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In ICT education, traditional Computer Science (CS) programs
are probably the oldest and most established. Many CS programs
and their content align to Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM) standards and curriculum recommendations. CS Faculty is
established, and theories and practices are often
long-standing. As a result, the most functional ICT
articulation and transfer pathways are between traditional CS
programs.
 More
recently, with the rapid emergence and adoption of ICT
technologies, like networking and IT, many 2-year schools have
programs and/or courses that do not always fall neatly into
established Computer Science paradigms. Building transfer and
articulation relationships to 4-year schools that accept this
coursework is a big challenge.
In the fall of 2008,
California State
University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) started an exciting
Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) Bachelor’s
degree program.
Housed in the department of
Information
Technology and Communication Design (ITCD), CSIT provides
students with a unique blend of theory and application,
combining a solid background in theoretical computer science
principles with hands-on experience in information technology
applications. This innovative program is ideal preparation for
students interested in ICT careers. Technology impacts on
social, ethical, and global issues, as well as collaboration
and communication skills, are infused in the learning
experience.
CSIT students take a set of common core courses to establish a
strong foundation in the fundamentals of CS and information
technology. They then build on that foundation by selecting a
concentration:
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software engineering,
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networking and security,
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information systems, or
-
game development.
Throughout their education at CSUMB, students gain a strong
grounding in fundamentals, with many opportunities to apply
what they have learned in real-world situations. This
culminates in the senior capstone sequence, which results in a
significant project, preferably done for an outside client.
CSUMB is built on a model of outcome-based education. Every
course has a set of specified
outcomes which each student must demonstrate competence in
to pass the class. While this ensures quality and consistency
in a CSUMB education, it also makes CSUMB an ideal transfer
school for students from two-year colleges.
Through CSUMB’s articulation program, community college
courses that meet the right set of outcomes can be used to
earn equivalent credit for an upper division course offered at
CSUMB with the same outcomes.
Articulation pathways to allow such an equivalent credit are
already mapped out for many partner 2-year colleges. For
example, the four Cisco CCNA Exploration courses offered in a
Community College could get transfer credit equivalent to
three upper division networking courses at CSUMB.
This allows students to take not only their general education
requirements at a 2-year college, but also a substantial
portion of their CSIT courses. This is an excellent
opportunity for students who might want to try ICT subjects at
a 2-year college and continue on to a bachelor’s degree with
minimal time and hassle.
For more information on the program, check out:
We would also encourage you to check out an
MPICT-hosted webinar on the program.
 CSUMB
is also committed to enhancing the CSIT program with
activities outside the classroom. CSIT faculty member,
Dr. Sathya Narayanan, heads the
Monterey
Bay Regional Academy of Computing Education (MBRACE), an
NSF ATE Project. MBRACE is a collaborative effort between
CSUMB,Cabrillo College, Monterey Peninsula College, and
Hartnell College, to increase the quality of CS and Networking
education in the region.
 Through
MBRACE, students have access to state-of-the-art network
simulation software and a wide variety of industry
internships, coordinated through a central office. MBRACE also
has resources dedicated to recruiting more students into ICT
fields and for mentoring students in the program.
Another resource at CSUMB is the Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Center (UROC), which arranges for paid research
opportunities for undergraduate students, at CSUMB and other
institutions. Through UROC, students who perform research not
only get paid for their time, but also get the chance to
travel to professional conferences to present their work. UROC
makes sure students are prepared for their research
experiences through a series of professional skills workshops
and ongoing mentoring.
This is an exciting time to be a part of CSIT at CSUMB and a
great opportunity for students from ICT partner institutions.
If you have questions about the program, the articulation
process, or would like to visit the CSUMB campus, please visit
http://itcd.csumb.edu/csit or contact
csit@csumb.edu.
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