There has been an explosion of computer users in business. These users neither know, nor need to know, very much about how a computer works in order to use it. Therefore there is a great demand for "user advocates" to help them decide which technology is appropriate for their needs and to help them deploy and use that technology. The Associate Information Technology Degree program will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become one of these much sought-after advocates.

Information Technology students learn to "make things work" for people in today's business. The curriculum develops competencies in four major areas: technical/practical skills, business/soft skills, industry/field experience and certifications. Students learn to apply what they have learned and to solve practical business problems by creating applications that support the problem-solving and decision-making needs of the corporate community.

After completing the core requirements, a concentration may be selected.

It is an exciting time to enter the world of IT. The New York Times cites a labor department listing of the 15 fastest-growing jobs for the decade, and a total of 10 are in IT. There is an abundance of career opportunities within the IT field that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has deemed very favorable for growth and advancement over the next 10 years. What is unique about IT professionals is that they can be found in virtually all industries, such as: health, fashion, music, financial, hospitality, non-profit, and government. This gives graduates a wide variety of employment choices upon graduation. These include computers systems analysts, software engineering, application development, network design, web development, database administration, computer support and training.

Below is the Bureau of Labor statistics industry snapshot for Information Technology.

• Information Technology (IT) is the fastest growing sector in the economy with a 68% increase in output growth rate projected between 2002 and 2012. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Employment opportunities are expected to be good in the IT industry as demand for computer-related occupations increases due to rapid advances in computer technology, continuing development of new computer applications, and the growing significance of information security. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• 92% of all IT workers are in non-IT companies, 80% of which are in small companies. (Information Technology Association of America)

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