JOSE ROMERO
campus editor
IT courses allow students to interact with technology that would be utilized in a professional environment. There are multiple specializations for students to choose from.
From 2019 to 2029, there’s a projected growth of 11% for jobs in the IT field, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Professors have noticed IT’s popularity and ensure the course’s effectiveness in preparing students by providing multiple career pathways and an effective course curriculum.
“Based on the specialization for information technology, we have so many different areas,” South Campus computer science instructor Shahla Durany said. “We have networking, programming, web application, cybersecurity, gaming and simulation.”
Convergence technologies — cloud technology and information assurance — are also offered. Each specialization is catered to its respective field by teaching students how to utilize industry-standard tools. For example, Cisco systems in network support courses or Unity in game, simulation and animation design courses.
Before choosing a specialization, students are required to take core courses which assist in making a final choice, deciding which career path will be the most suitable.
“All of the programs in information technology have the same set of what is called, technical core classes,” Durany said. “That means regardless of what area you’re going to, there are certain classes that every student needs to take. After the completion of those core technical classes, students then would know what is the specialization they’re most interested in.”
IT students prepare for Hackathon event that was partnered with Cisco Systems in 2018 before campuswide shutdowns.
For students looking to transfer, TCC has agreements with other colleges such as Tarleton and Collin in which certain specialization credit hours will transfer. Constant communication between universities forms significant partnerships that prepare students for studies beyond TCC, TR Campus computer science professor Tyson McMillan said.
“I see the TCC IT courses as a vital foundation for our students,” he said. “We give students the confidence to go from TCC to Ph.D. We are an initial spark towards continued studies and a fulfilling career. I hope that students gain the one-on-one help that they need to find the area of IT that they enjoy most.”
Campuses have had to shut down because of COVID-19, meaning courses are online only. Classes have shifted accordingly.
“The pandemic meant that we, teachers, needed to adjust to spending more time in course preparation and finding creative ways to engage with our students,” McMillan said. “I view the live video sessions as vitally important as a lecture I would generally give in person.
The pandemic has demonstrated the necessity for functional technology. Students are required to do their work on various sites which means servers for these sites must stay consistently online. Online only courses have revealed how important technology-related careers are, said Connect Campus program coordinator Kenya Wilson.
“The great thing about Tarrant County College is that we have an online campus, TCC Connect Campus, through which many faculty teaching in IT and Computer Science were teaching online prior to the pandemic,” she said. “The full-time faculty at Connect Campus, full-time faculty at our partner campuses and many of our veteran adjuncts were able to continue the best practices in online teaching and learning, to ensure continued success for students.”
For more details about information technology courses, go to https://www.tccd.edu/academics/courses-and-programs/programs-a-z/credit/information-technology/
