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AIU Online has added several new concentrations to the Bachelor of Information Technology and the Bachelor's and Master's of Business Administration programs.
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AIU Online started the new year by adding several new concentrations to the Bachelor of Information Technology and the Bachelor's and Master's of Business Administration programs offering students even more options for their degree programs.
Information Technology Concentrations
Students entering the Bachelor of Information Technology program can now decide what specific areas of IT they want to focus on—Computer Systems, Programming, or Network Administration. Within the Network Administration concentration, students get a firm foundation in how networks work and the different components in a network, such as transmission media, routers, switches and bridges. After the foundation courses, students focus on Network Administration courses, where they concentrate on specific skills in this area of IT. Students will also learn about some of the newer technology that has been recently introduced to the industry including wireless networking.
In the Programming concentration, students take an in depth look at programming and developing applications that interact with databases. They also explore the software engineering life cycle where focus on the development and testing phases of software.
Students will learn to view programming from a more global perspective. It is not just writing a program, it is figuring out what your user needs from the software, determining the best way to approach the application, and building a model for it. There is a whole course specifically in software testing, in which students learn to develop cases and test as they would in a professional environment.
"Students still get the foundation in the three main areas: Programming, Networking and Databases. They get this foundation through the main portion of the program and after completing the foundation, they move into one of the specialized concentrations. In the foundation courses, there is an introduction to databases, several courses in programming and basic networks," added Dr. Richard Cai, Program Chair for the School of IT.
The new concentrations within this degree program will really appeal to existing IT professionals seeking a new skill set or those wanting to enhance their skills. The degree program has also been structured to help aspiring IT professionals with no prior knowledge or background obtain the knowledge and skill set they will need to transition into this growing field.
"The new concentrations really offer many career opportunities for students. Companies are always looking for Network Administrators and Programmers. These are fields that never go away because they are not transitory jobs and employers are consistently looking to fill these types of jobs," explained Jamie Dumas, Director of Career Services.
Business Concentration
Financial accounting communicates economic information and serves as a vital tool for business decision-making. Today's increasingly complex business environments demand experienced professionals who have a thorough understanding of financial and accounting concepts and practices.
Accounting/Finance is now one of five concentrations that students can choose when entering the School of Business. The MBA in Accounting/Finance concentration exposes students to basic finance and accounting concepts that managers deal with on a daily basis. The courses deal with financial statement analysis and general accounting management concepts and emphasize how managers use accounting and finance when developing business strategies and evaluating the strength and growth of an organization.
The Bachelor's in Business Administration in Accounting/Finance provides students with a strong foundation in business and subsequently introduces them to financial accounting, and courses such as corporate investment analysis and advanced topics in accounting. Students will also use case studies, such as Enron, to explore current events in this area.
According to Jamie Dumas, "Accounting and finance are sought after skills by employers. They really look for proficiency in this area when considering candidates. Anyone who is in business management and is able to analyze and understand financial data and determine how it impacts the health of a company has a very good skill set that can be attractive to employers."
No matter which of the new concentrations students choose, they can be assured that they will get a career-relevant education that gives them skills they can immediately apply to their chosen fields. Continue to watch for upcoming new degree programs and concentrations throughout the year.
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