Bachelor of Technology - Information Technology
Bachelor of Technology Degree
The demand for skilled knowledge workers in today's fast-paced business world is growing with Network and Systems Administrator positions leading the way[1]. Today's technology savvy organizations are seeking employees with a blend of up-to-date technology skills blended with a fundamental understanding of business principles. Information Technology workers will need to develop solutions for tomorrow's problems[2]. The Bachelor of Technology Degree at SUNY Cobleskill is designed to provide the successful graduate with the necessary skills in today's fast-paced global economy.
Organizations of all types and sizes need computer systems to manage strategic planning and the financial, sales and personnel aspects of business. In the past, computer information systems were housed on large mainframe computers where all the applications and control rested in the central computer and with the personnel who ran that computer. Today, many of these information systems are housed on distributed networks in which users - who can be distributed widely throughout a building, a geographic area, or even the world - use interconnected personal computers, workstations and servers in an environment where most of the control of the applications and data rests with the end-user and end-user support personnel.
In order to keep up with the many changes caused by this dramatically different way that computing is done, the need for a new type of IT professional was created - an individual who can not only manage the integration of diverse computers, operating systems, networks, and voice, video and data communication systems, but also communicate with the personnel who design, program, manage, maintain and support these systems. These IT professionals may do help desk support, PC construction, troubleshooting and repair, training, project management, local area network/telecommunications, maintenance, management, information security, internet web site development and management, and/or web publishing or marketing. They may also be required to do some programming and/or system design and development work. Organizations have at least one staff person who is responsible for meeting their information systems needs, but that person seldom possesses all of the skills necessary to keep up with the rapid pace of technical and software change. As a result, there is a great demand for, but a limited supply of, IT specialists with various specialized knowledge and skill sets. This has caused Information Technology to be one of the hottest career areas today, an area in which the experts see no end to the demand for IT professionals.
Program Goals
Graduates of the Bachelor of Technology program will acquire and develop a broad range of skills. Specifically, they will be able to;
- Analyze complex business problems and develop an appropriate solution incorporating best practices in their field.
- Configure and support Information Systems specific to their field.
- Successfully work in a collaborative environment.
- Effectively communicate with a wide audience in both written and oral formats.
- Demonstrate lifelong learning skills to prepare them to solve tomorrow's problems.
Benefits of a Bachelor of Technology Degree from SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Cobleskill offers a wide array of Advisement Tracks allowing the student to select a program which best suits his or her interest. Using the latest available software and hardware technology, students can choose from the following areas of study;
- Information Security and Assurance
- Network Administration
- Web and Applications Development
In addition, the Bachelor of Technology program incorporates an internship which students learn to recognize and solve current problems facing today's organizations. The internship normally occurs in the eighth semester of study and affords successful graduates to pursue a career in their fields or to continue their studies at the Graduate level.
Degree Requirements
To fulfill requirements for the Bachelor of Technology degree, the candidate must complete a minimum of 125 credit hours of academic work with a GPA of not less than 2.00. These include 37 credits in the major field, 45 credits of core electives, 34 credits in prescribed areas of liberal arts and sciences, and 9 credits of general electives as listed below. Students should select an advisement track from the selection offered below by the end of their first semester. In order to qualify for the Internship Program, candidates must complete all required and elective courses bearing the major field course prefix CITA or CISA with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
[1] Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, US Dept. of Labor
[2] Foote Research Group, 2006 Report.
