Program Highlights

  • The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in Information Technology (IT) offers an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on Information Technology and Computer Science.
  • The program is unique in that it merges traditional academic topics with leading-edge and current IT practices and technology.
  • Courses from different fields of engineering are included: Computer Hardware, Software Programming, Web Design, Database Design, Networking Analysis, Digital Design, and Cyber Security.
  • Courses have embedded content for industry certifications like CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+.
  • The Vancouver Campus is a member of CompTIA’s “Education to Career” program. Graduates of FDU-Vancouver’s B.S. in Information Technology program are encouraged to complete IT certification exams as part of their program, ensuring that they are “market-ready” when they graduate.
  • Students in this program receive a dual degree: major in Information Technology and minor in Business Administration.
  • The program serves as an ideal launch pad for a management career in any technology-oriented company that is heavily dependent upon Information Technology.
  • Well-balanced program: Networking, Programming, Security, Hardware and Web Technology – ideal for finding employment.

Career Paths

Graduates of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s B.S. in Information Technology program are qualified IT professionals who are prepared for careers in a wide-range of IT-related areas, as follows:

  • Computer networking
  • Network and systems administration
  • Website development and management
  • Digital media design
  • Management information systems (MIS)
  • Database management
  • Software development

Skills Acquired

  • Software skills: JAVA language through courses like INFO-2101 and INFO-2102.
  • Database design skills: ORACLE 10g DBMS through the course CSCI-3268.
  • Digital design skills: VHDL language through the course ENGR-2286.
  • Web programming skills: XHTML, .NET, .ASP, .PHP through the course INFO-4844.
  • Web site design skills: Adobe Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Indesign, Photoshop through the courses ART-1177, INFO-2105, INFO-2106 and INFO-3205.
  • Tools skills: Eclipse through the course INFO-2101 and INFO-2102.

Program Objectives

The main objective of the B.S. in Information Technology is to produce graduates who:

  1. Enter into and advance in the profession of information technology, management information systems, business administration, or other related fields.
  2. Continue their education by obtaining professional certificates or advanced degrees in information technology, management information systems, business administration, or other related fields.
  3. Continue to conduct themselves as both responsible professionals and global citizens, who are aware of ethical issues and societal needs and problems.

The program objectives define the skills, knowledge, and attributes that graduates are expected to possess three to four years following graduation, and they fulfill the needs of our several University constituencies, including alumni, students, the Industrial Advisory Committee, the faculty, and employers. These objectives are consistent with the mission of Fairleigh Dickinson University “to educate and prepare students as world citizens through global education.”

Student Outcomes

The B.S. in Information Technology program has adopted the Student Outcomes of the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET as its own learning outcomes, which define the attributes, skills, and knowledge that the graduates are expected to possess upon or before graduation. Each Information Technology graduate will demonstrate the following attributes and achievements as required by the CAC of ABET by the time of graduation:

  1. Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
  2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
  3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  4. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
  6. Identify and analyze user needs and to take them into account in the selection, creation, integration, evaluation, and administration of computing-based systems.
  7. Understand major features of a business system and how functional areas (i.e., accounting, finance, information technology, information management, marketing, and organizational behavior) work in relation to the entire operation.

BSIT Admission Requirements

This 122 credit program is offered by FDU’s Gildart Haase School of Computer Sciences and Engineering.

Entrance Requirements for Canadian Students

Applicants from Secondary Schools in British Columbia

You are required to complete an approved provincially examinable Grade 12 program leading to graduation with British Columbia Certificate of Graduation or “Dogwood Diploma” prior to starting your degree program at the Vancouver Campus.

Program Grade 12 Grade 11
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology English 12 or English 12 First Nations
Foundations of Math 12/Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-Calculus
Two other approved Grade 12 courses (from Group A or B). It is recommended that at least one be laboratory science course (from Group B)		 English 11 plus a language 11
Mathematics 11
An approved Grade 11 Science course
An approved Grade 11 Social Science course

Groups referred to above

  • Group A: BC First Nations Studies 12, Calculus 12, Comparative Civilization 12, Economics 12, English Literature 12, Foundations of Math 12*, French 12 or français langue seconde 12, History 12, Law 12, Philosophy 12 (must be 4 credits), Pre-Calculus 12* , Social Justice 12, Sustainable Resources 12. *Pre-Calculus or Foundation of Math will be used for admission, not both.
  • Group B: Biology 12, Chemistry 12, Geography 12, Geology 12, Physics 12.
  • Group C: Any Language 12 courses; First Nations Language Courses
  • Group D: Accounting 12, Business Information Management 12, Marketing 12, Psychology 12, Entrepreneurship 12, Financial Accounting 12, International Studies 12, Information Technology 12
  • Group E: Music, Performing or Visual Arts 12 courses

Applicants from Secondary Schools in Other Canadian Provinces

Admission requirement varies by province. Please provide the Admissions Office with a copy of your current transcripts for preliminary assessment. The Admissions Office can be reached at 604-648-8112 by phone or vancouver-admissions@fdu.edu by email.

Recommendations

Two letters of recommendation are required. For students currently enrolled in a school or post-secondary institution, at least one must be written by a teacher or school counselor. If the applicant has been out of school for several years, a recommendation from an employer may be submitted. All letters of recommendation should be written on letterhead stationery and submitted to the Admission Office either directly from the recommender or in sealed envelopes.

