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PRESS RELEASE: New Bachelors of Science Degree in Information Communication Technology
New major to launch Fall 2014

A new major is placing students at the forefront of today’s increasingly interconnected world.

The Bachelors of Science in Information Communication Technology (ICT) focuses on the intersection of technology, people who use that technology, policies and regulations that govern the use of that technology and communities or environments in which that technology is used. It is the newest undergraduate degree program in the College of Communication and Information, the university’s official iSchool, part of a collection of Information Schools dedicated to advancing the information field.

Housed in the School of Library and Information Science, ICT is an applied information technology degree program.

The ICT program (http://ict.uky.edu) provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively apply, use, and manage technology when solving problems specifically related to information and communication. It provides a human and organizational focus on technology – teaching students how to be effective users of technology. Students who major in ICT can expect to work in positions where they are the communication link between people, organizations, and the technologies used to support those organizations’ information infrastructures.  It is here that the University of Kentucky’s ICT program offers a unique advantage.

“Our program really emphasizes technology within the context of the people who use that technology and the environments in which it is used.  The program is designed to emphasize the interconnected relationship between technology and society and how one affects the other,” says Dr. Jeff Huber, Director of the School.  “While there are strong technical components in the curriculum, we adopt a much broader view that considers how information, communication, and technology affect people and communities.”

ICT majors may pursue one of two concentrations, ICT Commercialization or Technology Management. ICT Commercialization focuses on ICT as an enabling tool to drive economic growth. The concentration in Technology Management focuses on using technology to provide a stable operating environment. 

Information and course descriptions can be found on the new ICT program website. Students take different courses depending on the degree concentration they pursue, allowing them to focus their degree plan on the option they feel best suits their career interests.

ICT is a fast emerging field that encompasses many job sectors. The U.S. Department of Labor (USDL) projected growth rates for employment in the ICT sector trends favorably for the ten-year forecast period with most job categories reflecting double-digit percentage increases over that term.  Information Security Analysts, for instance, have a 37% job growth outlook for 2012-22. Other ICT sector jobs such as Web Developers are expected to have a 20% increase, and Database Administrators have a projected 15% increase. Employment availability in two categories (Information Security Analysts, Web Developers, and Computer Network Architects (107%); Media and Communication Workers, All Other (148%)) already exceeds the projected numbers for 2020.

The University’s iSchool has already seen a growing interest amongst undergraduates in courses related to navigating, analyzing, and managing information effectively. Its Information Studies minor, offered since spring 2013, is another unique program to the university: its first fully online minor. The IS 200 Information Literacy and Critical Thinking course has also gained experimental approval as a UK Core course.

MEDIA CONTACT: Will Buntin, Assistant Director. (859) 257-3317; [log in to unmask]