December 08, 2000, 3:43 PM —
The basics
Who offers IT associate's degrees:
Junior colleges, community colleges, and some universities offer associate of
science degrees in computer science, information systems, and management of information
systems. There are more than 1,100 community colleges in the United States.
Entrance requirements:
Requirements vary, ranging from a U.S. or foreign high school degree, GED, or other
equivalency certificate. Some two-year institutions allow continuing education
enrollment to individuals not holding a high school degree or equivalent.
Cost:
Tuition varies by school. Total in-state tuition (no expenses) to complete
associate's degree requirements ranges from $4,000 to $7,000.
Sample courses:
Courses offered include computers in business, Perl programming, UNIX operating
system, Web page authoring, and computer organization.
Vital statistics
Percent of IT professionals with an associate's degree:
Total - 13.5%
CTOs - 9.1%
Middle IT management - 13.3%
Help desk managers - 17.8%
What people are saying
"Students obtaining technical associate's degrees are able to work at the help
desk, in network administration, or applications, depending on the courses taken. Many
students come back for an associate's after obtaining their four-year degrees because
they are not marketable without a technical associate's degree."
-- Keith Morneau, program manager, Information Systems Technology, Northern
Virginia Community College
Web resources
Community College Web -
target="_new">www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/cc/ind
ex.html
DegreeSearch - target="_new">www.degreesearch.com
Search both sites for community colleges or two-year institutions offering
associates degrees. Results obtained at the DegreeSearch site are limited to that
site's content.
source: 2000 InfoWorld Compensation Survey, Community
