Students also need to understand the technology that drives the Information Age. Therefore, the basics of telecommunications and computer science, including database architecture and fundamental computer language skills, are developed both through courses directly on these topics and through the application of their principles across the curriculum. The IST program has been developed from the ground up, with many new courses based on the realities of the business world in the twenty-first century. We have built a program that helps students learn general communication and business skills and promotes the use of those skills to develop specific areas of information-based expertise. In summary, the IST degree program has been designed to train the information leaders of tomorrow.
Technology changes rapidly.
The world is growing smaller as marketplaces are growing larger. A Penn State degree in IST will be your passport to a leadership position. Instead of learning a narrowly focused set of skills or a few applications, you will learn how to use and manage information technology in a broad, integrated context. Your ability to learn and adapt will define your success as a manager and as a leader. Penn State has taken a bold approach to information sciences education by creating a curriculum that focuses on a wide spectrum of knowledge and perspectives, ranging from the development of computer software systems to consideration of information technology's impact on society.