In order to complete the Master of Science in Intelligent Information Systems, a student must satisfy three different requirements. Curricular requirements ensure that students recieve instruction in core intelligent information systems technologies while also allowing an opportunity to specialize in areas of personal interest. Practice requirements are opportunies to apply and hone new skills while building state-of-the-art systems. Grade requirements ensure that students have demonstrated a certain level of skill while completing degree requirements.

MIIS-16 students must take at least 84 units (typically 7 12-unit courses) of qualifying and elective courses that satisfy human language, machine learning, and language technology applications breadth requirements and 66 practice units for a total of 150 units to attain the Standard MIIS degree.

MIIS-21 students must take at least 108 units (typically 9 12-unit courses) of qualifying and elective courses and 66 practice units to satisfy their degree requirements, making it a total of 174 units to attain the MIIS: Advanced Study degree.

All three are described below:

Curricular Requirements: 

  1. Qualifying courses. MIIS-16 students must pass 72 units (typically 6 12-unit courses) and MIIS-21 students must complete 96 units (typically 8 12-unit courses) in qualifying Masters courses. 

     A qualifying Masters'-level course is defined as:
    • any graduate course (600-level or higher) offered by the Language Technologies Institute, and
    • any graduate course (600-level or higher) from a list of approved qualifying courses*.

  2. Free elective. Students must pass 12 units (typically 1 12-unit course or 2 6-unit, or mini, courses) in elective Masters' courses. A free elective is defined as:
    • A graduate course (600-level or higher) with content relevant to the MIIS program objectives  offered by the university; and
    • Any course approved by the student's advisor and the degree Program Director
    • A student may not use the same course to satisfy both a qualifying course requirement and an elective course requirement.

  3. Breadth requirements. Students must demonstrate breadth by passing one course in each of the following areas. In addition, MIIS-21 students must take two more LTI courses (24 units total) in one of the following areas of concentration:
    • Human Language
    • Machine Learning
    • Language Technology Applications

The department maintains and publishes a list of courses that satisfy each of these requirements. Courses used to satisfy breadth requirements can also be used to satisfy qualifying course requirements.

* Please note that only two graduate courses (600-level or higher) offered by departments within the SCS other than LTI (Machine Learning or Computer Science departments, etc.) may be counted as approved qualifying courses.

Practice Requirements: A student must complete at least 66 practice-oriented course units and satisfy the following practice-oriented requirements for both MIIS-16 and MIIS-21 programs:

  1. Directed study requirement. Students must pass 24 units (typically 12 units over 2 semesters) in directed study under the supervision of their advisor. Directed study is a structured, task-oriented form of independent study that provides deep, hands-on experience in a particular technology area and an opportunity to work closely with a member of the faculty.

  2. Internship requirement. Students must complete a one-semester internship over the summer at an organization (usually a company or government agency) approved by the MIIS Program Director. Internships are an opportunity to apply new skills in a professional setting and to learn about software development in a "real world" environment. Students with prior professional experience may petition the Program Director for an exemption from this requirement.

  3. Capstone requirement. Students must complete a capstone planning course (6 units) and a capstone project course (36 units). The capstone requirement gives students experience with collaborative, team-oriented software development, significant hands-on experiencewith the techniques studied in the classroom, and an opportunity to work on a large-scale software application.
    • The capstone planning seminar (6 units) organizes students into groups, defines capstone project goals/requirements/success metrics/deliverables, and identifies and acquires data, software, and all other resources required for successful completion of the project. The planning seminar must be completed in the semester prior to taking the capstone project (typically in the spring).
    • The capstone project course (36 units) is a large, group-oriented demonstration of student skill in one or more areas covered by the degree. Typically, the results of the capstone project is a major software application. The capstone project is supervised by a member of the faculty who meets with students on a weekly basis to monitor progress and provide guidance.

Grade Requirements: Students must demonstrate their mastery of material taught in courses and their success applying their skills in directed study and capstone project by satisfying the following grade requirements:

  1. Minimum grade. A student must obtain a B- or better grade in all courses, which count towards core requirements. If a student receives a C- or better, that course may count as an elective towards the degree requirements
  2. Minimum QPA. A student must maintain an average QPA of at least 3.0 in courses, directed study, and projects used to satisfy degree requirements.
  3. Pass/Fail. Pass/fail grades are not permitted for courses and projects used to satisfy degree requirements. Graduate students who are required to take additional undergraduate courses to build up core foundations of computer science may not elect the pass/fail option for these courses.