Welcome From the Director

Welcome!

In the mid-1990's, as now, technology was moving at a rapid pace. For IT practitioners, there was a need not only to keep up with the latest technologies, but also to manage those technologies and to understand the business principles behind corporate decision-making. While business schools were teaching core management and financial principles, and engineering schools were conducting in-depth technological research, few programs were able to bridge the worlds of technology and business.

Dr. C. C. Lee, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Northwestern University, realized the need for a graduate program that could fill this gap between what IT practitioners needed and what graduate schools were providing. Through discussions with students and his consulting work with major technology companies, it became apparent that there was a need and a demand for a graduate program that could teach core engineering and technology principles while teaching students the fundamental business knowledge they would need to better manage technology. This led to the creation of the Master of Science in Information Technology program, which enrolled its first class of students in Fall 1996.

With an innovative 70% technical/30% business curriculum, the MSIT has maintained its belief that in order to manage information technology successfully, one must understand first how that technology works. Because the engineering principles behind any technology remain unchanged, courses such as telecommunications engineering and communication networks are the backbone of the program. Newer courses such as information security and project management reflect the efforts of the MSIT to meet the evolving needs of its students and of industry. Courses in management, marketing and finance give students a framework for understanding and responding to how information technology decisions are made in any company.

Since its inception, the MSIT has graduated close to 250 IT professionals from the greater Chicago area. Our students come from all industries, all types of positions and all educational backgrounds. What ties them together is a common interest in learning how to connect the technical needs of an organization with its overall business strategies and the desire to better manage technology by understanding how it works.

I encourage you to read through our web site to learn more about our motivated students and alumni, our unique curriculum, and our convenient weekend schedule to accommodate the schedules of busy IT professionals. I invite you to attend an upcoming open house date or contact our office for more information. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Abraham Haddad,
Director, M.S. in Information Technology (formerly MITP)
Henry and Isabelle Dever Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science