Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management

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Build On Your IT Expertise with a BPS in Information Technology Management

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Curate the well-rounded skill set you need to move into more leadership-focused roles with Excelsior University’s Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management.

In this flexible, career-focused BPS program, you’ll learn what it takes to manage a technical workforce. Fundamental business courses in project management, ethics, finance, and problem-solving complement hands-on IT coursework in programming, database management, and computer forensics so you can do more in your tech career.

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PROGRAM DETAILS

BPS in Information Technology Management

Degree Requirements 120 Credits

General Education33 Credits
Major Core66 Credits
University4 Credits
Electives17 Credits

What courses will I take?

Degree Pathway

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 1 - Term 1
The future: the only constant is change. The only certainty is uncertainty. So how do you prepare today for what might come tomorrow? In this introductory, interdisciplinary course unique to Excelsior University, you will learn through questions, not answers. You will challenge your prior assumptions, open your mind, and consider society s future dilemmas, progress, and crises. You will plan and question your own future your educational path, career trajectories, personal interests, ambitions, and mindsets. And you will build the foundational skills and flexibility of mind research and writing, critical thinking, argumentative reasoning, metacognition, and self-regulation to help you navigate the uncertainty and change of our future societies, workplaces, and selves. Note: This course must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Registration in this course is restricted to incoming students with fewer than 60 transfer credits. This course duplicates IND301 and CCS120. Credit for only one of these courses will be applied toward graduation. The Cornerstone cannot be completed in the same term as a Capstone course.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

University Requirement
This course considers technological change and its effect on human needs and concerns. A range of current technological innovations are explored in terms of intended and unintended consequences. Attention is given to ethical and social dilemmas framing technological change. Upon completion, students should be able to critically evaluate the implications of technology upon society.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 2
Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, interpret, and use information legally, ethically, and effectively. This course provides a broad overview of information literacy concepts, including the differences between academic and popular research methods, finding and evaluating sources, reading sources critically, writing with sources, and safely navigating information networks such as the internet. Students must complete information literacy within their first 13 credits at Excelsior.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
1

Zero Textbook Cost

University Requirement
In this interdisciplinary course, students will develop the analytical skills necessary to examine ethical issues in the workplace. Students explore conventional ethical theories and principles, develop ethical decision-making, and resolve common dilemmas. Students discuss the multiple challenges faced by professionals and identify ethical practices or codes that apply to each of their own professions.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

General Education: Ethics
Year 1 - Term 3
This class provides students with foundational knowledge and skills to prepare them for academic and professional writing. By analyzing the work of other writers, students will learn to approach writing from a rhetorical and genre-based perspective. They will practice sentence- and paragraph-level writing, learning to revise and correct their own work. They will also work on finding, documenting, and effectively integrating sources into a research-based essay. Both traditional (textual) and multimodal (textual and visual) composition will be addressed.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Written English I
The purpose of this course is to give the student an overview of current and emerging trends in science and technology so that s/he will be able to make informed decisions and be an informed consumer. The course will introduce the scientific method and terminology used in reporting scientific results. A survey of current topical science issues will be covered as examples. This course will also prepare the student to read accounts about scientific, technological, and medical advances in the press and assess the scientific conclusions presented.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Natural Science
Year 1 - Term 4
Are you a problem-solver? Learn effective technical approaches in written and digital communications (email, presentations, technical reporting, and technical instructions). This course will introduce students to writing technical problem statements, presenting information to target audiences, conducting research with proper citation, preparing written arguments, and written exercises in voice, tone, and style for the technologist.

Prerequisites
ENG101 English Composition

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

General Education: Written English II
This course offers an introduction to the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and scholarship in sociology. Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior, and this course examines several important sociological topics, including: culture; socialization; deviance; social inequality; social institutions; and social change. This course also explores various socio-historical and socio-cultural frameworks across the world, promoting an appreciation for unique cultural identities and institutions. Students will improve their analysis, understanding and interpretation of contemporary social issues in this rapidly changing world. This course encourages the practice of "doing" sociology through exploration of students' everyday social world, and the often invisible and taken-for-granted social forces that shape it.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Social Science & History
Year 1 - Term 5
Covers an intermediate level of algebra in order to prepare students for subsequent courses in mathematics. Major topics include real numbers and algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities, functions and graphs, systems of equations and inequalities, polynomial expressions and functions, rational and radical expressions, and quadratic equations and functions.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Math
In this course, you'll apply psychological principles and theory to your everyday life. In addition to foundational topics like psychology as a science, learning and memory, human development, and consciousness, you will learn about some more specific topics like stress and health, psychological disorders and therapy, and human sexuality. Concepts learned in this course can be applied in any career to better understand behavior, thought, and emotion. Note: This course uses lower cost interactive courseware instead of textbooks.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Social Science & History
Year 1 - Term 6
One of the most pressing questions a student always has about any given course is, How will this class help me in the real world? A class on critical thinking is arguably the most useful and valuable course you can take, no matter what field of study you are pursuing. Not only will you learn how to effectively solve personal and professional problems and achieve goals, you will also deeply examine some of the most important issues in your life and persuasively communicate about them! From tackling real world situations and case studies, to evaluating arguments from a range of perspectives, you will have the opportunity to skillfully articulate positions, drawing from your own experience as well as aptly applying the solid critical thinking skills you acquire in this class. By the end of the course, you will have mastered the understanding that it is not so much what you know, but how skillfully you think!

