Frequently Asked Questions
Information Technology Infrastructure
1. What makes the ITI program unique?
This degree specifically focuses on information technology infrastructure administration. Many people view information technology as a monolith when, in fact, it is a mosaic made of many related disciplines. As its part of the mosaic, the ITI program focuses on the emerging management specialty of information technology infrastructure as a major service function that pervades an entire organization. Its goal is to produce, rather than programmers, engineers or computer scientists, technology operations professionals who ensure efficient and effective delivery for networks, Web, mail and application servers, and databases and data warehouses. Career paths will tend to culminate in a title of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as opposed to a title of Chief Information Officer (CIO).
2. Why is there such a heavy emphasis on math and science?
The foundation of information technology is math and science. To understand the abstractions delivered through the hardware and software, one must understand the underlying principles—math and science provide that understanding.
3. If the ITI major isn't focused on training programmers, why are there so many programming courses in the curriculum?
Algorithms and data structures are the heart of information technology, and programming is the mechanism for making the abstractions more concrete. (The technology has advanced so that many of the algorithms and data structures are now delivered through firmware or application-specific integrated circuits). If one doesn't know how the technology works, one can't effectively manage the technology. Therefore, the degree includes a requirement for the programming courses. A second purpose is that working in the infrastructure means working with measurements. Often the tools for measuring some set of infrastructure characteristics don't exist, so the individual has to design and write programs to capture and analyze the data.
4. Will I be a ...(pick one or more: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer [MCSE]; Novell Certified Network Engineer [CNE]; Cisco Certified Network Administrator [CCNA], Red Hat Linux Administrator)?
No—vendor certifications are product-specific and could be interpreted as a product endorsement by the University of Minnesota. The certification testing is more of a "how to" then a "why" or "where." Our courses teach underlying principles, and our labs and case studies use state-of-the-art technology. However, with a short study cycle, ITI graduates should be ready to take related vendor certification tests and labs.
5. Will the program give me credit for IT courses I've taken at technical colleges or from vendors?
Technical college/vendor courses, while providing valuable skills, may not provide the underlying knowledge and theory. A student may request that individual course(s) be evaluated according to University of Minnesota standards to determine if credit or course waiver may be awarded.
6. Will the BAS in ITI meet graduate school entrance requirements?
If you plan to pursue a graduate degree, you should carefully review the graduate school's entrance requirements and determine if the ITI meets them. Because of the composition of the BAS student population, generally fewer BAS graduates will pursue post-baccalaureate degrees than those graduates of other degree programs.
