Computer Information Systems

Below is a general summary of my studies in the Computer Information Systems major at UWSP.

CIS 210 – Intro to Programming I

This was an introductory level course to object oriented programming (OOP) using the Java language. We learned about the foundations of OOP and used IBM Rational Software Architect (RSA) as our IDE. RSA is built off of Eclipse and is what is encouraged for students to use off campus. During my time at UWSP, the CIS major was re-organized and has been renamed to CIS 110, which now uses a different text book and covers on a deeper scale the main concepts of OOP: encapsulation, absraction, polymorphism and inheritance.

CIS 211- Intro to Programming II

This class posed as a continuation of the concepts learned in CIS 210 where we extended our studies in the Java language by looking looking at GUI components using the classes in the javax.swing library. Toward the end of the class, we were introduced to UML fundamentals and connecting to a java database using ODBC. Since the CIS major has gone through a facelift, the course that replaced this is now listed as CIS 120 and focuses on data structures and implementation in Java.

CIS 219- Database Design and Implementation

This course focused entirely on the SQL universe and covered syntax and concepts in MSSQL, MySQL, and Oracle. The solutions, though, we needed to design and implement were supposed to be ideal and portable solutions that worked in all three language subsets. We learned how to write our own tables, functions, division queries, and joins, just to name a few key concepts. The course ended with exporting SQL to XML and learning the basics about schemas. The class is now listed as CIS 210 at UWSP.

CIS 220- Systems Analysis and Design

Systems Analysis and Design gives students an introduction to UML and teaches them everything from Use Case Diagrams to Class Diagrams to Relationship Types. The course also defines the difference between analysis and design in computer information systems.

CIS 313- Production Programming

Production programming introduces students to .NET programming with VB. We learn the fundamentals of .NET, elaborate on past OOP ideas, and learn about n-tier design, specifically 3-tier design. Throughout the course, brief overviews of prior OOP fundamentals were given, but compared and contrasted with VB and Java, to give a sense of how the languages differ. The course is now listed as CIS 310 at UWSP.

CIS 330- Computer and Network Architecture

Computer hardware and networking fundamentals were the objectives of this course. The class started with an introduction to computer hardware, then migrated into more in depth specifics about certain parts of hardware and operating systems. The second half of the class was dedicated to networking fundamentals and troubleshooting. The course is no longer offered at UWSP, but has been replaced with more in depth and rigorous networking courses for the networking emphasis of the CIS major.

CIS 340- Application Development with UML

The real nature of this class was not UML at all, but rather diving into the C# programming language. This course focused heavily on polymorphism, interfaces, structs, LINQ, and data structures within the .NET framework. The rigor of the course gives students a more in depth look at the nature of .NET.

CIS 341- Interactive Web Programming

This course focused exclusively on ASP.NET and C#. The first few weeks introduced students to XHTML/CSS and then transitioned into ASP.NET development. Some of the concepts covered included theme design, session variables, XML, SQL, ADO.NET, and LINQ. The course brings together OOP, database management, and XML all rolled up into one course and further explores new and emerging areas of the .NET framework.

CIS 346- Rich Internet Applications with AJAX

This course covered the fundamentals of the AJAX methodology in .NET applications. Review of XHTML/CSS/JS were given the first few days of the course. DOM, JSON, and XML were other topics covered. The course has only been offered twice at UWSP.

CIS 410- Professional IT Communications

Along with strong programming and development skills, writing and effective communication are also crucial in computing. This course covers memos, basic budgeting, resume writing, heuristic review, and content management system end user documentation as writing objectives. Furthermore, each objective was centered around computing job scenarios and provides strong writing skills needed for the work place.

CIS 480- Applied Computing Project

This course is the final course in the CIS major and focuses on applying the skills and methodologies learned throughout the CIS major. Students are put into groups and assigned a semester long project tailored to their area of focus. The students’ project is with a real client and the project is typically implemented for real world use for the client. Projects vary from upgrading an application to a new language, adding more features to an existing application, usability testing, and debugging and completing a large scale project from a previous semester. Students meet with their respective clients frequently, gain knowledge in project management, and are required to put in approximately 200 hours into their project.