#1
Best Online Masters in IT in Colorado for seven years
U.S. News & World Report, 2025
169K
Median annual wage for CIS managers in 2023
According to a 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report
The 33-credit STEM-designated CIS master's degree is designed for those interested in developing and managing the technology driving modern business. Offered online and on campus, this degree provides a balance of in-demand technical skills and business management essentials. It can be completed in as few as 18 months or taken part-time over three to five years. The program provides a rigorous education for those with technical backgrounds while also bringing those new to the field up-to-speed. Students can customize their degree with additional specialized certificates, including cybersecurity, application development, IT project management, business intelligence and business information systems.
Program benefits
- Flexibility with you in mind: Whether you want to start in fall or spring, learn online or on campus or enhance your degree with additional certificates, we offer you flexibility and choices to customize your experience.
- In-demand skills to keep pace with progress: With the labor market for computer information systems managers and other IT roles expected to grow 15% by 2032, this degree provides you with the business savvy and systems-thinking and expertise needed to run today’s IT operations. You’ll learn Python, CH, Power BI and more to have a wide range of abilities to effectively lead large-scale web and IT systems operations to consulting on business intelligence issues, operations, product development, technology strategy and more. Our graduates find success industry-wide with domestic students consistently achieving over a 90% job placement rate.
- Credentials that matter: As an AACSB-accredited college, a status achieved by only 6% of business schools worldwide, you can have confidence that you’re learning from the best. Our faculty are immersed in leading edge research and the latest business and IT practices to provide you with the business and technical grounding needed to advance in this fast-paced field.
- Ranked among the best: In 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked our online CIS program No. 1 Master of IT program in Colorado for seven consecutive years, No. 9 among veterans nationwide and Top 25 nationwide overall. These rankings are externally surveyed and based on student engagement with faculty and their peers, faculty credentials and training, expert opinion and the quality of services and technology.
Program at a Glance
| Delivery: |
Face to face or online |
| Location: |
Fort Collins, Colorado, or anywhere |
| Length: |
Three semesters (full time) or up to five years (part time) |
| Start Dates: |
August and January |
| Schedule: |
On-Campus: Classes two to five days a week, Monday-Friday
Online: Self-paced lectures in step with class assignments |
| Credits: |
33 (15 core, 18 elective) |
| Degree awarded: |
On diploma: Master of Computer Information Systems
On transcript: Master of Computer Information Systems, major in Computer Information Systems
|
Cybersecurity Center and Certificate
The College of Business is responding to market demand for cutting-edge research and educational needs in cybersecurity and data privacy. In collaboration with other CSU colleges, the College of Business supports the Cybersecurity Center. The center provides education for both on - and off-campus students around cybersecurity and data encryption issues and helps prepare students to join a rapidly growing career field.
In addition to the core MCIS curriculum, the program offers a graduate certificate in cybersecurity that teaches you to identify, assess and manage IT-related risks and vulnerabilities that businesses face. CSU has earned the designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency (NSA). The MCIS degree along with the cybersecurity certificate are NSA-validated programs of study.
Landing a 'Dream Job' with the MCIS Degree
“The database systems course really helped me get through the on-site interviews ... I was able to explain the concepts much more clearly."
Sooraj Reddy Lankala, Data Engineer, Amazon
Read more
Prepare for the next step in your career with the College of Business and LinkedIn Learning
Demonstrate your skills and update your LinkedIn credentials with LinkedIn Learning. Valued between $240 to $360 annually, but free to College of Business graduate students, LinkedIn Learning offers more than 18,000 courses that expand on your coursework, connect you with industry experts and are available in formats that fit your lifestyle.
Important Dates
5/27/2025 9:00 AM - 5/28/2025 3:30 PM
Gain essential knowledge and practical skills to protect yourself and your data from cyber threats