Undergraduate Programs in Information Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) degree and Certificate in Information Technology programs are designed with four goals in mind:

• Provide students with the theoretical concepts necessary for success in industry.
• Give students hands-on experience using current technologies.
• Provide students with an employable skill set.
• Provide industry with highly trained and competent IT professionals.

Students in the BSIT program experience coursework in Database Design, Systems Analysis, Technical Infrastructure, Project Management, Information Systems Management, Telecommunications and various business courses. To enhance the learning experience, class sizes are limited, courses meet once a week and students explore various information technology topics through a course’s Internet component.

As students approach their senior year, they select a concentration in systems design, infrastructure or software applications. The purpose of this concentration is to allow students the opportunity to apply the theory they have learned in their coursework with current technologies available in the work place. Students, therefore, acquire a valuable skill set that can be applied to their first day on the job.

The BSIT degree and certificate program combine fundamental business concepts with current technology. This allows students to solve complex business problems using the technology they have learned. Students can develop careers in systems analysis design, web development, network administration, web administration, systems programming and applications support. More importantly, the BSIT merges two ideologies that are at the heart of learning at Lawrence Tech: theory and practice. This has been proven to be the competitive edge most students seek when they embark upon their careers.

Other Management-Related Undergraduate Degrees

For information on the following undergraduate management-related degrees:

• Bachelor of Administration: see the College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Communication
• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management: see the College of Engineering, Department of Engineering Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Technology Management: see the College of Engineering, Department of Engineering Technology

Admission

BSIT classes begin each September, January, and May. The Admissions Office should receive completed application packages no later than two weeks before start of classes. The application package includes:

• Completed and signed application form
• High School diploma or GED equivalent
• An official copy of the American College Test (ACT) pr the Standard Achievement Test (SAT) scores.
• Official transcript from every college or university attended
• Application fee
• Results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam for applicants whose native language is other than English. This requirement is waived for international students holding degrees from colleges and universities in countries where English is the native language.

Transfer Admission Requirements

• A completed application for admission and non-refundable fee
• Official transcripts sent from each institution to Lawrence Tech’s Admissions Office;
• A minimum GPA in the following categories:
• Students with 30 or more semester hours completed are required to have a minimum of a 2.00 GPA;
• Students with less than 30 hours completed at another institution must also submit official high school transcripts and meet the freshman requirements above;
• Students applying for admission to the Bachelor of Science in engineering technology must have completed an associate degree, which has been approved by the Department of Engineering Technology. A minimum 2.00 GPA and successful completion of all necessary prerequisite course work is required;

Students applying for admission to architecture and design must have a minimum 2.30 GPA.

Lawrence Tech has entered into agreements with several area community colleges, which establish in advance which community college courses may be applied to earn a Lawrence Tech degree. Lawrence Tech will grant admission to students who complete the specified community college associate degree program and will award the prescribed degree to students who complete the Lawrence Tech courses listed in such an agreement and who otherwise meet graduation requirements.

Transfer students pursuing a baccalaureate degree are expected to complete a minimum of 60 hours of junior and senior level course work, a minimum of 30 hours of which must be taken at Lawrence Tech.

Undergraduate Transfer Credit

The University will accept all courses with a grade of 2.00 or better from a completed General Education program of an approved four-year college or of a community college associate degree designed for transfer to a four-year institution. Approved colleges include regionally accredited community colleges and four-year colleges and institutions, as well as others approved by Lawrence Tech. Such students will be expected to have demonstrated competencies in the following categories:

• Communications beyond English composition
• Knowledge of the humanities
• Knowledge of the social sciences
• Mathematics, including calculus
• Science, including a laboratory science

If the total number of semester hours in each category of competency are less than those required by Lawrence Tech, the student will take additional General Education courses at Lawrence Tech to fulfill the requirement.

All Lawrence Tech students, including those certified to have met General Education requirements elsewhere, must complete an upper division course in language and literature or social science as part of their bachelors degree program. In those cases where a General Education course is required as a prerequisite for courses in the major, the prerequisite must be completed even if the general education requirement is met otherwise. The accreditation specifications of a particular professional degree may require students to complete additional depth and breadth course work in general education

Transfer students who enter Lawrence Tech without general education requirements completed will be required to complete the Lawrence Tech General Education requirement as established for their degree program. In this regard, individual General Education courses taken elsewhere will be considered for substitution for Lawrence Tech courses

Transfer students will have their official transcripts evaluated and receive a Credit Evaluation prior to their enrollment. The Credit Evaluation lists all courses required for a specific degree program in accordance with guidelines provided by the major college and the College of Arts & Sciences for the general education component. All courses listed are required unless transfer credit has been granted or if the student has been excused. If excused from a course, an “EX” will appear in the Credit Hours Transferred column and the student must complete the same number of credit hours in another course acceptable to his or her academic advisor.

If courses are in progress at the time of acceptance, students must request that a complete and official transcript be sent to the Lawrence Tech Registrar and ask that their academic advisor evaluate such courses during the first semester of enrollment.

Additional Credit

All transfer credits are subject to the review of the department chairman or dean of the College. Questions concerning credit evaluations and any appeal for additional credit must be resolved by the Admissions Office within the first semester of enrollment.

ROTC/Military Credit

Credit earned in the Reserve Officers Training Corp and credit for military training may be applied toward degree work in several Lawrence Tech programs, and will be considered according to the recommendations of the American Council on Education. Contact the Admissions Office for additional information.

Other Forms of Additional Credit

High school students may earn credit with satisfactory results on Advanced Placement Examinations (AP). Credit may also be obtained through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) for subject examinations only. CLEP information is available through local libraries and the Admissions Office.

Courses offered by non-collegiate organizations will be considered for credit only if they have received credit recommendation from the National Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (National PONSI). Transfer credit will be considered on an individual basis. In all cases, students are required to demonstrate that they had the appropriate academic preparation for the non-collegiate course at the time it was taken.

No more than 30 semester hours of credit will be accepted from the sources listed above. A request for credit from these sources must be resolved with the Admissions Office within the first semester of enrollment. Credit for PONSI and military courses will not be shown on the students’ transcript until all other requirements for the degree have been met. Students will not receive credit from the above sources if the work is carried out while they are enrolled at Lawrence Tech or during the summer between terms of enrollment. Any exceptions will require prior written permission of the Credit Review Committee.

29Aug2003