Degree Overview

A major strength of the Master of Integrated Sciences is that a student’s curriculum is as individualized as the students themselves. Students will select 2 to 3 departments within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) from which to take courses. These courses are tailored to focus on a multidisciplinary research area, ultimately culminating in either a Master’s thesis or a Master’s project. In total, students will complete 30 semester hours.

Eligible Departments:

The MIS program targets the natural, physical, mathematical, and computational sciences. As such, the primary departments from which students typically choose their emphasis are: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics.

Breadth and Depth Requirements:

Courses will be selected in conjunction with the program director to ensure that all courses are related to the student’s stated program goal. The breadth requirement of the program stems from the two or three CLAS departments in which the student has chosen to focus.

To ensure adequate depth, the student must take a minimum of 9 credits in a chosen primary area of concentration. This area of concentration can be within an individual department or as an interdisciplinary concentration.

Special Courses

Two course options, MINS 5000 and MINS 5840, exist to help students find course work in areas where graduate courses are not taught. MINS 5000 serves as a cross listing for any 4000 level CLAS course. The students will attend and participate in (including all assignments and exams) the associated 4000 level course and will arrange for additional material and evaluation with the professor and the program director. A common example would be to complete the standard 4000 level class and complete a graduate level project in a related subject. MINS 5840 is a graduate level independent study. Both of these options require prior approval of the program director and a professor with an appointment to the graduate school.

Additionally, courses can be taken at either the Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC) or in non – CLAS departments (i.e. engineering) on a case-by-case basis.

In extreme cases, where the above courses are not options, MIS students can petition to take 4000 level courses. The graduate school allows up to 6 hours of 4000 level work to be applied, however this is discourages whenever other options exist.

Transfer Policy

The graduate school will allow up to 12 hours of graduate transfer credits (dependent on a B grade or better). However these credits must fit the student’s program goal in order to apply to the MIS degree. Further, no coursework may be applied that will be older than seven years on the day of graduation. For more information please contact the program director.

Research

All students will select an advisor in their area of focus with whom to complete research. This research will culminate in either a Master’s project (3-4 credits) or Master’s Thesis (4-6 credits). These credits do apply to the 30 credit requirement. Students will select a committee of no less than three graduate faculty (including the advisor), spanning the student’s departments, who will serve as project/thesis defense committee.