Information Technology major

Information Technology: courses, careers, and where to study

Information Technology (IT) focuses on applying computing systems to organizational needs — administering networks, supporting users, building business systems, and managing IT operations.

An Information Technology major emphasizes systems integration, network administration, IT project management, business systems analysis, and the operational side of computing. IT differs from Computer Science in that it leans toward applying existing technology to solve business problems rather than designing new computing systems from first principles.

IT graduates often start in help-desk, systems-administration, or junior-network-engineering roles and can grow into senior infrastructure, IT-management, cloud-architecture, or solutions-architect tracks. The major pairs well with vendor certifications (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, Azure).

What you'll study

  • Network architecture and administration (LAN/WAN, routing, switching)
  • Systems administration on Windows, Linux, and macOS
  • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
  • Database administration and SQL
  • IT project management and ITIL fundamentals
  • Business systems analysis and requirements
  • Information assurance and basic security operations
  • Web technologies and scripting (Bash, PowerShell, Python)

Typical careers

  • Systems Administrator
  • Network Administrator
  • IT Project Manager
  • Cloud Engineer
  • Solutions Architect
  • IT Manager

Starting salary range: $60,000–$95,000 starting (BLS network/systems admin median $95,360)

Find a Information Technology program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Information Technology programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting — no account required.

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