Why Major in Information Technology?
Earning an Information Technology (IT) degree from Penn State Abington prepares students for careers in a high-demand field by providing a strong foundation in core concepts and hands-on coursework. At least one internship, which offers valuable professional experience that makes students stand out among job candidates, is required to earn an IT degree.
Students are immersed in concepts like cybersecurity, programming, security and risk analysis, networking, web development, application development, and systems analysis. Coursework emphasizes critical skills for success, including collaboration and and problem-solving, ensuring graduates can effectively work within teams.
IT majors must choose one of these options:
Application Development prepares students for the design and development of complex object-oriented programming and technical skills.
Business Applications focuses on solving business organizational problems with an emphasis on systems, processes, and business operations integration.
Networking prepares students to design, develop, and support complex networks and networking infrastructure.
You might thrive in the IT major if you are ...
Strong analytical skills
Detail-oriented
Adaptable
Problem solver
IT Careers
Job Growth
Projected 317,000 openings annually through 2034*
Job Titles and Median Salaries
Computer and Information Research Scientists: $140,910
Computer Network Architects: $130,390
Computer Systems Analysts: $104,970
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024
Career and Professional Development: Setting You Up for Success
From your first day at Penn State Abington, you can access tools provided by the Career and Professional Development team to prepare for the future.
- On-campus networking opportunities
- Internships
- Supports such as resume reviews and mock interviews
Coursework
Courses concentrate on developing the knowledge and application of the information sciences and security sciences, problem-solving, communication on an individual and team level, and professional responsibilities such as
Database management
Language, Logic, and Discrete Mathematics
Foundations of Human-Centered Design
The Student Experience
For their capstone course, IT students developed an automated off-boarding process for departing staff at Philadelphia’s Wistar Institute.
“We spent a lot of time parsing over the requirements and had to figure out exactly what we thought would be a satisfying potential solution. That was probably the most exciting part.” James Breeden, Student
