Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology

Infobox_University
name = College of Information Sciences and Technology


established = 1999
type =
dean = Henry C. Foley
city = University Park
state = Pennsylvania
country = USA
undergrad =
postgrad =
postgrad_label =
staff=
campus = University Park
website= [http://www.ist.psu.edu/ www.ist.psu.edu]
endowment=

As of 2007, Information Sciences and Technology (IST) as a major is offered at 19 campuses with 142 faculty state wide and 42 faculty at the University Park main campus. Throughout the state there are 1,891 students enrolled in IST plus an additional 12,000+ online IST students. There are 5 associate degree options and 2 bachelor’s degree majors. Eighty-nine students are currently studying IST as a graduate school option. The cumulative placement percentage for Bachelor’s Degree students upon graduation between the years 2003-2006 was 94% and the 2006 average starting salary was $56,250. IST’s overall research funding is in excess of $36 million dollars.

History

The College of Information Science and Technology was created in 1997. Dean of the Graduate School, Rod Erickson, was appointed by Penn State President Graham Spanier to lead a strategic planning group that produced plans for the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). which admitted the first students into the IST program for the Fall 1999 semester.

Immediately upon opening, the school began its expansion. Research groups developed, online courses were integrated, the number of faculty expanded, graduate programs were established, and the state-of-the-art building had been planned and construction was underway. In May 2003, Penn State’s first full graduating IST class was given baccalaureate degrees.

Building

The Information Sciences and Technology Building is located on the west campus of the Pennsylvania State University’s University Park campus. The building is home to the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the Computer Science and Engineering department.

It was formally opened in 2004. The convert|199000|sqft|m2|sing=on building was designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects in New York, New York and Perfido Weiskopf Architects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The architecture was inspired by the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. The construction of the building cost $58.8 million dollars to complete.

The largest classroom in the building is the Cybertorium. The Cybertorium seats up to 150 people in a movie theater style venue, which features a high tech sound system and large projection screen for presenters to use.

Degrees / Programs of Study

The College of Information Sciences and Technology offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students have several degree options within each major. The College of Information Sciences and Technology offers an Information Sciences and Technology minor and nine joint minors with other departments at the university. The college also offers three sets of courses known as theme tracks to further supplement an undergraduate student’s education.

*Associate’s Degrees in Information Sciences and Technology, with a Baccalaureate Option, and options in Generalized Business, Software, Web Administration, Networking , Data/Information, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, and an Individualized Option
*Bachelor’s Degrees
**Information Sciences and Technology, including Options in Design and Development, Integration and Application, and People, Organizations and Society
**Security and Risk Analysis, with options in Intelligence and Analysis, Information and Cyber Security , and Social Factors and Risk
*Graduate Degrees
**Master’s in Information Sciences and Technology
**Ph.D in Information Sciences and Technology
*Minors in Information Sciences and Technology are with Communication Arts and Sciences, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Health Policy Administration, Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, Industrial Engineering, Labor and Industrial Relations, Mathematics, Telecommunications, and Supply Chain and Information Systems.
**Additional minors are offered in Security and Risk Analysis and Global Security.
*Theme Tracks
**Database Systems
**Information Technology Consulting
**Information Assurance (IA)
***"NOTE: The IA theme track has been blended into the 'Security and Risk Analysis' Minor, and is no longer available."

External links

*http://www.psu.edu
*http://ist.psu.edu