the department of information technologies houses academic programs leading toward degrees in the areas of information security, information technology, information technology management, and web application development. these programs focus on aspects of technology infrastructure such as networks, computing hardware, it personnel, technology strategy and secure, reliable and accessible software and technology.
information security
the field of information security has grown and evolved significantly in recent years. it is expected that in the u.s. alone, thousands of professionals in the information security field will be added to the workforce. information security professionals are concerned with the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data regardless of the form the data may take: electronic, print or other forms. governments, military, corporations, financial institutions, hospitals and private businesses amass a great deal of confidential information about their employees, customers, products, research and financial status.
most of this information is collected, processed and stored on electronic computers, and transmitted across networks to other computers. protecting confidential information is a business requirement, and in many cases, also an ethical and legal requirement. the information security major, or degree program, offers a deep grounding covering the breadth of information security from theoretical frameworks through models to policies and ethical practices. it focuses on security challenges, threats and requirements for operating systems, computer architectures, networking protocols and organizations’ data and information. it is the ideal major for the student who is passionate about developing the ability to:
- apply the technologies and procedures professionals use to secure business systems;
- identify the information security risks and create effective strategies to stop them;
- discover how information security is essential to organizational success;
- possess the knowledge to analyze the role of security within an organization as well as educate corporate employees about their security responsibilities;
- analyze the professional, legal and ethical impact of information security on individuals, business organizations and society;
- apply industry standard techniques to secure large-scale networks; and
- gain the competencies necessary to plan, customize, and manage large-scale secure network and operating system configuration for optimum business applications and/or plans.
career opportunities may include:
- information security investigator
- forensic investigator
- information security engineer
- information systems security engineer
- cybersecurity and information systems engineer
information technology
information technology (it) is the study, design, creation, utilization, support and management of computer-based information systems, especially software applications and computer hardware. it is not limited solely to computers though. with technologies quickly developing in the fields of mobile devices, the field of it is quickly moving from compartmentalized computer-focused areas to other forms of mobile and distributed technology. the it major develops broad, integrated knowledge spanning the range from telecommunications and computer networking through computer-based information systems to management of it applications and projects. it is the ideal major for the student who is passionate about developing the ability to:
• evaluate current and emerging computing and information technologies;
• apply, configure and manage computing and information technologies;
• assess the impact of computing and information technologies on individuals, organizations and society;
• gain the business knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a competitive and challenging global information-technology driven economy;
• complement integrated it knowledge with a strong understanding of key managerial and organizational concepts;
• develop skill sets that are aligned with industry needs and problem solving of real-world computing and information technology challenges.
the information technology minor is designed to provide students with a general knowledge of the requirements of commercial computing. it can be very helpful to business students who expect to be involved in corporate computing issues. this program matches very well with any of the majors offered by the college of business.
career opportunities may include:
- information technology administrators
- network analysts
- systems analysts and designers
- technological research scientists
information technology management
the information technology management (itm) major prepares students for various careers in the area of business information systems. the curriculum includes a strong business foundation coupled with information technology applications and business systems design and implementation. graduates with an understanding of both business and technology are in high demand. according to the nashville technology council, the demand for information technology professionals in nashville has recently increased 120 percent with almost 1,000 unfilled positions in 2012.
career opportunities may include:
- business continuity managers
- information technology administrators
- start-up company partners
web application development
web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a website for the internet (world wide web) or an intranet (a private network). this can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development. however, among web professionals, “web development” usually refers to the main non-design aspects of building websites: writing markup and coding. web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses or social network services. the web application development major, or degree program, integrates tools and technology needed to understand the language of web design and development and how to take that knowledge into a professional career creating a variety of interactive web content.
it is the ideal major for the student who is passionate about developing the ability to:
• understand technology and how people interact with it;
• design elegant web-based solutions, engage users while exploring the science of efficient animated websites, internet programming and utilizing multimedia interactive structure, development and emerging philosophies;
• learn about the creation of effective and efficient animated websites, internet programming and utilizing multimedia elements for special effects;
• begin entry-level work in areas like website design, online animation, web interface design and web programming;
• gain skills in website creation, information architecture, use of graphics, navigation and multimedia;
• join the internet explosion. the web design minor is designed to give students a general understanding of website development and can be very useful to business, art and education majors who expect to be involved in web development in their careers.
career opportunities may include:
- web application developers
- web server administrators
- website administrators
- website designers