

Career workshops – perfect your resume, LinkedIn profile, and job search process
Individual appointments – explore what your personal career path looks like, review your resume, or schedule a mock interview
Career events – hone your networking skills and meet hiring managers from top companies
Job announcements – monthly emails with the latest job and internship opportunities specific to your degree

The MS in Information Systems is a 30-credit program designed to be completed in approximately two years. Coursework combines managerial and technical learning with hands-on, applied projects that prepare you to address real organizational challenges.

Core (9 hours)

All students complete three core courses that provide a common foundation in Information Systems:

Database Management Systems
Information Systems Strategy
Information Systems Security & Privacy

These courses establish the technical, strategic, and security foundations shared across all degree pathways.

Degree Pathways (21 credits)

You can customize the remaining 21 credits through one of three pathways:

AI Leadership & Management: focuses on intelligent systems, AI strategy, ethical leadership, governance, innovation, and organizational transformation.
Business Intelligence & AI: focuses on business intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, data warehousing, predictive insights, and AI-enabled decision-making.
Customized Degree Plan: provides the flexibility to combine foundational and advanced IS courses around your career interests, including emerging areas such as Health AI, Financial AI, Human-AI Collaboration, Enterprise AI, and Digital Product Management.

Each pathway combines foundational or anchor courses, advanced electives, and flexible electives, allowing you to build expertise while maintaining a strong Information Systems foundation.

The MS Information Systems program lets students choose the modality that works best for them. This program is offered in two modalities, fully online and hybrid; students can also combine modalities across courses.

Online courses in this program are asynchronous, meaning there is no specific meeting day/time. Weekly deliverables and deadlines are provided in each course.

Hybrid courses combine in-person and online learning. The in-person experience typically occurs once a week, from 6:30-9:15 p.m., one evening between Monday and Thursday. The 8-week session includes at least six in-person meetings, complemented by asynchronous content.

Customized Degree Plan

The Customized Degree Plan provides the flexibility to combine foundational and advanced Information Systems courses to align with your individual career interests, balancing technical depth, managerial breadth, and cross-functional adaptability. Your customized pathway can focus on emerging areas such as:

AI in Services and Agentic Systems
Health AI and BI
Financial AI & Analytics
Human-AI Collaboration
Digital Product Management
Business Process Automation
Cyber Analytics and Cloud Systems
Digital Transformation and AI/IT Leadership

Cyber Security and Information Assurance

AI Leadership & Management

The AI Leadership & Management Specialization prepares students to lead organizations through AI-enabled digital transformation by developing the strategic, ethical, and managerial capabilities to integrate AI responsibly, manage risk, build trust, and create business value.

This specialization hones your skills through course topics including:

Intelligent systems design and AI strategy
Ethical leadership in AI and emerging technologies
AI governance and lifecycle management
AI-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, and organizational transformation

Business Intelligence & AI

The Business Intelligence & AI Specialization prepares students to transform operational data into actionable intelligence by combining business intelligence, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence to support better decisions, innovation, and organizational performance.

This specialization hones your skills through course topics including:

Business intelligence, machine learning, and AI
Data warehousing and advanced analytics
Predictive and text analytics
AI-enabled decision support and performance management

Most graduate courses are offered as an 8-week session within the 16-week fall and spring semesters. Graduate courses in the summer semester extend for the entire semester, which is an 8-week session as well.

National research shows increased graduation rates among students taking courses in an 8-week session. The data on 8-week courses shows increased student success and course completion rates. The course material is condensed into eight weeks. So, while the weekly workload is greater, you can complete the course in half the time! It is recommended to take one course per each 8-week session, particularly if you work full-time, which allows you to place your focus on just that course.

Additionally, offering courses in 8-week sessions every semester enables you to balance and manage life responsibilities while still prioritizing your education. For instance, if you have a vacation, family commitment or business trip occurring in the first 8-week session, you can choose to enroll only in a course offered in the second eight-week session.

Take classes in a hybrid format (classroom and online) or complete your degree in a fully online curriculum. Your online courses are taught by the same professors and lecturers that teach on campus. We also offer hybrid courses in the evening for those working full-time.

Online courses are asynchronous, meaning there is no specific meeting day/time. Hybrid courses combine in-person and online learning. The in-person experience typically occurs once a week, from 6:30-9:15 p.m., one evening between Monday and Thursday. There will be at least six in-person meetings during the 8-week session, complemented by asynchronous content.

Learning outcomes

Masters in Information Systems

Value 1: Leverage Data

Outcome: Design systems and processes that facilitate the organization, use, management, and preservation of information.

Value 2: Manage Strategically

Outcome: Develop strategies for the efficient and cost-effective management of information systems.

Value 3: Design Thoughtfully

Outcome: Translate business requirements into technical solutions by analyzing, designing, implementing, and evaluating information systems artifacts.

Value 4: Act Securely

Outcome: Apply basic cybersecurity principles to identify, protect, detect respond and recover from cybersecurity threats.

Value 5: Behave Ethically

Outcome: Assess ethical issues in information systems, such as privacy, access, and bias.

These objectives are assessed in relevant courses across the curriculum using projects, presentations, assignments and exam questions.

Tuition

The cost of tuition for the Masters in Information Systems degree is different for in-state and out-of-state students.

Residents of western states may qualify for in-state tuition. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) requires that students maintain current residency of WRGP state until degree completion.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students. As a current student, you can apply for scholarships every semester. Some awards are based on program and course enrollment.

