Bachelor of Science (BS)

Information Technology

Program

Admission Requirements

General Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

To be admitted to any of the undergraduate programs at South University, the prospective student must provide proof of high school graduation as recognized by the state of residence on the date the degree was earned, or the equivalent (e.g. GED with no single test score below 145 or numeric score equivalent to 2.0 on old version or state-issued certificate designated as the equivalent of a High School Diploma) with a minimum CGPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale within 5 weeks of the start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance). The prospective student must also complete the university administered placement tests prior to the start of the first quarter for campus students and during the first session of attendance for online students. South University accepts the International Baccalaureate Program diploma as meeting the requirement for high school graduation. Credentials earned outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES or AICE-member credential evaluation service. Please speak with an admissions representative for more information.

Students with less than the minimum CGPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may meet admissions requirements by submitting a minimum combined SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math) score of 700 or 900 on the old SAT, a combined ACT score of 18, or meet the criteria established for acceptance as a transfer student.

Students with less than the minimum CGPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted provisionally for two quarters. Failure to achieve a 1.5 CGPA in the first two quarters of attendance will result in dismissal. Students may appeal the dismissal by following the Procedures for Appealing Academic/Financial Aid Dismissal Policy.

Acceptable verification of high school graduation or the equivalent would include a copy of the high school diploma, high school transcript (official or unofficial), GED certificate, or GED scores and state-authorized examination scores (ex. HiSET, TASC) or a state- issued certificate designated as the equivalent of a high school diploma. In states that maintain a database that serves as an official registry of high school and GED graduates, an excerpt from the official database documenting the student's graduation or GED completion may be used.

Campuses in South Carolina must be provided with official high school transcripts or GED scores or state-issued certificates designated as the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Please see the policy on GPA Calculation for Admission for additional information

Conditional Acceptance

Students may be conditionally accepted by submitting unofficial copies of documentation required for the admission requirements. Conditional acceptance is allowed for 5 weeks beyond the start of the student’s first session. Failure to provide acceptable, official documentation, as stated in the admissions requirements, within 5 weeks from the start date will result in the following:

Removal from class
Cancelation of enrollment
No final course grades
No transcript

Students who do not provide acceptable documents for full, unconditional acceptance within the 5 week period will not be responsible for tuition and related fees. South University may grant exceptions to the 5 week period for unusual situations or circumstances. All exceptions must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar for approval.

Admission of Transfer Students

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

To be eligible for admission, transfer students must complete the application procedures and satisfy the following criteria:

Submit a completed application for admission.
Have earned 24 or more credit hours, or the equivalent (e.g. 16 semester hours), with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution.
Submit official transcripts (including verifiable faxed transcripts) from all colleges and universities attended.
Submit self-certification of high school graduation or GED completion.

For transfer of credit practices refer to the applicable section under the Academic Affairs section of this catalog.

To be admitted as a Transfer student into South University the prospective student must have earned 24 or more quarter credit hours or the equivalent (e.g. 16 semester hours), with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution. Official transcripts from the collegiate institution(s) must be received within 5 weeks of the start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance), and who are not required to take ENG0099 and/or MAT0099, will be exempt from taking the UVC1000 Strategies for Success. Students will select another 4 credit course in consultation with their Academic Advisor or Academic Counselor to fulfill the degree requirements.

Students with 24 or more quarter credits with less than a 2.0 GPA may be admitted provisionally for two quarters. Failure to achieve a 1.5 GPA in the first two quarters of attendance will result in dismissal. Students may appeal the dismissal by following the Procedures for Appealing Academic/Financial Aid Dismissal Policy.

Students who are citizens of countries other than the United States should refer to the section entitled International Student Admissions Policy.

Students who are transferring from or to a school within the University of North Carolina or the North Carolina Community College System should be aware of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement approved by both governing Boards on March 1, 1996 and revised in September of 2008. This agreement may be found in its entirety at the following website.

For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here.

Program Overview and Outcomes

Offered at Austin, Columbia, Montgomery, Online Programs, Richmond, Savannah, Tampa, and Virginia Beach.

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree program focuses on preparing students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the theoretical and applied uses of information technology in a variety of business settings. Case studies and hands-on lab projects can help students gain the communication skills, critical thinking and technical competencies required in the current technology-oriented workplace.

Building upon a strong set of Information Technology foundational courses, the program gives students the opportunity to choose one of three areas of emphasis: Comprehensive, Cybersecurity or Management. The emphasis options give students the ability to focus on a specific IT discipline of interest or to obtain a broader skill set across multiple IT disciplines.

The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree program culminates in a capstone project that focuses on the student's overall course of study and allows the student the opportunity to apply the concepts and skills learned in real and simulated business situations.

