About the program

The Information Technology Major is offered for the student interested in supporting a business operation, rather than focusing on writing software. This requires a versatile, broadly skilled individual prepared to tackle a wide range of problems. This is especially true in businesses with a single-person IT department. The role needed is not wholesale development, but rather the need to keep an organization's IT system running by providing some customization of applications, integrating sub-systems into a whole, and maintaining day to day operations. In short, the job of keeping the IT infrastructure alive to support business operations.

What are the skills of this individual? Basic programming is clearly a need. But so is administration and planning to keep the systems alive and well supported. The upper-level courses in this major provide a set of skills to meet the needs of the business systems. The base of the curriculum is the Information Systems Architecture and Technology and Business Programming Concepts. These are fundamental to business operations in most systems.

Networking is clearly a major focus of any IT system, even in a very small organization. This requires an understanding of small-scale network design and technologies, network administration, and having a good handle on the everrising security problems that come with the network. The constant growth of network technologies requires an individual ready to track the industry and grow with the network.

Information security is emerging as one of the most important areas in IT. Without the right balance of control and freedom, security can be restrictive and prohibitive to an organization's progress. Security may also appear to be an imposition of unrealistic rules and procedures on users, managers and systems. However, a well-thought-out set of policies and procedures can effectively balance the needs of users and managers with the need to protect information from a variety of security risks and threats. The constant threats encountered in business systems necessitate an individual who is prepared and vigilant.

The individual in this job must be a quick learner because the field is always evolving. This also will be a focus through the major. The goal is not just to be prepared for today, but to be ready to grow with tomorrow.

The instructors in the major are selected from faculty with industrial experience and adjuncts with an active career in the IT industry. This will ensure a practical, pragmatic educational experience.

Extra-curricular Activities

Learn more about why this is the degree program for you, program details and more at the University's official page.