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Louisiana Tech University, through its College of Engineering and Science, and the Industry Consortium for Innovations in Communications, Information, and Cyberspace (IC³) will offer a unique and innovative certificate program in information technology, staring this fall.

The nine-month “IT@LATech” certificate is designed for both students from any academic background and individuals from any industry level of responsibility who seek to stay current with the latest developments and facets of information technology (IT).  With the strong foundational support from IC³’s industry members, the certificate addresses current industry needs with courses designed and selected in consultation with industry partners.  It also provides students with exposure to and a background for IT as a profession.

“The certificate will provide unique instructional resources and hands-on experiences to students and professional from a non-IT background in order to gain insight into not just the technical foundation of IT, but also the business practices of IT that are integral to today’s economy,” said Dr. Sumeet Dua, certificate director, and director and Upchurch Endowed Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana Tech.  “This would allow students from any academic and industry background to prepare themselves to avail the rapidly growing opportunities offered by IT-related industries in the region, state and nation, and would put them at the forefront of technologies that drive that growth.”

The certificate offers students a unique learning opportunity rooted in the strength of Louisiana Tech’s academic curricula and the industry expertise of the Consortium’s partner organizations.  Aimed at fostering interaction between the IT industry and students with the intent of enhancing a student’s skill-set in the aggressively growing IT areas, the certificate is uniquely structured for a closed industry participation through an immersive teaching experience by offering co-op internships, collaborative instruction, and data or software support.

The classes will be offered both in the evenings and online to fit the schedules of most students and professionals.

“This program is another example of the innovation reshaping today’s higher education,” said Nandor Toth, director for Amdocs and member of IC³.  “It will streamline the path to bring the necessary IT talent to the companies looking for creative solutions in a highly competitive market place.

“Louisiana Tech distinguishes itself again by promoting interdisciplinary teaching opportunities, promoting blending of the necessary technical knowledge, with the added dimension that a varied student background will bring to this industry-focused program.”

The IT@LATech certificate will be comprised of courses in areas such as software development, software engineering, data analytics, database management systems and a distinctive project management and project experience sequence.  Upon completion of the program, students will have demonstrated the attainment of relevant skills in IT while having interacted with leading IT businesses and tackled real world challenges. 

“The greatest benefit of offering this program through the IC3 consortium is that it ensures the program content meets the industry need as identified by the CEO, CIO, director and other leaders of key IT-related companies,” Dua said.  “The graduates will create a new talent pool from which the industry can rapidly hire professionals trained in highlighted technical and business areas to meet their goals.”

Members of the IC³ Consortium include Louisiana Tech, CenturyLink, Amdocs, Fenway Group and the Cyber Innovation Center.  The Consortium seeks to promote research, technology transfer, and workforce development in north Louisiana within the communications, information, and cyberspace industries.

IC³ also works to build a highly skilled, focused and robust workforce for the information and communications systems industry, targeting the education of engineers, scientists, and IT professionals, and to address the availability and capability of innovative methods and organized research infrastructure for the solution of difficult technology problems.

For more information or to enroll in the IT@LATech certificate program, please visit http://ic3.latech.edu/IT or contact Dr. Sumeet Dua at (318) 257-4921 or sdua@latech.edu.  All classes will be offered online and/or on the Louisiana Tech campus.