Informatics, MS

Admission and Prerequisites

In addition to the general application and admission requirements from the Graduate School, the M.S. degree program in Informatics requires submission of a resume or CV and completion of undergraduate coursework (with a grade of C or better) in survey of calculus and statistics. (At UL Lafayette, these courses include MATH 250  and STAT 325  or STAT 427G ). Substitutions for these admission prerequisite courses may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the program. Approval of any substitution must be conveyed by the Graduate Coordinator to the Dean of the Graduate School upon review of the application for admission.  

Degree Requirements and Coursework

The Master of Science in Informatics program requires completion of 33 graduate credit hours. Upon completion of 12 hours of graduate coursework in the program, students are required to declare (via the Graduate School Application for Candidacy) their intention to pursue the thesis track or non-thesis track for degree completion.

Curriculum

The required curriculum is dependent upon a student’s undergraduate degree preparation.

1. Students with an undergraduate degree in a related field of study (e.g., informatics, computer science, computer engineering) are required to complete the following required coursework:
   • 18 graduate credit hours of the above-identified required core courses
   • 3 graduate credit hours of INFX elective coursework
   • 6 graduate credit hours of (1) additional INFX elective coursework and/or (2) elective graduate-level coursework in a related discipline outside of INFX (e.g., Biology, Business, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology) as approved by the Graduate Coordinator
   • Thesis Track:
                   6 graduate credit hours of INFX 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis  
   • Non-Thesis Track:
                   INFX 591 - Informatics Capstone  
                   INFX 595 - Master’s Project  
2. Students with an undergraduate degree in an unrelated field of study are required to complete the following required coursework:
   • 6 graduate credit hours of the above-identified foundation courses
   • 18 graduate credit hours of the above-identified required core courses
   • 3 graduate credit hours of (1) additional INFX elective coursework and/or (2) elective graduate-level coursework in a related discipline outside of INFX (e.g., Biology, Business, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology) as approved by the Graduate Coordinator
   • Thesis Track:
                   6 graduate credit hours of INFX 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis  
   • Non-Thesis Track:
                   INFX 591 - Informatics Capstone  
                   INFX 595 - Master’s Project  

Thesis Track

Students who pursue the thesis track are required to complete six graduate credit hours of INFX 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis  and a written thesis. The thesis track emphasizes research, and is probably the best choice for students who want to eventually pursue a doctoral degree or a career in research.

Students are encouraged to talk with faculty members and the Graduate Coordinator about research possibilities and thesis topics as soon as possible. In consultation with the Graduate Coordinator, students pursuing the thesis track will select the chairperson of their thesis committee and begin working toward this goal at any time. Official identification of the committee chair and committee members shall be done at the time of application for candidacy, however, which is upon completion of 12 graduate credit hours of coursework in the program.

For the thesis track, students must develop a written thesis proposal that will be orally defended to the Thesis Committee. The committee must approve (unanimously) the written proposal and oral defense at least one semester prior to the student’s thesis defense. The final written thesis must also be defended orally and approved by the Thesis Committee.

Non-Thesis Track

Students who pursue the non-thesis track are required to complete three graduate credit hours of INFX 595 - Master’s Project  and INFX 591 - Informatics Capstone  to demonstrate a general comprehensive knowledge of the field of Informatics. The non-thesis option may be preferable if you’re planning for a career applying research and working in the field.

For the non-thesis track, students must receive approval by the Graduate Coordinator for plans for the capstone course and Master’s project. Approval should occur as soon as possible after the student declares his or her intent to follow the non-thesis option (via the Graduate School Application for Candidacy) upon completion of 12 graduate credit hours in the program.

Internships

Non-thesis track students may choose to pursue an internship opportunity with an organization or business in partial fulfilment of the INFX 591  capstone course requirements. Thesis-track students may also choose to complete an internship and earn course credit.

Comprehensive Exam

In addition to demonstrating a general comprehensive knowledge of Informatics through successful completion of the thesis and thesis oral defense (for thesis-track students) or INFX 591 - Informatics Capstone  (for non-thesis track students), each candidate must achieve a grade of A or B on a minimum of three, three-graduate-credit-hour 500-level courses.

Procedures

Following admission to the M.S. program in Informatics, students will register for courses upon the advice of the Graduate Coordinator. Throughout the entirety of a student’s study, the Graduate Coordinator shall provide comprehensive, long-range planning and advising for each semester’s registration.

The maximum course load for a graduate student in Informatics shall be twelve graduate credit hours during a regular semester and nine graduate credit hours during a summer session.

It is expected that full-time students will complete all requirements for the M.S. degree within two years.