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TECHNOLOGY

by Southern Ploytechnic State University

The use of technology is an integral part of most professions. The expansion of technology and the overwhelming growth of technological fields has led to a boom in technology-related programs being offered at colleges and universities.

Degree programs that make significant use of technology are varied and include areas such as computer science, information technology, engineering and graphic design. At many universities, even more traditional areas of study, such as accounting, management and marketing also offer or require technology courses that teach software applications or basic desktop skills.

We’ll look at a few broad fields in which the use of technology is imperative:

Computer Science and Information Technology

Although these fields are often located in the same department, they have different emphases and can lead to different career paths. Computer science is broad based and focuses on balancing fundamental concepts with relevant lab work. This degree gives students a breadth of knowledge – including programming, operating systems, computer architecture and data structures. Many programs, including the program at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, GA, offer computer science as a B.S. or B.A. degree. The B.A. can be coupled with a minor in international studies or Spanish for those planning to work in a multinational environment. Employment options for computer science majors include such areas as programming, software development and systems administration. Information technology (IT) is an integrated degree merging business needs and technology. IT students generally take a solid base of computing courses including programming, database systems, networks and web development as well as management courses that emphasize strategy, development and administration of technology. Information technology also helps you develop communication skills needed to effectively work with others. An IT program will generally offer areas of concentration such as information security, IT policy and law, and software project management. Employment options for IT majors include network administration, web development, e-commerce, and management.

Science

All areas of science use technology to make discoveries, test theories, and analyze almost anything. The field of biotechnology is fast-growing in America and combines a basic biology degree with the latest in technological advances in genetics, bio-chemistry, and medical science. In science labs, students use high-tech equipment including thermal cyclers, environmental chambers, and other modern research tools. Advances in the use of technology have recently allowed scientists who could previously only handle problems at the descriptive level to analyze them at the molecular level. New scientific frontiers are expanding daily with the help of more high-tech equipment. Physicists depend on technology in a wide variety of ways: from using lasers to detect chemical agents to analyzing cell-based communications to learn how heart disease occurs. Science programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels incorporate technology not only in lab experiments but in the classroom as well, using science-related software and databases. Students in science programs should be prepared to incorporate technology into all they learn.

Engineering Technology

The field of engineering technology is applications-based – that is, it takes the research behind engineering principles and uses it to solve real-world problems. Programs in engineering technology are very hands-on with much time spent in lab settings using equipment to conduct research or complete projects.

The field of engineering technology covers a variety of disciplines: electrical engineering technology, computer engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, and telecommunications engineering technology, to name a few. Each area has a unique focus but all share the characteristic essential to the engineering field: finding new ways to solve problems. Building on core courses in math and physics, students in engineering technology programs can expect to spend much of their time in labs, completing projects with other team members, and presenting their findings. Lab time is important in this “hands on” field and labs are set up in a variety of settings: a machine shop in mechanical engineering technology, a computer lab in software engineering technology, a robotics lab in computer engineering technology, or a soils lab in civil engineering technology. Students generally enjoy working with their hands and will do so throughout their time in class and in the field. Technology enhances the tools they use to do their job – a job that is likely to involve engineering, designing, manufacturing, testing, improving or installing a product.

www.spsu.edu admissions@spsu.edu 1-800-635-3204

IT'S A HIGH TECH WORLD

Computer Hardware Engineers

Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop, and test computer hardware and supervise its manufacture and installation. Hardware refers to computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and related equipment such as keyboards, modems, and printers. (Computer software engineers—often simply called computer engineers—design and develop the software systems that control computers.) The work of computer hardware engineers is very similar to that of electronics engineers, but, unlike electronics engineers, computer hardware engineers work exclusively with computers and computer-related equipment.W In addition to design and development duties, computer hardware engineers may supervise the manufacture and installation of computers and computer-related equipment. The rapid advances in computer technology are largely a result of the research, development, and design efforts of computer hardware engineers. To keep up with technological advances, these engineers must continually update their knowledge.

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