Minor change Major success By AMY CHARLES
Students across the Commonwealth, and beyond, now have more options to focus on educational and career interests at UPIKE. The new information technology management (ITM) major is set to launch this fall. For the spring semester, the university also introduced a new global health minor. The new ITM major is designed to produce graduates capable of competing in the rapidly changing technology industry as well as to provide students with management leadership skills in business. Based on trends and job growth projections, the curriculum was developed using market research and input from industry professionals to ensure students would be equipped with the in-demand skills needed to be successful in the field of technology.
This program combines core technical requirements and business courses to prepare students for IT-related careers. Classes include networking, scripting, cloud computing, management information systems and customized internships. Combining strategic courses with relevant experiences creates graduates who enter the workforce ready to apply their comprehensive skill set to approach real-time challenges. 16
UPIKE MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2021
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Dugan, Ph.D., believes UPIKE ITM students will be engaged in many dynamic and valuable learning experiences. “Internship experiences and a broad-based curriculum with specialized courses will help equip students to articulate their value and succeed in the information technology field,” Dugan explained. “Through careful advising and individual attention, UPIKE ITM graduates will begin their tech-based careers ready to thrive on a local, national or global scale.”
Using a mixed-method approach, the global health minor is designed to leverage campus expertise alongside the work of UPIKE’s community partners to provide students with a distinctive, skills-based credential that is transferable across communities and health sectors. As the world is still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic,