The comprehensive emphasis is intended for students who are interested in acquiring a broad skill set in essential IT disciplines. The comprehensive option covers the knowledge areas of database development and administration, information systems security, multimedia and web development, and network administration and management. This emphasis is well suited for students who which to develop across-the-board IT competencies, are not set on any specific IT professional work role and seek the flexibility to pursue different IT career opportunities upon graduation.

The cybersecurity emphasis targets a growing demand for IT experts specialized in cybersecurity, to operate, maintain, protect and defend the mission-critical assets of organizations. This emphasis track is designed per the guidelines of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (CWF), a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education and workforce development. The program learning outcomes are mapped to the NICE CWF work categories, specialty areas, work roles, and knowledge areas, to achieve direct relevancy with cybersecurity jobs in demand. The program also aligns its learning outcomes with best practices from prominent professional certifications, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC) ², and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council. Throughout the program, students combine theoretical and hands-on practice using a virtual-lab and cybersecurity resources, such as the IBM-cybersecurity technology suite.

The Information Technology Management emphasis combines the development of essential IT skills (systems lifecycle management, networking, data management, and helpdesk administration), IT security skills, IT governance skills and IT operational skills, to enable the planning and implementation of reliable IT in an organization (planning of capacity, continuity, availability, and security.) This program will prepare students to exercise a leadership role within the IT department of an organization by being able to apply an IT-as-a-service approach in the planning and management of the IT infrastructure and services.

Modern enterprises have expressed a growing need for professionals with Information Technology Management (IT Management) skills, due to the strategic role IT plays in today's organization. The role of the IT Manager has evolved from being merely a technology specialist, to being a custodian of the enterprise's IT infrastructure and resources, and a steward of IT governance and strategy. The IT Manager is also responsible for interpreting and implementing rules and regulations like Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and managing critical IT services for the enterprise at large, its partners, and its customers.

In addition to strong foundational course work focused on IT competencies, the program emphasizes the necessary management, business, and communication skills required for managing budgets, projects and IT operations. The program includes core and elective courses to help graduates build mastery in Industry Standards and prepare them for Industry Certifications:

PMI Professional in Business Analysis
Certified Associate in Project management (CAPM) - PMI
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
ISO20000 Information Technology Service Management
Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)
NIST 800.xxx and ISO 2700x
ITIL, ISO 20000, COBIT

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the BSIT Program, graduates will be able to:

Articulate clear, accurate and precise solutions to IT and discipline-specific problems.
Demonstrate effective teamwork and communication skills in various organizational situations.
Recognize and explain the societal, legal and ethical factors impact on individuals and organizations in various information technology contexts.
Demonstrate attainment of IT and discipline-specific body-of-knowledge competencies, by defining concepts, recognizing applied usage, describing methodologies, determining governance and technical measures, and applying best practices effectively and accurately in all phases of the IT delivery lifecycle.

Graduates of the comprehensive emphasis will also be able to:
1. Analyze information technology problems and use current technical concepts and critical thinking skills to devise technical solutions.
2. Use and apply current techniques, tools, and practices in the core IT areas to implement solutions to IT problems. These include the areas of networking, database technology, Web-based applications, human-computer interface, computer security, and software development.
  
  Graduates of Cybersecurity emphasis will also be able to:
  1. Assess cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities of information systems and infrastructures and analyze the cybersecurity risk impacts on enterprises.
  2. Design robust, layered controls to safeguard mission-critical assets of enterprises.
    
    Graduates of the Management emphasis will also be able to:
    1. Articulate processes for procurement, funding, and other information technology value-chain applications.
    2. Devise processes and controls to achieve information systems compliance and alliance with the organization's strategic goals.

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with Emphasis: 180 credits

Area I General Education Requirements: 48 credits

Professional Development

Course Code

Title

Credits

ITS1000

Computer and Internet Literacy

This course is for students to obtain basic knowledge and skills in using computer office production software and Internet features. A broad range of software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and Internet usage concepts will be covered.

Credits : 4

Admission Requirements

General Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Conditional Acceptance

Admission of Transfer Students

Program Overview and Outcomes

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with Emphasis: 180 credits

Area I General Education Requirements: 48 credits

Professional Development

Basic Communications

Mathematics and Statistics

Natural and Physical Sciences (choose one)

Arts and Humanities

Social and Behavioral Sciences (choose one)

Area II Foundation Requirements: 52 credits

Elective Pool (eight courses or 32 credit hours)

Area III Major Requirements: 80 credits

Common Core: 32 credits

Select One Emphasis: 48 credits

Emphasis in Comprehensive

Emphasis in Cybersecurity

Emphasis in Management