All contemporary organizations have problems that can best be solved with the use of computers, databases, networking, and other information technologies. To develop these solutions, organizations need people who understand both their organization and the technology. The Information Technology Associate's degree prepares graduates to fill these roles by providing them with a blend of technology and business backgrounds.
The Associate's degree in Information Technology introduces students to the breadth of technologies and to the basics of the business world. It adds technical background and provides an understanding of the needs of technology for the enterprise, new technical areas, (such as computer security), and exposure to more business processes and practices.
Information Technology is just one of a range of computing degrees offered at Vermont Technical College. Degrees in Software Engineering provide more focus on programming and software development. Degrees in Computer Engineering complement the programming work with a solid grounding in computer hardware. Software Engineering students may request to transfer to Information Technology after the first semester without needing any additional courses. Transferring to Information Technology after the first year may require additional course work, possibly extending the time required for the degree.
The Associate's Degree in Information Technology requires all students to develop an understanding of a range of topics:
- Computer programming: All graduates must be fluent in multiple languages, including one object-oriented language and one scripting language
- Computer hardware: All graduates must understand the fundamentals of computer hardware
- Web: All graduates must be able to develop and manage complete web sites
- Networking: All graduates must understand the behaviors and implementation of computer networking
- System development: All graduates must understand basic principles for developing and deploying high quality software systems
- System Administration: All graduates must understand how to manage systems, including UNIX based computers
- Business: All graduates must have a solid background in business processes
- Theory: All graduates will have a sufficient background in the theory of computing to understand and fulfill the other requirements
- Context: All graduates must understand the historical and social context of information technology
Students can enter the degree program with a wide range of backgrounds. The student, in conjunction with the Department Chair, may develop a sequence of courses to best meet his/her background and needs that satisfies these requirements. The typical curriculum taken by students is given below. Due to the dynamic nature of the information technology field, the recommended sequence of courses is subject to change.
The minimum, number of credits required for the degree is 67.
Curriculum: