MSIS for University of Utah IS Majors

Undergraduate Information Systems majors at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business who excel academically have the opportunity to streamline their admissions process when applying for the MSIS program.

Current IS Majors
BS/MS Co-Terminal Program

Current IS majors are encouraged to apply for the BS/MS Information Systems Co-Terminal program, a unique program that provides undergraduate students with a seamless transition to the graduate program.

  • Start the MSIS program immediately following or concurrently with your undergraduate degree
  • Minimum 3.2 IS GPA and 3.0 cumulative GPA required
  • Must be a current undergraduate IS major (cannot have graduated)
  • Note: Some IS students will have chosen a BA instead of a BS. All aspects of the BS/MS Co-Terminal Program apply equally to students completing a BAIS degree.
  • May waive MSIS core courses with BSIS courses if student receives B grades or higher (a B- will not be accepted) and take MSIS electives of equivalent credits in its place.

BS/MS Co-Terminal Program – Current IS Majors

  • Undergraduate IS students submit the BS/MS Pre-Screen application when eligible (see Pre-Screen Application Requirements below).
  • Once prescreened and accepted to the BS/MS, students meet with their MSIS academic advisor to develop a course plan for completing their MSIS coursework.
  • Students also continue to work with their undergraduate advisor to ensure that all requirements for the undergraduate degree are met. Students are responsible for informing their undergraduate advisor of their BS/MS status and delaying their undergraduate graduation until they have completed the co-terminal degree program.
  • Students may take up to 12 graduate credits while completing their undergraduate degree.*
  • Pre-screened students subsequently submit an official application during the semester in which they will complete the requirements for their undergraduate degree. Please complete the BS-MS Credit Verification Form. The form can be found in the MSIS Application requirements for BS/MS Students toggle.
  • Once formally admitted to the MSIS program, students are classified as graduate students in the university system, and proceed to complete the remaining MSIS coursework.
  • In their first semester in graduate status, students who completed graduate work while in undergraduate status submit the Request for Graduate Credit in BS/MS Program form, in order to apply those courses to their MSIS degree.
  • Students graduate with their BS and MS degrees, conferred simultaneously, following completion of requirements for both degrees. (Co-terminal students submit two applications to graduate, one for each degree.)

*International students are eligible for the BS/MS program but cannot take graduate courses while in undergraduate student status. International students in the co-terminal program are responsible for informing their MSIS academic advisor of their visa status to ensure compliance with this visa restriction.

  • Accepted University of Utah IS major
  • Completed a minimum of 90 credits toward the undergraduate degree
  • Grades posted for a minimum of 3 upper-division IS courses (not including IS 4410)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • GPA Requirements
    • Minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA in upper-division IS courses
    • Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
    • *Students falling below the GPA requirements may submit an additional, optional essay to address their GPA and add any additional context.
  • Professional resume
  • Statement of purpose written essay – 750 word maximum
    • Tell us about your interest in and experience with information technology.
    • Why are you choosing to pursue the BS/MSIS program at this time in your career and what do you hope to achieve while in the program?
    • What goals do you have for after the program, and how will the MSIS degree help you achieve them?
    • Tell us about the personal qualities and/or experiences that make you a strong candidate for the program.
    • Why do you think the MSIS program at the Eccles School is the right place for you?
  • Video introduction – 1 minute maximum
    • Imagine you are at the MSIS orientation. Introduce yourself to your new peers and faculty members. Include any personal and/or professional aspects that you believe are significant. Additionally, include one interesting thing about yourself that is unrelated to your work/field of study.
    • If a personal situation through the Americans with Disabilities Act precludes you from submitting a video, please contact MSISinfo@Eccles.Utah.edu for alternate submission options.
Submit your BS/MS Application

  • MSIS program application and fee
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
  • Professional resume
  • Written statement of purpose essay and video introduction
    • Both the statement of purpose essay and the video introduction from the pre-screening application can be used for this requirement.
  • Complete the BS-MS Credit Verification Form and upload this in the Transcript section of the MSIS application.
Start your MSIS Application
BS-MS Credit Verification Form

BS/MS students graduate with both their BS and MS Information Systems degrees, conferred simultaneously, following completion of the entire co-terminal program.

  • A minimum of 122 credits is required for the IS bachelor degree.
  • A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours are required for the MSIS degree.
  • No single course may be counted toward both the BS and the MS.
  • BS/MS students must complete at least 152 credits for the two degrees.

  • The ultimate authority to admit a student into any graduate program is the University of Utah Graduate School. As a result, BS/MS pre-screening approval does not guarantee admission into the MSIS program. For this reason, applicants are carefully evaluated during the pre-screening process as potential master’s candidates, and it’s expected that pre-screened applicants will be admitted to the graduate program.
  • International students are not eligible to take graduate courses while in undergraduate student status and are responsible for informing their academic advisor of their visa status to ensure compliance with this visa restriction.
  • Students wishing to exit the co-terminal program can apply qualified undergraduate coursework toward their bachelor’s degree.
  • No student will be awarded a separate MSIS degree without satisfying all requirements for their bachelor’s degree.
  • Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate student will remain on the undergraduate record but will be recorded as credit toward the graduate degree.
  • Courses used to earn the undergraduate degree may not be used toward a graduate degree, nor may courses used to earn the graduate degree be used toward an undergraduate degree.
  • Students who drop out of the BS/MS program cannot use graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree and are not guaranteed acceptance of these credits toward any graduate degree.
  • To waive MSIS core courses with BSIS courses, the student must receive a B grade or higher (Not a B-) or the student will need to retake this course at the graduate level.
  • International students aren’t eligible to enroll in the BS/MS Co-terminal program.
Apply for the BS/MS Program