5 Key Courses in a Master’s in Information Technology Program

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Staff
Updated August 4, 2020

Five Classes Necessary for a Master's in Information Technology

  • Information Technology and Organizational Strategy
  • Compliance and Legal Issues in Information Technology
  • Information Technology and Marketing in The New Economy
  • Managing Information Technology Projects
  • Advanced Business Data Mining

Earning a Master's in Information Technology requires taking a few key courses; these serve as the foundation that every professional will use in their work. According to Wired.com, emerging technologies are changing the IT job market. To keep up with these changes, it has never been more important to take these key classes into consideration. Here are five information technology classes that students will take at the graduate level.

Related Resource: 30 Most Affordable Online Master's in Information Technology

1. Information Technology and Organizational Strategy

One of the first classes that a student will take is information technology and organizational strategy. It is considered a foundational course in the discipline of information technology and therefore is generally taken during a student's first semester. It focuses on the role that IT has in business strategy and how it utilizes several factors, such as competitors, customers, and more, in order to build a sound strategy for a business. This course can change from year to year as information technology grows within the business sector; however, it always covers the necessary advanced concepts that a graduate IT student should be well aware of prior to joining the workforce.

2. Compliance and Legal Issues in Information Technology

No graduate degree in information technology is complete without first discussing compliance and legal issues. That's because as information technology grows as a field, federal regulators have put forth laws to ensure the information is being used wisely. This course covers the federal framework that covers IT compliance; most courses touch on industry-specific compliance concerns as well as generic issues. This lecture series also covers privacy, property rights, federal regulations, and laws that impact information technology. It is always considered a core class for this degree and graduation is not possible without first successfully completing this course.

3. Information Technology and Marketing in The New Economy

This is a key course for an IT graduate student because their field has had a direct impact on both the economy and how businesses market to consumers. This course is generally divided into lectures and team projects, allowing students the chance to first understand the concept prior to moving into real-world case studies and projects. The projects are necessary for the course because it demonstrates a student's ability to work inside of a team paradigm in order to build IT marketing strategies that can push online businesses to reach their full potential.

4. Managing Information Technology Projects

One of the most important classes an IT graduate student will take is based on projects. Managing information technology projects walks students through the process of managing both short-term and long-term projects in a simulated environment. It also teaches them about the different factors that can play a role in their result; topics in this area include project risk analysis, contracts, outsourcing to contracting firms, and more. The course generally culminates in a real-world project that each individual undertakes; this is the basis for the large majority, or in some cases, totality, of their grade.

5. Advanced Business Data Mining

Business intelligence is key in information technology, particularly for those professionals who go into this sector after graduation. For this reason, the course is generally required for all graduate students who take on the program. This course covers lectures on how IT professionals can manage decision-making by utilizing business intelligence. Most classes will cover case studies that are doing this right now so that students can understand how data mining is used in a modern way. The course also covers the legalities behind data mining, regression, association rule mining, and more topics to further emphasize the importance of the process to students.

As discussed above, information technology is constantly evolving. It is up to colleges and universities to keep up with the changes to ensure their graduates are ready to enter the workforce. With these five key courses in a Master's in Information Technology program, a student will be able to find work in the field right after they graduate.

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