IT
Types of Degrees IT Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many information technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 11,682 |
Master’s Degree | 11,160 |
Basic Certificate | 9,937 |
Associate Degree | 8,375 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 4,053 |
Graduate Certificate | 1,467 |
Doctor’s Degree | 117 |
What IT Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, it majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for IT Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in it should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Skills for IT Majors
it majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for IT Majors
A major in it will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a IT Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with it:
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in IT?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of it majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 827 |
Black or African American | 1,286 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,648 |
White | 6,397 |
International Students | 334 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 1,190 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in IT, too. About 2.9% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to IT
Some careers associated with it require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to it have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 0.2% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 4.2% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 8.3% |
Some College Courses | 6.2% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 12.0% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 53.2% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 5.1% |
Master’s Degree | 9.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.0% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.5% |
Doctoral Degree | 0.2% |
Online IT Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 481 | 80 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 55 | 12 |
Associate’s Degree | 788 | 172 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 173 | 73 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 329 | 130 |
Post-Master’s | 22 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 15 | 8 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to IT
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to it.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Computer Information Systems | 105,098 |
Computer Science | 72,693 |
Information Science | 20,202 |
Computer Software & Applications | 14,684 |
Computer Systems Networking | 13,734 |
Computer Programming | 12,983 |
Computer Systems Analysis | 2,864 |
Other Computer & Information Sciences | 2,000 |
Data Processing | 1,927 |
Data Entry | 542 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Craig Dennis under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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