About Software & Information Systems

WELCOME

Software is the driving force of the emerging information economy. The Department of Software and Information Systems (SIS) focuses on issues related to developing software, developing information systems, and the interactions between people and the information systems they use.

SIS offers a variety of academic programs to serve the needs of this ever-changing and ever-growing field.  Minors, Concentrations, Graduate Certificates, and Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees, an Honors Program, a Ph.D. track are all designed to provide our students with the skills and experience for a successful career in SIS. 

CCI’s newest graduate program, the Cybersecurity Master’s Degree Program is the first graduate-level program in the region.  The MS in Cybersecurity is designed to equip students with the latest knowledge and skills in cybersecurity and privacy, including a fundamental understanding of common security vulnerabilities of computing and networked systems; the ability to analyze and evaluate the security and privacy risks in information systems and networks; and the ability to design and implement information systems with security controls to minimize those risks.

Cybersecurity has been a focus area of the SIS department for the past 15 years and has been designated a Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Research by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Our faculty conduct cutting edge research through the Cyber Defense and Network Assurability (CyberDNA) Research Center. We also offer degrees with focus areas in security at the Bachelors and Ph.D. levels. More information about UNC Charlotte’s cybersecurity academic program can be found at https://cci.charlotte.edu/cybersecurity/.

The annual Cybersecurity Symposium, held in the fall, has become the premier security conference in the region and features expert guest speakers from around the country addressing the latest issues surrounding cyber crime and what is being done to combat this ever-increasing global problem. For more information and to register visit cybersecuritysymposium.charlotte.edu/.

All our degree programs produce well-rounded students, highly qualified to pursue a wide variety of careers. We’re committed to preparing students to match the diverse requirements of employers.

Academic Programs

  • B.A. Software and Information Systems
  • M.S. Information Technology
  • Graduate Certificate in Information Technology Management
  • Graduate Certificate in Information Security and Privacy
  • Ph.D. Information Technology

Students can choose a variety of concentrations including:

  • Information Security and Privacy
  • Software Design and Engineering
  • Human and Computer Interactions
  • Information Technology Management
  • Geographical Information Systems (Joint with GES)
  • Intelligent Information Systems Uoint with CS)
  • Advanced Database and Knowledge Discovery (Joint with CS)

Our curriculum emphasizes hands on experiences with specialized laps including:

  • Computer Forensics
  • Vulnerability Assessment and System Assurance (Penetration Testing)
  • Honeynet
  • Home Network Security
  • IT infrastructure design and implementation
  • Software testing

Research

The department has high quality research programs with faculty expertise in the following areas:

  • Information Security and Assurance
  • Intelligent Information Systems
  • Software Engineering
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Information Infrastructures

The department values interdisciplinary research and maintains a high level of external funding from a variety of federal and industry sources including: NSF, DARPA, DoD, DoE, DHS, Bank of America, and Wachovia.

Financial Assistance & Career Development

Financial assistant opportunities are available for both graduate and undergraduates. Since 2001, the Carolina Cyber Defender Scholarship Program has provided close to 100 full scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing information security careers in the public sector. Scholarship covers two years of tuition, stipends, and books. Research and teaching assistant positions are available for graduate students, particularly Ph.D. students. Please visit faculty web pages for specific information about research assistant positions.