Scott Turner
In Motion Staff Writer
A new bachelor’s degree is arriving at Daytona State College for students to take advantage of. The new Bachelor of Science in Information Technology or BSIT degree will be offered in January. With this new degree, many questions also arise. Where will it be available? What are the particulars of this program? How will it affect currently enrolled students?
The new BSIT degree will be offered in two different platforms. The traditional face-to-face college experience will be at Daytona State’s Advanced Technology Center. In addition, online courses to complete the degree are also in the works.
The new program is a direct continuation of several associates degrees already provided on campus. These include the Associate of Science in Computer Information Technology, Computer Programming and Analysis (Software Engineering Technology), Internet Services Technology and Network Systems Technology. The courses are designed to seamlessly transition students from their associate’s degrees into a bachelor’s degree program.
Coursework in the new degree covers networking, security and computer systems, and IT project management. The goal of the degree is for graduates to find work as computer programmers, software engineers, systems analysts, and network or system administrators and is supported wholeheartedly by the College.
“This is a program that prepares our graduates with the know-how to solve real-world IT challenges for business and industry,” said Carol Eaton, President of Daytona State College.
The degree has been acclaimed, but there was a small concern over some overlap with a degree already on the campus. The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology has an Information Systems Technology concentration that mirrors many courses offered in the new degree. While the courses all transfer, it will not be mandatory. In the words of Dr. Ron Eaglin, Associate Vice President of Daytona State’s College of Technology, “While those students may complete the concentration and earn the BSET degree, we strongly encourage them to make the transition.”
The degree has quite a few people interested, many of whom have already enrolled in the program. As of October — less than a month after the news of the degree becoming available had been released — twelve students had applied, eight of which have been accepted at press time.
The new Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree is one of two new degrees being offered on campus in 2014 and brings the total number of bachelor’s degrees offered at Daytona State to eleven.