Applied Information Technology
Why Study Applied Information Technology at Fisher?
Note: Majors will no longer be accepted into the Applied Information Technology major following the fall 2011 semester. APIT courses for students currently enrolled in the major and for courses servicing the Informational Technology minor will continue to be offered by the Department of Mathematical and Computing Sciences.
In considering a major in AIT at St. John Fisher College, the first question you may be asking yourself is, "What's the difference between computer science and information technology?" Very basically, computer science involves using computers and computing power to solve problems. Information technology is about taking data in its raw form and using computing power to create systems that, in turn, manipulate data into information that has value and integrity. The two are very different fields of study.
Too often in industry software projects fail to reach their full potential. When this happens, it's hardly ever due to technology systems and almost always about issues that arise relative to the understanding (or lack of the understanding) of people, processes, and the uncertainty and inconsistencies of real-life. In other words, poor human factors engineering skills.
The mix of skills addressed in the AIT curriculum provide the insight needed to address these issues. Traditional programmers, generally, do not hold close these skills. It's a different way of thinking and approaching a quality project and, subsequently, a quality product.
Whether the task is a user manual, business relationship, website, documentation, analysis, or a collaborative virtual forum, design and development takes insight into the human condition, creativity, perceptiveness, and independent thinking. AIT will prepare you in a unique way to be a quality contributor in industry in areas such a requirements writing, interaction designing, design communication, and user documentation.
Take a minute to explore the areas where the AIT program is integrating these skills:
AIT and Communication/Journalism [pdf]
AIT Foundation Courses [pdf] - Grouped Progression (These are the courses required in the AIT major; the second discipline courses, as you will see by the above documents, vary.)
AIT Information
AIT Minors
AIT Internship
Courtney Clare '11
When I chose St. John Fisher College it was mainly for the lacrosse program. After spending a year at Fisher I discovered that there was more than the lacrosse program that I liked. Being at a smaller school gives you the opportunity to get to know your professors rather than just be a number. I knew that Fisher was not only good for me in athletics but for academics also.
When I first came to Fisher I was undecided and it was not until the end of my sophomore year until I declared my major. At first I did not have any idea what I wanted to do. I knew that I really loved all things about technology and started to take classes in that area. I discovered that I was not only good at those classes it but I enjoyed it. I then decided to declare my major as Applied Information Technology. It has been one of the best decisions of my life and I’m looking forward to getting some real experience in the field with my internship in the fall of my senior year.
What I found fascinating about the AIT major is that you can pick a second discipline. I chose Economics because I felt that it was important to understand how the economy is working. Microeconomic Theory, Statistics, and History of Economic Thought are just some of the classes that have taught me knowledgeable information that I can use not only in the workforce but my personal life.
The advice that I would give to incoming freshman, prospective AIT majors, or current AIT majors would be to explore all avenues of the IT field. The IT major gives you knowledge in many areas where technology has implications. This is helpful to not only know what you are passionate about but also give you options. My advice is to keep an open mind and experience everything in the IT field that you can. You never know what type of job you might end up with in the future, having experience in all types of IT fields will help you chose any career that you might desire.
Authored Spring 2010 Second semester junior year