In response to strong demand among students and the potential job market growth, Kaplan University School of Information Systems and Technology in Davenport, Iowa, announced Nov. 15 two new bachelors degree programs in IT systems.
The B.S. in Networking Technology focuses on students learning to install and manage operating systems and wireless devices, configure routers and switches, and design and monitor networks.
The Networking Technology degree aims to prepare students for post-college jobs as computer and network systems administrators or system support analysts.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this area of IT will see 12,000 new jobs per year through 2012, with starting salaries anticipated at $49,000.
Kaplans new B.S. degree in Software Development will have a curriculum focused on the software development life-cycle, from software requirements to design and implementation techniques.
The program aims to prepare college-degreed students for work as entry-level software developers, analysts and programmers, where according to staffing firm Robert Half Technology, 2005 starting salaries ranged from $52,000 to $83,000.
Classes start on Jan. 3, 2007, and enrollment has already begun, according to the university.
“We are constantly tracking trends in the information technology industry landscape to make sure that we are providing our students with skills that will advance their careers and provide the market with high-qualified professionals,” Jean Kotsiovos, Kaplan Universitys interim dean of the school of information systems and technology, said in a statement.
“The new bachelors degree programs do just that, providing students with a comprehensive IT skill set to help them in their pursuit of networking and software development careers.”