Advanced Standing

Students who complete College Board Advanced Placement courses or International Baccalaureate exams, students with GCE A-level courses and students who have taken coursework at another university or college may be eligible for credit transfer. Please submit all relevant scores to us as soon as they are available.

If you have been enrolled in an academic program at a regionally accredited college or university for at least two years on a full-time basis, you are no longer required to submit high school transcripts. Please submit your college/university transcripts instead. Should you be admitted, a credential evaluation will be conducted to award appropriate transfer credits.

SAT or ACT scores

SAT or ACT scores are NOT required for admission consideration. However, an applicant may be eligible for higher scholarship award if they score above 1050 in SAT Critical Reading and Math combined sections, or above 23 in ACT. If an applicant has a SAT or ACT score, please request ETS (www.ets.org) to send official score reports to Fairleigh Dickinson University. Fairleigh Dickinson University’s SAT code is 5823, and ACT code is 2552.

Application Deadlines

Students are admitted on a “rolling basis”. Applications for the upcoming trimester are accepted up until the start of classes. Please refer to the FDU Vancouver Campus academic calendar for class start dates for Fall, Spring or Summer trimester.

Applicants can apply on-line  for the intake that is currently open for applications. Please e-mail vancouver-admissions@fdu.edu if you would like to change your start term to the earlier term. Change of start term option is only available to students with a valid status in Canada that allows them to enroll in the academic programs. Proof of status is required.

Early Admission

High school students who are in Grade 12 can apply for early admission in January for Fall classes start. Please include a copy of your Grade 12 interim results with your on-line application

Entrance Requirements for International Students

Education Requirements

An applicant must have graduated from an accredited or government recognized secondary school or have received his or her General Education Development (GED) certificate.

It is recommended (but not required) that an applicant completes the equivalent of 16 academic (university preparatory) units in secondary school.

Transcripts

For transcripts not in English, a notarized or certified English translation must accompany the original transcript. A transcript is official only when it is sent directly from an institution to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Vancouver’s Admissions Office, or when it is submitted in a sealed envelope stamped by the institution.

For admissions purposes, copies of the transcripts are acceptable. If the student is admitted, the official transcript will be required.

Recommendations

Two letters of recommendation are required. For students currently enrolled in a school or post-secondary institution, at least one must be written by a teacher or school counselor. If the applicant has been out of school for several years, a recommendation form an employer may be submitted. All letters of recommendation should be written on letterhead stationery and submitted to the Admission Office either directly from the recommender or in sealed envelopes.

English Language Proficiency

An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit the results of a test of English Proficiency to the Office of International Admissions.  Students from Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand do not need to submit test scores.

Please refer to the English Proficiency page for more information on the language requirements for the specific programs.

An applicant who has previously attended a high school, college or university in Canada or the United States for more than two years and have earned passing grades in English courses may be exempt from an English proficiency exam.

Conditional Admission

Applicants unable to meet the minimum English language proficiency requirement can receive conditional admission by enrolling in one of the partner English language schools in Vancouver:

Please refer to the complete list of FDU Vancouver Campus Pathway programs for more information.

Applicants must file both a Vancouver Campus Application for Admission and a separate admission application to the English language school of their choice.

Advanced Standing

Students who complete College Board Advanced Placement courses or International Baccalaureate exams, students with GCE A-level courses and students who have taken coursework at another university or college may be eligible for credit transfer. Please submit all relevant scores to us as soon as they are available.

If an applicant has enrolled in an academic program at a regionally accredited college or university for at least two years on a full-time basis, high school transcripts are no longer required. Please submit the college/university transcripts instead. After an admission decision is made, a credential evaluation will be conducted to award appropriate transfer credits.

SAT or ACT Scores

SAT or ACT scores are NOT required for admission consideration. However, an applicant may be eligible for higher scholarship award if they score above 1050 in SAT Critical Reading and Math combined sections, or above 23 in ACT. If an applicant has a SAT or ACT score, please request ETS (www.ets.org) to send official score reports to Fairleigh Dickinson University. Fairleigh Dickinson University’s SAT code is 5823, and ACT code is 2552.

Application Deadlines

Fall (September start) term – June 1

Spring (January start) term – October 1

Summer (May start) term – March 1

Steps to Apply
International Students
Canadian Students

Degree Requirements

Students in B.S. in Information Technology program must complete a minimum of 122 credit hours of course work. The credit work is distributed as:

  • Mathematics, Science and Programming Requirements — 21 credits
  • Liberal Arts Requirements — 17 credits
  • IT Core Requirements — 57 credits
  • Minor Requirements — 18 credits
  • Free Electives — 9 credits

Curriculum

Mathematics, Science, and Programming Requirements: 21 credits (7 courses)

  • EGTG 2201  Applied Calculus
  • MATH 2337  Applied Statistics
  • MATH 2255  Discrete Structures
  • INFO 2101  Computer Programming I for IT
  • INFO 2102  Computer Programming II for IT
  • ENGR 3000  Modern Tech: Principle, Application & Impact
  • Lab Science (3 credits)

Liberal Arts Requirements: 17 credits (7 courses)

IT Core Requirements: 57 credits (19 courses)

Business Minor Requirements: 18 credits (6 courses)

  • ACCT 2021  Introduction to Financial Accounting
  • ECON 2001  Introduction to Microeconomics
  • MGMT 2600  Organizational Behavior
  • FIN 3250  Principles of Financial Analysis
  • LAW 2276  Business and the Law
  • Free Electives (9 credits)

Course Descriptions