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Humanities
Develops the statistical skills of collecting, organizing, summarizing, and analyzing information to draw conclusions or answer questions. Major topics include descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, probability, binomial and normal distributions, statistical inference, linear regression, and correlation. Duplication Note: MAT201 duplicates BUS233: Business Statistics, BUS 231 Business Data Literacy and MAT215: Statistics for Health Care Professionals. Credit in only one of these courses will be applied toward graduation. MAT201 also duplicates the Excelsior Examination MATX210. Students will receive credit for either the course or the examination, as both will not be applied toward graduation.

Prerequisites
MAT101 Math for Everyday Life or MAT114 Intermediate Algebra

Credit Hours
3

General Education: Statistics
Year 2 - Term 1
Explores system development life cycle (SDLC) and project life cycle to enhance skills in budget and timeline management. Use of project management software to design project schedules, using bar charts, PERT and critical path method.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Course description: A study of fundamental management theories, examining the manager's role in today's global business environment. Topics include the role of managers in the business environment, strategies for planning and decision making, organization and controls, leadership, motivation, staffing, and managing change.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 2
In this course, students will not only begin to understand what accounting means, but they will further examine how important accounting really is. Accounting knowledge can be applied to any industry, at any level of the organization. As the business world has come under tremendous scrutiny, all business professionals are expected to have a general knowledge of accounting and are thus held much more accountable for their financial practices. Accountants are responsible for providing data that is used to determine the present and future economic stability of an organization. This course presents an interesting opportunity for working professionals to examine the fundamentals of basic accounting concepts, assumptions, and principles. The topics chosen in this course will benefit any student who is responsible for managing budgets, reading financial statements, or making business decisions.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course helps students to develop their skill as public speakers and oral communicators. Designed to provide students with a supportive environment where they can overcome the anxiety they may feel about public speaking, the class emphasizes techniques and practices for effective speech construction and delivery. Students will also develop critical thinking and listening skills. Students taking this course will need access to recording equipment for the purpose of creating podcasts, voiced-over PowerPoint presentations and videotaped speeches.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

General Education: Public Speaking
Year 2 - Term 3
This course provides students with a fundamental knowledge of the computer system and its components, including computer hardware and architecture, application software, operating systems, networks, and the Internet. Advanced topics such as information privacy and security, database and data warehouse, data mining, and legal, ethical, and privacy issues in the information technology field will also be introduced in this course. Additionally, students will participate in learning activities to develop the needed skills to work with Microsoft Office suite.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course will introduce students to basic concepts in programming through the Python language. The concepts to be covered include, but will not be limited to: variables, Boolean logic, loops, collecting user input, displaying output and/or saving it to an external file, lists, strings, objects, inheritance, recursion, and Graphic User Interface (GUI) programming. Students will have multiple opportunities to practice the debugging process throughout the course. By the end of this course, students will be able to apply these concepts to create executable programs to meet many real-world needs.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 4
This course is intended to help students develop an understanding of the process of identifying, measuring, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information in pursuit of an organization's goals. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with technical skills for solving problems such as the fundamentals of basic unit costs, cost flow management systems and processes, budgeting and performance measurement, and cost analysis and pricing decisions. As a manager, students should be able to identify relevant information, the appropriate methods for analyzing information, and working together with a team of addressing global and ethical issues. Students will be able to think on their feet and address real-world business issues.

Prerequisites
ACC 211 Financial Accounting

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
In this course, students will be immersed in the terms and concepts vital to understanding cybersecurity at an introductory level. The course aligns with the (ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) credential that will allow students to take their first step toward showing proficiency in the field of cybersecurity. This credential is designed to demonstrate knowledge and provide recognition for their achievement. They will gain knowledge and skills in areas such as risk management, incident response, and security architecture and design.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 5
A knowledge of the costs of a business can mean the difference between the long-term survival of the organization or business failure. An ability to understand and access costs is a vital prerequisite to long-term growth and profitability. In this course, students will develop an understanding of cost behavior, systems, techniques, planning and control, relevant cost information for short-term decision making and accounting data in long-term capital budgeting decisions.

