IT-related undergrad-graduate programs/schools

watermelonss

Hi everyone, the other day I was searching up "top IT schools", "IT graduate schools", etc. on google, but there doesn't seem to be many schools that have an IT major. There may be a chance that I was searching up the wrong terms. I'm wondering if there are some very very good IT-related major programs and at what Uni/College are they at?

Thanks.

ptilsen

There aren't many general IT graduate programs, and there isn't much demand for said programs. There are plenty of computer science and security/assurance graduate programs, because those have specific depth to study. Being a "master" of IT generally means either being an SME for a specific system or area or being a manager. Vendors and the industry have training and certification for specialists, and it wouldn't make much sense for universities to teach specific products. MBAs exist for managers.

That being said, some do exist, and they're not totally without purpose. You will certainly find CIS and MIS graduate programs, just not many "IT" programs, specifically. CIS is more or less equivalent, but most CIS programs are not particularly technical. WGU's MSIT - Network Management doesn't look too bad. Almost all of these degrees are ultimately to prepare for technology management, but with more a focus on that than business. Just realize, as a credential, it's not going to do anything an MBA doesn't, and won't do anything a mastery/expert-level certification does.

DissonantData

CIS and IT seem to be more for the technical side. MIS and IS are more for the business/management side of IT (but also technical as well, you can still get a technical job). What is the point of getting a masters in information security/assurance anyway? It seems to me that to get into security, you just need a bachelors degree and some security related certifications.

On another note, computer science is nice. However, having the degree at the bachelors level might not get you any jobs that a degree in CIS/MIS or IT can't. It is probably when you get to the masters level that the degree has some value, allowing you to work in the more scientific/research areas of information technology.

At my college, the information systems program is geared towards helping people get into the IT world. From there they can choose the technical OR managerial/business path.