The Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (MS-CIS) program at Colorado State University (CSU) was one of the first in the country when it was established in 1967 according to the model provided by the Data Processing Management Association (DPMA). Beginning in 1967, CSU initiated delivery of its MBA at a distance and graduated the first student in 1972, thus, making it the first and most senior program in the US. In 1992 a Computer Information Systems (CIS) concentration was offered in the distance MBA, though many challenges were faced due primarily to the distribution of the necessary software (IEF by Texas Instruments). The concentration was discontinued in 1995 due to difficulties associated with installation of the complex IEF software on distance student computers. Fall 2010 saw the rollout of the entire MS-CIS program consisting of 5 courses in the fall, 4 courses in the spring and the remainder during summer 2011. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned in terms of university and college approval, development and deployment. Surprisingly, many lessons may appear to be counter-intuitive and, yet, are critical to the success of the distance program.