Prerequisites
ACC212 Managerial; Accounting

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Year 2 - Term 6
Ever wonder how Steve Jobs created such amazing products or Sarah Lewis used failure for creative success? Given the rapid changes in today s economy and workplace, creativity and innovation continue to be important skills that support career growth. Because employers continuously rate the ability to solve problems as an essential skill, this course is designed to introduce and strengthen a student s ability to move through logical problem-solving processes in order to creatively find solutions to problems that are personally or professionally relevant to them. Neuroscience research affirms that we all possess the same mental capacities as people with highly inventive minds, so students will study innovators and global thinkers who will show them the crucial techniques to increase their competency, sharpen their skills, and develop their innovative mindset.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
This course focuses on the crucial behaviors of organizations at the individual, group/team, and organizational level. It examines how external and internal forces influence behaviors such as leadership, communication, management, employee motivation, engagement, and valuing diversity. The focus on domestic and global organizations includes private, public, and military organizations and the impact of organizational behavior on the effectiveness of the organization.

Prerequisites
ENG101 College Composition or ENG101A Advanced Composition

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 3 - Term 1
This course equips students with essential economic analysis tools for effective project management, preparing them to integrate economic considerations into their engineering practices for cost-effective and efficient project outcomes. Combining theory and practice, key concepts covered include the time value of money, spreadsheet functions for calculations, cost-benefit analysis, present worth analysis, annual worth analysis, rate of return, project evaluation, breakeven analysis, and inflation. The course emphasizes the importance of economic decision-making in engineering. Students learn to perform economic evaluations, understand the impacts of inflation, depreciation, and taxes, and manage risks and uncertainties. They apply economic principles to engineering problems, make informed financial decisions, and effectively communicate results. Upon completion of this course, students know how to apply economic analysis techniques to evaluate the economic feasibility of engineering projects, accounting for various effects such as inflation, depreciation, and taxes.

Prerequisites
MAT114 Intermediate Algebra, or MAT120 Precalculus

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course offers a series of mini-lectures, summary notes, simulations, and practice quizzes to help you develop fundamental computer skills. Topics will cover computer hardware (including mobile devices), operating systems, basic networking, and basic security. In addition, you will engage in discussions on computer roles and practices of a PC technician and information technology issues. After the completion of this course, you will be prepared for an entry-level PC technician career. This course aligns with the exam objectives of two industry certification programs: CompTia A+ and TestOut PC Pro. This course aims to assist you in preparing for the two certification exams.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 3 - Term 2
This course analyzes how people influence and are influenced by the real or imagined presence or others and how people interact with and relate to those around them. Topics include research in social psychology, social cognition, social perception and judgment, attitudes and attitude change, conformity and obedience, group behavior, attraction and intimate relationships, helping behavior, aggression, prejudice, and the application of social psychology to other fields including the legal system. The concepts learned in this course can be applied to all careers in which one works with and in teams, as well as work where it is important to influence or persuade others. Duplication Note: This course duplicates PSYX365: Social Psychology. Credit for only one of these will be applied toward graduation.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Alternative Courses Available

General Education: Social Science & History
Overview of the systematic planning, designing, operating, controlling and improving processes that transform inputs into finished goods and services. Develops students abilities to recognize, model, and solve problems inherent in production and service environments. Specific topics include product and process design, queuing, facility layout and location, linear programming, decision analysis, forecasting, and inventory models.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 3 - Term 3
In this course, we'll examine and analyze global business in its historical, theoretical, environmental, and functional dimensions. Our focus will be on understanding the growing economic interdependence of nations and the impact of that interdependence on managerial and corporate policy decisions that transcend national boundaries. This course will also provide an introduction to globalization and the cultural, economic, political, and legal environments of international business, including an overview of risks, challenges, and opportunities of competing in the global marketplace. Your key challenge will be to develop and present a business plan to launch a product or service of your choice in a foreign market.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
This course introduces students to the concept of diversity consciousness, a concept that goes beyond diversity training to develop an awareness and understanding of diversity in all its aspects. It examines the demographic variables that include race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, physical and mental ability and gender and sexual orientation, as well as socio-economic class and family status. It emphasizes the skills needed in working with and supervising a diverse workforce and reviews the obligations and rights of both the employer and employee under the laws against discrimination enforced by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the USA.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 3 - Term 4
Focuses on research findings about leadership, leadership practice, and leadership skill development. Explores and evaluates leadership practices, behaviors, and personal attributes of leaders and includes case studies of leaders and organizations. The course balances theory with real-world applications for a practical, skill-building approach to leadership.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course will introduce students to the challenges of governance, ethics, legal, and regulatory compliance through the eyes of information security professionals. Topics include compliance requirements in response to key mandates and laws, including Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, Privacy, Gram-Leach-Bliley, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCA), and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). The challenges of compliance and ethics in information security will also be examined.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 3 - Term 5
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Year 3 - Term 6
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Year 4 - Term 1
Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Free Elective
Examines the technology and impact of the design of database systems on the organization. Covers the application, design, and implementation of database systems. Topics include an introduction to basic database concepts, database design principles including E-R diagrams and database normalization, SQL queries, transaction management, distributed databases, data warehousing, and database administration. Course focuses on the relational model.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 4 - Term 2
This course provides an overview and application of the concepts and practices of data communications and networking within a business environment. Topics of this course include data communications models, protocols, standards, and services; networking technologies and communication media; network topology, design and architecture; network management; wireless technologies; network security; and cryptography. Students will practice their knowledge and skills through hands-on labs and assignments, which are based on real-world business case scenarios. IT 250 begins to prepare the student for the CompTIA Network+ certification exam.