Information Systems (IS) Careers
Information Systems (IS) careers span a broad range of industries including corporate, public sector, and non-profit organizations. These roles often concentrate on specialties such as Business Intelligence (BI), database management, data warehousing, project management, security, artificial intelligence and analytics, digital transformation, and web and mobile application development. For those interested in this field, the Information Systems Job Index provides valuable data on job placement rates and salary trends. Additionally, the Technology and IT Salary Guide is a recommended resource for further salary insights.

Information Systems Job Titles:

Software Designer/Developer
System Administrator
Database Administrator
Technology Executive
Business Analyst
Data Analyst
Business Intelligence Analyst
Business Intelligence Developer
AI/Analytics Consultant
Digital Transformation Manager
Computer Support Manager
Cybersecurity Analyst
eCommerce Specialist
Help Desk Manager
Information Security Specialist
Mobile Applications Developer
Network Manager
Project Manager
Quality Assurance Manager
UX/UI Designer
Web Analytics/Web Developer

For more comprehensive information and additional resources on careers in Information Systems, please visit our Careers page.

Specialized Dual Degree Option

Many students pursue the dual degree option of pairing a Masters in Business Analytics with a Masters in Information Systems (Business Intelligence Specialization). These two degree options offer complementary courses and can be completed together efficiently. Speak with a graduate advisor for more details.

Additional Dual Degree Options

Newly Admitted and Continuing Students:

You can apply for additional scholarships every semester of enrollment. Some awards may be specific to individual programs or enrollment in specific courses. Certain certificates, including risk management and insurance, commodities, and entrepreneurship, have additional scholarship opportunities.

Application Checklist

$50 domestic, $75 international application fee
Online application
Official transcripts from each college or university attended
Essay responses
Resume

GMAT/GRE score if required
English language proficiency—international applicants only

Apply Now

Application Process

Applicants are required to submit all application materials. Interviews are not a part of the admission process. To receive priority admission, we must have received your online application and all other required materials including transcripts and GMAT/GRE (if required by program) by the deadline.

You can check your admission status online through the account you created for the online application. You will receive a final decision by email within two to three weeks from the submission of all materials.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate program at an accredited United States college or its equivalent in another country.
No work experience or formal business education is required for admission; however, you may have to provide a GMAT or GRE score if you do not have enough work experience. See below.

The GMAT/GRE is not required for this program

The MS Information Systems program does not require GMAT or GRE scores as part of the graduate admissions requirements. Requirements include a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better from a US-accredited four-year undergraduate institution, OR three or more years of full-time professional work experience, or the successful completion of a graduate degree.

However, if you received your bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of less than 3.00 or have less than 3 years of professional work experience, you will be asked to submit a statement that outlines other indicators of exceptional motivation, such as solid upper-division performance, GMAT or GRE scores, and other relevant professional experience. The MS Information Systems admissions committee may require a minimum GMAT or GRE score for students who do not automatically qualify by GPA and prior work.

How Decisions Are Made

The admissions committee considers each candidate’s entire record of achievement. This is demonstrated through:

Academic transcripts
Essay responses
Work experience
Extracurricular and community activities
Letters of recommendation if applicable
GMAT/GRE scores if applicable

No work experience or formal business education is required for admission. However, professional experience strengthens your application. Candidates with less work experience can show potential through academic and experiential success.

For any questions, please contact our admissions team at bschool.admissions@ucdenver.edu or call 303-315-8200.

Dual degree options for Master of Science programs include all of our MBA programs and all Business School Master of Science programs. We design a specific degree plan so you get through both programs as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. The amount of credits in each dual degree depends on the amount of overlap between degree programs. Eligible Master of Science programs include:

MS Accounting
MS Business Analytics
MS Finance and Risk Management
MS FinTech
MS Information Systems
MS International Business
MS Management
MS Marketing
MS Sustainable Business

If you are applying for both degrees, you will only need to submit one online application and pay one application fee. Be aware that you must meet specific admission standards for each degree. For more information about dual degree options and the application process, please contact BSchool.Admissions@ucdenver.edu.

International Applicants

International applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in written and oral English.
To determine English Language Proficiency (ELP), you must complete one of the following:

English language proficiency test
Citizenship exemption
Coursework completion
CU Denver ESL Academy (Level 5) graduation
Exception for certain visa types

Please note for Business School graduate programs TOEFL minimum scores are as follows:

Programs:	TOEFL iBT (0 - 120)	*TOEFL iBT (0 - 6)
MS programs	72+	4
Denver Flex & Online MBA	86+	4.5
One Year MBA	95+	5

*Scores in the 1 - 6 scale applies only to TOEFL iBT tests taken on or after January 21, 2026.

For more details about the English Language Proficiency requirement, please visit the following page.

International graduate applicants will have their academic credentials evaluated by CU Denver’s Office of International Affairs

Take the next step in your career.

Many students take advantage of internships for credit while going to school full-time. These internships oftentimes result in full-time job offers upon completion. Past companies our students have interned for include:

Newmont Mining
DaVita
Pingora Asset Management
Vizient

Our Information Systems Association (ISA) student chapter provides huge value for our MS Information Systems students. It has been instrumental in helping our students attain their career goals through high-profile events and speakers.

Through our Information Systems Advisory Council, we celebrate the collaboration between academia and industry. Our corporate members come from leading companies across industries globally. As a student, you’ll benefit from the connections we’ve built with companies, including.

First Bank
Log Rhythm
MITRE
Optiv
Transamerica

Graduation ceremony for masters in information systems students.

Request More Information

Upcoming events

More Business Events

Attend a graduate open house, online or in-person information session, or a GMAT test prep workshop. Visit our events page for all upcoming events.

Business Graduate Prospective Events - Feed

Tools

Resources

Schools and Colleges

Campus Affiliates

THE NEXT DYNAMIC LEADER IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS LOOKS LIKE