IT Leadership

The MS-ITL program is designed around the philosophy that IT leadership is a position of earned influence. This means that effective IT leaders possess:

• A broad perspective is necessary to conceptualize and articulate the value of an integrated technical solution and how it helps to achieve an organization’s business goals.
• The ability to make sound and credible recommendations about proposed solutions to a non-technical management team and to show how those solutions relate to the organization’s mission, resources, and constraints.
• The enterprise data management, project management, and problem-solving skills necessary to deploy and maintain technical solutions.

This program is designed to serve professionals from all IT workforces, including database administrators and architects, computer systems analysts, and network and computer systems administrators.

The Master of Science in Information Technology Leadership is a 30-unit project-based program designed to be completed in 20 months over five semesters.

The program is offered 100% online using the Canvas learning management system and requires students to take two seven-week-long courses each semester, including a culminating three-unit capstone course that focuses on developing a proposal for an IT infrastructure initiative.

The MS-ITL program is designed around the following themes and topics:

• Fundamentals for IT Leadership
• Networking
• DevOps
• IT Service Management
• The IT Profession
• Project, Vendor, and Construction Management
• Server Operations
• Cybersecurity
• Enterprise Applications, Data Management and Reporting

Total Units: 30

Capstone Project

The three-unit capstone project requires students to develop a proposal for a significant IT infrastructure initiative. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze a proposed course of action, make clear recommendations to non-technical stakeholders, and generate a deep understanding of an organization’s mission, resources, and constraints.

We aim to provide IT professionals with the knowledge, skills, and training to excel as IT leaders and managers. As a graduate of the MS-ITL program, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate mastery over the fundamental building blocks of information technology solutions: data and voice networking, security, data management and reporting, enterprise applications (e.g., Workday, Salesforce), and server operations (e.g., AWS, Azure).
• Evaluate proposed and implemented information technology solutions from diverse points of view within a variety of frameworks including cultural, social, political, linguistic, and generational as well as technological contexts.
• Critically analyze existing information technology systems as well as IT solutions proposed by clients, internal customers, or vendors, assessing requirements and resources (human, financial, and technical).
• Design (or Develop) and implement information technology solutions responsive to organizational requirements, aligned with resource constraints and strategic goals.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders in order to accurately characterize problems to be solved within the context of strategic goals and available resources.
• Evaluate the ethical implications of proposed and implemented information technology solutions.

USD MS-ITL is open to all IT professionals. Get a closer look at the application process with detailed instructions on how to apply for this unique program designed to grow your career as an information technology leader.

The University of San Diego’s online master’s in Information Technology Leadership program is dedicated to developing leaders who can be more than technical specialists in today’s digital world. Companies are looking for experienced professionals who understand business processes, can develop integrated solutions to meet strategic objectives, and effectively communicate issues and solutions to non-technical stakeholders.

If you’re looking to advance your IT career, you need to progress beyond specializing in a particular skill set or acquiring specific technical knowledge. Too often, graduates of IT programs are trained in skills that allow them to succeed within their specialization, but not in the practices and perspectives that allow them to excel as leaders. If you want a career at the higher levels of information technology, then you must have the ability to analyze, rethink, redesign, and automate complex IT systems to achieve an organization’s strategic goals.

USD’s MS in IT Leadership degree program is designed to prepare current and future IT leaders to effectively understand and manage complex systems. No matter the industry or organization, as a graduate of our program you’ll be able to develop and articulate comprehensive solutions to large-scale information technology challenges.