Prerequisites
None

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course presents a detailed and comprehensive methodological approach to conducting cyber investigations, responding to incident scenes, and performing forensic examinations of digital evidence. As part of a digital forensics team working in private, government and law enforcement sectors you will encounter a variety of cyber events demanding the use of many common investigative techniques and professional forensic tools, as well as industry standards and best practices. In the process, students will experience the complete digital forensics lifecycle from identification, preservation, and collection to examination and analysis including the development of relevant documentation associated with the reporting of forensic results as well as the presentation of their findings. This is a 3-credit course, requiring a minimum of 18 hours of course engagement each week in an 8-week term, or 9 hours per week in a 15-week term (refer to the Credit Hours Calculation Policy in the Student Handbook), Course engagement includes such activities as discussions, reading, study time, and assignments.

Prerequisites
IT380 Overview of Computer Security

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 4 - Term 3
An online portfolio development experience that requires students to reflect on their past academic and professional experiences and use the information gained from this reflective exercise to develop learning statements related to the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Technology Management degree outcomes. The learning statements must be supported by documented evidence that demonstrates that the outcomes have been met. Students learn how to develop an online portfolio during the first module of the course and then work under the guidance of a faculty mentor during the remainder of the semester to compose learning statements, compile appropriate evidence, and create the Integrated Technology Management Assessment report.

Prerequisites
The Capstone must be the last course taken. All major core and university requirement courses must be complete. The capstone can be paired with 1 other course that is considered to be general education course (excluding courses to meet the Written English Requirement and the Ethics Requirement), a concentration course, elective, or lab course (even if the lab is in the major).

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement

APPLY NOW REQUEST INFO

Explore Common Careers

With the program’s focus on project management, organizational behavior, systems thinking, and emerging technologies, students gain technical fluency and the ability to lead teams, drive innovation, and align IT solutions with business goals. Graduates leave the program with industry-relevant knowledge and the confidence and insight to lead with impact.

James Tippey, DCS
Department Chair of Information Technology and Cybersecurity
School of Technology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Accreditations

Institutional Accreditation

Excelsior University is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) www.msche.org. Excelsior University’s accreditation status is accreditation reaffirmed. The Commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on June 23, 2022 was to reaffirm accreditation. MSCHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidate status) activities for institutions of higher education including distance, correspondence education, and direct assessment programs offered at those institutions. The Commission’s geographic area of accrediting activities is throughout the United States.

All of Excelsior University’s academic programs are registered (i.e., approved) by the New York State Education Department.

FAQ

How is a BPS different from a BS or BA?

A BPS (Bachelor of Professional Studies) is more focused on practical, job-ready skills and career preparation than a BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BS (Bachelor of Science). It typically involves more emphasis on discipline-specific courses and professional competencies. A BPS in Information Technology Management is a good fit for those seeking a direct path to a specific IT career, whereas a BA or BS program typically offers flexibility in career paths or further studies.

What will I learn in this program?

In Excelsior University’s BPS in Information Technology Management program, you will develop problem-solving and business management skills that you can apply to technical projects and challenges in a variety of industries.

Is this program more technical or business-focused?

The major core requirements of the BPS in IT Management are divided between business and technology courses.
Business courses include:

Managerial Accounting
Organizational Behavior
Management Concepts and Applications
Business Leadership

Technology courses include:

Hardware and Software Essentials
Fundamentals of Programming
Database Management Systems
Computer Forensics

What kind of jobs can I get with this degree?

A BPS in IT Management can lead to careers in IT focusing on management and leadership within technology organizations. Common roles such as IT project manager, systems analyst, and systems manager often involve bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions.

Will I earn any IT certifications along with the degree?

The BPS in IT Management program does not include any certifications, but Excelsior University offers a variety of IT certification training courses you can take to complement your degree and help you expand your career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management

Build On Your IT Expertise with a BPS in Information Technology Management

PROGRAM DETAILS

BPS in Information Technology Management

Degree Pathway

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Information Technology Management

Explore Common Careers

Institutional Accreditation

FAQ