The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) in Information Technology degree program provides a broad view of various relevlant topics within the field of IT.

The Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree at JMU prepares students for professional careers that require both the business knowledge and the technical skills to help clients design, build and deliver competitive computer-based solutions. Computer and information systems managers play a vital role in the technological direction of their organizations and must stay abreast of the latest technology to ensure the organization does not lag behind its competitors.

JMU's CIS program was recognized as one of the top ten undergraduate information technology programs in the United States (TechRepublic, 2008) and is part of the nationally recognized JMU College of Business. Professors in the program use a variety of teaching methods including projects, cases and business simulations to prepare graduates with strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills; effective communication and presentation skills; hands-on experience; and the ability to work effectively in individual and team-oriented environments.

Several features of JMU's CIS program are distinctive:

• Outstanding placement of graduates: the JMU CIS program is viewed as a prime recruiting school by many leading employers throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
• Course work in a variety of specialties.
• Business intelligence
• Business process management
• Computer forensics
• Computer security management
• Information technology consulting
• Information technology project management
• Excellent opportunities for internships and job-related work experience through JMU's Handshake program and an active JMU CIS alumni network of over 3,100 graduates.
• Active student chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP): Students regularly compete in the National Collegiate Conference, network with industry professionals, engage in service-learning projects, and expand their leadership skills by serving as chapter leaders.

The major puts students in the middle of the exploding information revolution where they study technological advances such as object-oriented software, communication networks, multimedia systems, information security and artificial intelligence. Students will learn about computing technologies used by today’s professionals and how to use these technologies to solve real-world problems. Students will learn to analyze problems, design solutions, implement solutions using multiple computing technologies, test and install those solutions, and communicate those solutions to others in written and verbal presentations.

The curriculum is designed primarily for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a baccalaureate degree in computer science. The curriculum emphasizes the study of the science of computing and the use of computing in a scientific setting.

The curriculum is designed for individuals who seek full-time employment in the graphic design field. Job opportunities include graphic designer, art director, illustrator, production artist, package designer and web content developer, among others in the graphic design marketplace.

The curriculum is designed for individuals who seek full-time employment in the communication design profession. Upon completion, an individual would be prepared to work in the field of web-based interactive design including multimedia techniques specific to the web. Job opportunities include web designer, UX designer, web content developer and motion graphic designer, among others in the graphic design marketplace.

This curriculum is designed for those who seek employment in the field of information technology, for those who are presently in that field and who wish to increase their knowledge and update their skills, and for those who must augment their abilities in other fields with knowledge and skills in information technology.

Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

This program prepares the student to design and implement traditional/legacy stand-alone and client-server applications using procedural and object-oriented development techniques. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to study for one of the following industry certifications: MCP-Programming or the Sun Certified Programming for Java 2.

Purpose: This program is designed to provide students with skills that support the newest capabilities and advances in digital data analytics. These new features in digital data analytics technology enable the data analyst to collect, analyze and make data accessible for making business decisions. This program focuses on training data analytics specialists who can provide these advantages to their employers and stay on the leading edge of technology. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to study for data analytics exams such as CompTIA Data+, Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate and Google Data Analytics Certificate. Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

This curriculum is designed for those who seek employment in the field of cloud computing, for those who are presently in that field and who desire to increase their knowledge and update their skills, and for those who must augment their abilities in other fields with knowledge and skills in cloud computing.

Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

Purpose: This curriculum is designed for those who seek employment in the field of cloud computing, for those who are presently in that field and who desire to increase their knowledge and update their skills, and for those who must augment their abilities in other fields with knowledge and skills in cloud computing.

Credit for Prior Learning:Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

This program is designed to provide students with skills that support the newest capabilities and advances in database technology. These new features in database technology enable databases to increase in scale and provide higher security and greater reliability. This program focuses on training database technologists who can provide these advantages to their employers and stay on the leading edge of database technology. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to study for some of the exams for the Oracle Database Administrator Certified Associate.

Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

Purpose: This program prepares students for entry-level employment in data centers and related industries that require technicians/technologists trained in engineering technology, information technology, fiber optics, electronics, and data processing. Coursework will prepare students to earn the A+ Hardware, A+ Software, Network Troubleshooting, ETA FOI (Fiber Optic), and OSHA 10 industry credentials. Recommended prerequisites: There are no required prerequisites for this certificate. It is recommended that the student possess proficiency in high school English, high school algebra, and geometry and possess the ability to utilize hand tools and instrumentation.

This program is designed for individuals seeking employment in a technical support center and for those persons employed who wish to update their skills in the help desk field. This curriculum will prepare students for employment as help desk specialists/technicians, desktop support specialists, and technical support specialists. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to study for the A+ Software, A+ Hardware, Network+, Security+ and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exams.

Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

Purpose:This program is designed for individuals seeking employment in either a mobile application software development firm or large organization with a mobile application development team as well as for those persons already employed who wish to update their skills in mobile application development and testing. This curriculum will prepare students for employment as junior mobile application developers as well as quality assurance test engineers for native mobile applications. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to study for the Google Associate Android Developer certification.

This program provides the student with the aesthetic, technical, and management knowledge required for the creation and management of well-designed and well-organized websites. This career studies certificate also prepares the student for the CIW Associate Certification and the CIW Associate Design Specialist Certification.

Credit for Prior Learning: Students in this program may be eligible for credit for prior learning. See an academic advisor or counselor for further information.

This curriculum is designed for persons who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a baccalaureate degree program in information technology.

This studio-arts, portfolio-intensive curriculum is designed for students who seek transfer into a competitive Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program or similar baccalaureate program in either fine arts, graphic design, or photography at a college or university. Students work on a common foundation year of studio art courses and then select their concentration in either finearts, graphic design, or photography for their second year of study. NOTE that the graphic design concentration is offered at the Alexandria campus and Loudoun campuses and the photography concentration is offered at Alexandria campus and Woodbridge campus

The computer science curriculum integrates theory and practice by including foundational topics that underpin the discipline and by emphasizing the value of abstraction and good engineering design in project development. Elective courses provide an opportunity for deeper study in areas of interest. An important part of the curriculum is the inclusion of professional practice activities such as research experience, teamwork, oral communication and technical writing, and project development. While being sensitive to changes in technology, the curriculum also seeks to prepare students for lifelong learning to enable them to meet future challenges.

A student expecting to major or minor in computer science should enroll in CSCI 111-CSCI 112 in the first year. If credit is given for one or both of these courses, then a student should enroll in CSCI 211 or CSCI 210. A student interested in future graduate studies should complete the two calculus sequences, MATH 131-MATH 132. A student interested in computer hardware is encouraged to select PHYS 210 to meet one of the collegiate science requirements.

Cybersecurity is a computing-based discipline that involves the creation, operation, analysis, and testing of secure systems, networks, and applications to protect against a variety of digital threats. The cybersecurity curriculum is based on national standards and builds on a computer science foundation. The curriculum emphasizes four main areas of cybersecurity: information security, software security, network security, and system security. Mindful of the rapid changes in technology, the curriculum seeks to prepare students for lifelong learning to enable them to meet future challenges. A student expecting to major in cybersecurity should complete CSCI 111 and CSCI 112 in the first year.

Capstone experiences offered by the Department of Computer Science include CSCI 401, CSCI 403, and CSCI 485, all of which are available to majors in cybersecurity.

The computer science curriculum integrates theory and practice by including foundational topics that underpin the discipline and by emphasizing the value of abstraction and good engineering design in project development. Elective courses provide an opportunity for deeper study in areas of interest. An important part of the curriculum is the inclusion of professional practice activities such as research experience, teamwork, oral communication and technical writing, and project development. While being sensitive to changes in technology, the curriculum also seeks to prepare students for lifelong learning to enable them to meet future challenges.

A student expecting to major or minor in computer science should enroll in CSCI 111-CSCI 112 in the first year. If credit is given for one or both of these courses, then a student should enroll in CSCI 211 or CSCI 210. A student interested in future graduate studies should complete the two calculus sequences, MATH 131-MATH 132. A student interested in computer hardware is encouraged to select PHYS 210 to meet one of the collegiate science requirements.