Welcome to the Department of Information Technology and Management (ITM)!
Information technology, cybersecurity, data analysis, and computing are exciting and growing fields with limitless career opportunities. Nearly every company has some IT infrastructure, and therefore there is an abundant need to have workers who are well educated in computing technology. To accommodate the multitude of IT, cybersecurity, and data analysis job needs, ITM offers seven undergraduate specializations, nine graduate specializations, and three cybersecurity programs that allow you to hone your IT skills to particular career opportunities.
We are proud of the high rankings and honors our program that has earned. ITM is one of 38 IT programs that ABET nationally accredits; we have earned National Security Agency Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Certification, ranked #5 as the best Bachelor’s Degree in IT degree programs for 2019 according to Bachelor's Degree Center, ranked in the top four of the 2017 U.S. News and World Report list of “master’s degree” programs according to STUDY.COM, ranked first out of 10 for the “best cybersecurity degrees in Illinois for 2018” by cybersecuritydegrees.com, and a ranking of #11 in the nation for the “best-accredited information technology degrees for 2018” according to ACCREDITEDSCHOOLSONLINE.ORG.
The ITM Program applies a hands-on approach to education that allows you to apply what you learn in courses to solve real-world IT problems. The program provides an innovative experience where you will work on cutting-edge, industry-sponsored projects. This teaching philosophy and project-based learning and knowledge retention process prepares innovators, entrepreneurs, and future leaders.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of IT and computer occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual salary for computer and IT occupations was $88,240 in May 2019, higher than the median yearly salary for all occupations of $39,810. Occupations in IT are projected to add around 546,200 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security. According to CompTIA, the U.S. is the largest tech market globally and is a $1.7 trillion industry in 2020.
The ITM program includes exciting fields like digital forensics, cybersecurity, the internet of things, cloud computing, information security, data management, IT entrepreneurship and management, networking and communications, software development, system administration, application development, and web design. All of these specializations help prepare you for a variety of IT positions. The curriculum integrates IT and cybersecurity disciplines of management, development, technology, and theory, operations, and security and will prepare you for complex, professional roles in various organizations and industries.
I’m honored to serve as chair of ITM. The department has a strong foundation of innovative educational programs, interdisciplinary research collaborations across the university, and diverse partnerships with industry, nonprofits, and government. We’re looking forward to building on these efforts as we grow and advance our collective mission to benefit society through innovation and excellence.
Calvin Nobles
Chair, Department of Information Technology and Management