Major code BS5391*

Scripps College of Communication
J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies
360 Schoonover Center
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.4890
www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/mcclure

Charles Linscott, contact person
linscoc2@ohio.edu

Program Overview

Whenever you use the Internet, make a voice call, or use your mobile device, information network technology is at work. The J. Warren McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems (ITS) will prepare you for a career in the rapidly growing information and telecommunication systems field. To earn your degree, you will work with ITS faculty in the classroom and will utilize the School’s extensive laboratory facilities, gaining hands-on experience with the technologies that are revolutionizing the way that individuals, businesses, and governments communicate. You will learn about the design, management, regulation, and application of information network technology, as well as how businesses acquire and sell networking products and services. You will learn about IP networking–the basis of the Internet and foundation of communication applications like the World Wide Web and streaming video–and many other new and developing areas: wireless networking, mobile applications, consumer broadband access, the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, personal privacy, to name a few. You will study how these technologies integrate into the business world, changing the way businesses operate. You will also examine the intersections of economic and public policy with information technology. ITS students also gain a strong foundation in business administration, and automatically fulfill the requirements of the Business Administration Minor when completing courses required for the ITS degree. The ITS program is one of the few of its kind in the country and unique in the state of Ohio.

*This program was previously BC5329 which awarded the Bachelor of Science in Communication. Pending Board of Trustees approval (anticipated June 2024), the new program code will be BS5391 and will award the Bachelor of Science effective the 2024-25 catalog year.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy

GPA of 2.5 is required. Transfers may be limited due to capacity constraints.

External Transfer Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Information network technology is the lifeblood of modern business. The intersection of networking technology and business practices encompasses a wide variety of jobs, and ITS graduates can be found in many different roles. The School’s blend of theoretical study and practical experience continues to prove attractive to employers, including Fortune 500 companies, throughout the United States.

An ITS degree provides career opportunities in a variety of settings. Major companies operate sophisticated business networks, and ITS graduates manage the operations and security of networks at companies in the insurance, banking, consumer product, industrial, government, and retail sectors. Companies that have hired ITS graduates include Progressive Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, Kroger, Marathon Petroleum, JP Morgan Chase, Cardinal Health, Fifth Third Bank, Xerox, and Abercrombie & Fitch. ITS graduates are also employed in branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and in state and federal government offices.

ITS graduates have also found employment at major telecommunication and information service providers or vendors such as AT&T, Cincinnati Bell, CenturyLink, Verizon, Sprint, Cisco Systems, Time Warner Telecom, Level 3 Communications, Microsoft, IBM, EMC, Google, PowerNet Global, and XO Communications. ITS graduates manage and engineer networks, oversee network security, and sell information and telecommunication products and services.

ITS graduates have also found opportunities with consulting companies like Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, PwC, and Capgemini. The School’s placement rate is among the highest in the Scripps College of Communication. Our graduates enjoy substantial starting salaries.

Requirements