Information systems have a long and rich history, seen in several traditional applications. Information systems have been an integral part of the infrastructure of corporations, including maintenance of employee records, inventories, and other corporate information. Another example is seen in medical information systems, with hospital records maintained in electronic form. Sophisticated techniques for database design search mechanisms, and other features establish a foundation of underlying principles supporting such systems for corporate and other large-scale uses.

More recently, several events have led to far more widespread use of sophisticated networked information systems. Data networks, such as the Internet, emerged as a basis for data communications among computers and among end-users. Computer technologies have advanced at a sustained rate of exponential growth, providing the general public with powerful desktop computers, with value greatly extended through connections to data networks. A little over 2000 days ago, the Web emerged and dramatically changed the role of information systems in daily life. The result has been a redefinition of business practices and the ability of individuals to explore an ever-increasing global environment of information.

A "networked information system" consists of the combination of information sources (data bases, company sales information, corporate employee records, Web sites, etc.), the data networks over which the information is accessed from a remote location for local use, and the user computer/interface environment at which the information is used. In this sense, the concept of networked information systems transcends the traditional academic boundaries of electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, and other disciplines.

The Graduate Certificate Programs in Networked Information Systems has been developed in response to these developments. Engineering of networked information systems addresses the design, deployment, maintenance, and upgrade of contemporary information systems. Representative topics include the information repositories, the data networks connecting these information sources, the presentation of information to the end user, provisions for security and assurance, development of multimedia-rich information, and related elements of today's and future information systems.