How a BS in Information Technology can help prepare you for careers in the field

It is within these types of programs where students can learn the IT skills needed for careers in this space. Furthermore, many Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degrees are now offered online, as the distance learning format can provide an added benefit of flexibility and convenience to comprehensive coursework.

Most organizations need IT professionals. From managing servers to tracking projects to creating mobile applications, these professionals perform roles that are integral to modern business.

Therefore, a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree could be a sound investment. Almost every organization has some sort of technology department, or has the need for one. With new businesses constantly emerging and existing ones expanding, along with governments investing more in technology, the need for qualified tech employees is likely to continue.

Technology is one of the fastest-growing fields in the job market, reaching 11.5 million workers in 2017, per a report from CompTIA. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of technology jobs to grow faster than the average for all occupations, increasing 13 percent from 2016 to 2026 and adding approximately 557,100 positions.

The demand for IT employees, specifically, is reflected in the salary. The median wage for IT occupations is, at $84,580, more than double the median for all jobs, per the BLS. Furthermore, many IT jobs with a salary in the $70,000 to $80,000 range require only a related bachelor’s degree and job experience.

If you want your career to be in a field that provides a number of job opportunities, is expected to experience growth and undergoes constant innovation, information technology may be the right path for you.

Possible career opportunities for IT graduates include:

• Database administrator
• Project manager
• Information security analyst
• Computer systems analyst

The industries you may work in include:

• Higher education
• Government
• Finance
• Software as a service
• Gain the skills needed for a general or specialized career in computers

Your first few years in an online BS in IT program may be spent studying the foundations of computer systems. This can help you build the fundamental skill sets necessary for an IT career, including programming logic, network administration, information modeling and programming languages.

Many online BS in IT programs offer hands-on experiences by providing IT projects to work on. These projects can help you understand what your daily life might be like as a working information technology professional.

Once enrolled in an online BS in Information Technology program, you may want to tailor your educational experience to a more focused track, such as:

• Networking and computer system security
• Information systems
• Enterprise computing

Study a comprehensive, accredited program

To earn a job in such an in-demand field, you’ll need a thorough education that combines both the fundamentals of IT with cutting-edge insights and technological innovations. Yet, if you’re a working professional or otherwise cannot attend on-campus classes, it can seem hard to obtain a quality education.

However, an online IT program can provide:

• The ability to analyze computing problems, then devise and apply solutions
• The ability to design, create and evaluate computer-based systems, programs and other projects

• An understanding of professional, social, legal, ethical and security issues surrounding IT

• Communication skills allowing you to interact with a range of audiences


Accreditation also means the school regularly evaluates the strength of the IT program to ensure it consistently meets stated student outcomes. Accredited programs may also carry more name recognition and respect in the academic community.

Acquire both technical and soft skills for careers with an information technology degree

An information technology career requires technical skills such as programming, database management, data analysis, networking, computer hardware and mathematics. However, you’ll also need a number of soft skills. As CompTIA noted, computer-related professions are becoming hybridized. For example, network technicians can also be managers, entrepreneurs and more.

Additional skills you’ll need in the IT workforce include:

• Critical thinking and good judgment, especially when creating technology-based solutions.
• Speaking and communication, particularly if you lead a team or interact with other departments.
• The ability to identify problems as soon as possible, ideally before the issue even occurs.
• Inductive reasoning to find a relationship between cause and effect.

Each of these skill sets may benefit you throughout your career. For example, inductive reasoning can help you identify a common problem between two seemingly different errors. Similarly, communication allows you to explain a complicated process to someone without an IT background.

The possible careers with an IT degree are numerous, and the ASU Online BS in Information Technology can prepare you for many of them. You’ll study under experienced and highly accomplished faculty. One of their notable achievements is the Nobel Prize, and many faculty are members of the following organizations:

• National Academy of Engineering
• National Academy of Inventors
• National Academy of Sciences
• National Academy of Construction

As such, students can benefit from access to some of the most influential minds and insights in the business. With ASU Online, you can complete programs and projects designed to prepare you for the many career paths in information technology.

Sources:
Cyberstates 2018 by CompTIA
Computer and Information Technology Occupations by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs, 2017-2018 by ABET