MU to offer new minor

By Elliot Njus

Published Feb. 26, 2008

The computer science department will soon offer an information technology minor to students studying any other discipline.

The minor was approved a few weeks ago, Information Technology Program Director Dale Musser said.

Musser said the program reflects a nationwide move toward adding digital technology the computer science curriculum.

“Nationwide, there is a trend to add programs that didn’t previously exist that are based on new technologies,” he said.

While most schools create programs focused on one particular aspect of information technology, Musser said, MU’s program would provide an overview of information technology with a concentration in one of five emphasis areas.

“I.T. typically is a word we typically apply to corporate information technology,” Musser said. “Our definition of I.T. is all kinds of information technology.”

According to the application posted on the department’s Web site, the program’s sequences focus on audio-visual technology, modeling and animation, video game design, cyber security and computer networking.

MU computer science professor Jeff Uhlmann said the sequences would be adapted to meet students’ demands as the program grows.

“Those sequences very likely will be tailored down the road as we find out what students are really interested in,” he said.

Uhlmann said students in other schools have been interested in information technology courses since the program started in 2005.

“When the I.T. degree started, there were lots of students who wanted to take individual courses in the I.T. programs,” he said. “Most of the time, we had to restrict those courses to students with majors in I.T. because of space restrictions.”

He said that at the time, most courses were taught in a computer lab with specialized software and equipment.

Since then, some of the classes have been moved to nonspecialized labs. Others have switched to a format where part of the class is a lecture and part is held in the lab. The department also extended the hours during the day the classes were offered.

“A lot of it was just more intelligent use of the space we have,” Uhlmann said.

He said many of the students interested in the information technology minor might not be interested in going into information technology professionally.

“I think most of it is just going to be people who are genuinely interested in the subject, but it will also help them in whatever profession they choose,” Uhlmann said.

To earn an information technology minor, students must take a 15-credit hour sequence of courses, computer science Academic Adviser Adrianna Lynn said. At least nine of the credit hours must be 2000 level or above courses in computer science or information technology courses.