Information Technology Management, MS

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Program Information

Contemporary Information Technology (IT) managers are organizational leaders who bridge and integrate the worlds of business and IT. They engage business leaders in ongoing and innovative application of information technologies, and have the skill sets to function in a complex discipline with many facets.

The Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MS ITM) program is designed to develop professionals suited for the top positions in the IT management field. The degree meets the needs of the modern management-level technology professional responsible for the planning, budgeting, design, integration and deployment of strategic enterprise technologies and programs that contribute to the organization’s success.

The MS ITM curriculum is grounded in the four foundational components of IT: 1) software, 2) infrastructure, 3) network/communications, and 4) data. The program addresses these foundations from both a contemporary and forward-looking perspective. Instructors with current field experience present courses that address strategic application of the foundation while integrating emerging technologies, e.g. unstructured data analytics (Big Data), cloud services, virtualization, mobile platforms, and social media. This program is a STEM-designated degree program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MS in Information Technology management program will have the knowledge and skills to:

Explain the framework of the IT discipline, identifying both foundational and support organizations.
Participate in management level discussions that cross IT departmental lines.
Identify issues associated with each of the functional areas of IT and offer solutions.
Engage in planning and budgeting processes for each of the foundational components of IT.
Use their knowledge of IT organizations to break down barriers existing between IT silos in their work environment.
Engage their business community in meaningful dialogue regarding possible solutions to IT/business problems.
Integrate new and emerging technologies into each of the foundational components of IT.
Describe the processes of digital transformation and business re-engineering.
Explain modern software engineering approaches for minimum viable product, CI/CD, self-scaling and site reliability engineering.
Demonstrate ability lead and govern the routine operational management functions of IT including tools for PMP, ITIL, SLA monitoring, compliance audit, risk, and security management.

Admission

Students considered for admission to this program will have a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in IT courses, or three years of substantial full time work experience in an IT department. A business/engineering manager with four years of experience whose job requires significant interaction with IT may also be considered.

Requirements for the Master of Science in Information Technology Management

The Master of Science in Information Technology Management requires completion of 3 units in the foundation program and 30 units in the advanced program, with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 or better in courses taken at Golden Gate University that are applicable to the program’s requirements. Foundation program courses may be waived in accordance with university policy regarding course waivers. To facilitate scheduling, students may be admitted to advanced program courses before completion of the foundation program, but must complete the foundation courses by the time that nine units have been earned in the advanced program. For further information regarding graduation requirements, see Academic Requirements for Graduate Programs .

Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement

Students are expected to possess proficiency in writing to ensure they can be successful in their course of study. Students may meet this requirement by satisfying one of the screening criteria listed under Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement .

Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement

Students are expected to possess a level of mathematical proficiency at least equivalent to MATH 20 Intermediate Algebra . Students may meet this requirement by satisfying one of the screening criteria listed under Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement .

Foundation Program - 3 units

The foundation program course should be completed or in-progress before enrolling in any of the 300-level advanced program courses.

BUS 240 Data Analysis for Managers 3 unit(s)

Advanced Program - 30 units

Students must complete ITM 300 in the first six units of the program. ITM 300 is a co-requisite for the following courses: ITM 304, ITM 316, and ITM 318.

Core Courses - 18 units

ITM 300 IT Management & Digital Transformation in the Business Enterprise 3 unit(s)
ITM 304 Managing Data Structures 3 unit(s)
ITM 316 Software Engineering Leadership 3 unit(s)
ITM 318 Network and Infrastructure Management 3 unit(s)
ITM 323 Security, Privacy and Compliance 3 unit(s)
MSBA 321 Big Data Ecosystems 3 unit(s)

Capstone Course - 3 units

Select one of the following:

Elective Courses - 9 units

Select any three of the following:

Business Analytics Courses:
MSBA 300 Foundations of Business Analytics 3 unit(s)
MSBA 320 Advanced Statistical Analysis with R and Python 3 unit(s)
MSBA 328 Visualization and Communication 3 unit(s)
MSBA 330 Self-Service Analytics 3 unit(s)
Leadership Courses:
LEAD 300 Management and Leadership 3 unit(s)
LEAD 303 Teamwork in Organizations 3 unit(s)
LEAD 304 Leading Complex Change 3 unit(s)
LEAD 305 Adaptive Decision Making 3 unit(s)
Project Management Courses:
PM 340 Introduction to Project Management 3 unit(s)
PM 342 Agile Management for Project Managers 3 unit(s)
PM 343 Advanced Concepts: Project Planning and Control 3 unit(s)
PM 344 Project Governance: Program and Portfolio Management 3 unit(s)
PM 348 Project Risk Management 3 unit(s)
Security Courses:
ITM 331 Securing the Technology Infrastructure 3 unit(s)
ITM 332 Security Standards and Practices 3 unit(s)