Are you a tech-minded person looking to establish yourself in a career built for the future?
Are you fascinated by the systems that help us communicate in the modern world? Do you have a knack for troubleshooting issues with the technology your friends and family use every day? If you're looking to build a career in fast-growing field that offers room for growth, a B.S. in Information Technology may be a great fit for you.
About Penn State Schuylkill's B.S. in Information Technology
Information technology is a discipline that explores how we can use the power of information and technology to increase human potential. This includes creating innovative systems and technological solutions that benefit businesses, organizations, and individuals, and understanding the ever-expanding role of technology in our lives.
The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology provides students with the theoretical frameworks and skill sets necessary to compete and be productive in the global IT context. Specifically, the degree:
- Builds an understanding of core information technologies and related areas of study
- Prepares students for the practical application of various information sciences and related technologies
- Engages students in sharpening their abilities to think critically and to work in teams
All this will be done while exploring the cognitive, social, institutional, and global environments of IT. Team projects in most courses, a required internship, and a senior capstone experience round out the offerings of this holistic degree program.
Degree options
The IT degree offers students variety with five options to focus their studies in a specific area of expertise. Each option requires students to enroll in 12-13 option-specific credits, with a minimum of 3 credits at the 400-level. Penn State Schuylkill IT options are:
Application development
Prepares students for the design and development of complex object-oriented programming and technical skills to succeed in a fast-paced development and operations environment.
Business applications
Prepares students to pursue careers in information technology using business organizational problems with an emphasis on the systems processes and business operations integration.
Cybersecurity
Provides students with the knowledge and cyber defense skills needed to critically assess and respond to modern information security threats. Students will also be prepared to protect information infrastructure and data from attacks and unauthorized access.
Security and risk analysis
Gives students the tools to address current and emerging security and risk challenges facing individuals, organizations and the nation, over a variety of domains including national/homeland security, emergency and disaster management, law and crime, and enterprise risk management.
Custom information technology
Provides students the opportunity to pursue an approved information technology interdisciplinary or exploratory program of study.
Internships and Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op
To earn a B.S. in Information Technology, students must complete a 300-hour internship as part of their program. Unique in the Penn State family, Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op is an elective four-year career development program that combines rigorous coursework with three full-time work experiences, and relevant career development training. Co-Op students graduate with both a degree and a résumé.
Career Opportunities
The Information Technology degree at Penn State Schuylkill prepares graduates for in-demand careers in a variety of fields. Information technology graduates are employed in jobs such as:
- Support specialist
- Computer programmer
- Quality assurance tester
- Web developer
- IT technician
- Systems analyst
- Network engineer
- User experience designer
- Database administrator
- Computer scientist
- Software engineer
- IT security specialist
- Data scientist
- IT manager
Is this program right for me?
You might like this program if...
- You want to develop new software and web applications, help businesses operate more effectively by creating and implementing technological solutions, or understand how technology is connected to broader social issues.
- You are interested in technology but also want to work with people.
- You enjoy coming up with creative solutions to difficult challenges.
