STARS® Assists Schools That Offer Programs in Information Technology (IT)

Postsecondary colleges and career schools that teach topics in information technology offer programs in a variety of specialized areas. Among the most popular are (1) Information Technology and Information Systems; (2) Computer Science; (3) Information Science; (4) Computer Animation; (5) Software Engineering; (6) Computer Engineering; and (7) Cybersecurity. Students can opt for certifications or degrees including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or even doctoral. More and more schools offer online as well as traditional classroom programs.

Certificate programs are often taken by people at any time during a career to sharpen their skills or to learn new ones. They are short programs typically requiring weeks to complete. Employers may require certification whether or not one has earned a degree. Typically, a person must pass an examination and have a number of years of experience. There are a variety of certifications available including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and others.

Associate degrees can qualify a person for an entry-level position, particularly in the fields of gaming or graphic design. They usually require two years to complete.

Bachelor’s degrees are the minimum level of training required for many jobs in information technology (IT). One can also expect to earn a competitive salary.

If a student is interested in more advanced projects or a managerial position, then a master’s degree might be in order. This can often require up to two or three years of additional training which can bring even more opportunities as well as a higher salary.

If one earns a doctoral degree in IT, s/he will be qualified to conduct high-level research in educational and government institutions. Many opportunities are available in both public and private corporations as well. To earn a doctoral degree usually requires four years of additional training beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Employment opportunities in IT are expected to grow at a rate of fifteen percent between now and 2031. That is much faster than the average rate for other occupations. The median annual salary for IT workers averages about $97,430 which exceeds that the overall average for all occupations which is $45,760. Salaries do, of course, vary depending on experience, the nature of the job, and educational requirements. For example, research scientists, network architects, and others can earn more than $120,000 per year.

Postsecondary schools that offer programs in IT provide a valuable service because IT is a critical part of any business. However, becoming an IT professional requires a proper education and certification. Schools depend on qualified IT professionals to handle their student information systems and records. STARS* is an excellent example of a school management system. It is comprehensive which minimizes the need for additional third-party software applications. It runs on the most secure and dependable system available which is an IBMi Power 9 server. STARS is being used by more than 150 schools around the United States and abroad.

Click here to learn more about how STARS can help IT Schools.

_{*STARS is an acronym for Student Tracking and Accounting Records System. This type of software is also referred to as a student management system, career college management system, student information management system, school administrative software, campus management software, school information management system, college management system, student record management system, campus management system, student information system software, online student management software, vocational school management system, etc.}