Information Technology Program
Program overview
The Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) degree is a 4 year 128 credit hour program taught in English, designed to produce graduates who are competent in their major disciplines, as well as IT in general; graduates who are ready to be involved in the development of Omani industry. As the name "Colleges of Applied Sciences" suggests, our students are exposed to significant practical work and, where possible, linkages with Omani industry are being developed and exploited.
The BIT is offered in the CAS campuses of Sohar, Ibri, Rustaq, Sur, and Salalah.
The BIT program contains a core of main stream IT courses which expose our graduates to the concepts and topics about which all who work in the IT field should be familiar. Typically, web design and development; software design and implementation; information systems analysis and design; operating systems; networks; database; IT security; professional ethics; and such analytical courses as discrete mathematics and data structures. IT is a fast moving field however, and so space has been left in the program which can be filled with the innovations of the time; ensuring our graduates are aware of the latest IT trends. Presently the four majors of the BIT are Software Development, Data Management, IT Security, and Networks. The majors permit our students to explore their chosen field in greater depth with the addition of highly focused and specialised courses.
Vision
The IT Faculty of The Colleges of Applied Sciences aspires to be the IT faculty of choice for school leavers in the Sultanate, to be a prime resource of expertise and training for Omani industry, and to be respected regionally and internationally for the quality of our staff, students and graduates.
Mission
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We will graduate work-ready youth with a reliable work ethic and the knowledge and skills appropriate for industry; they will be the result of a modern, relevant, engaging and challenging programme delivered through a variety of learning methods.
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We will provide an environment that encourages student, faculty, alumni, and public participation.
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We will attain national and international accreditation in preparation for higher academic status.
Entry Requirements
General Education Diploma, Islamic Institutes Diploma and Royal Guard Technical College Diploma with (Not less than C)in:
Program Structure
The IT Program requires students to accumulate 128 credit hours during four years of their study. The total 128 credit hours include: 36 hours college requirements, 53 Department requirements, and 39 Specialization requirements.
First two years, four-semester courses are common among all specialization (Software Development, Information Technology Security, Data Management, and Computer Networks).
Graduate Attributes
Graduates of the BIT program are intellectually developed; have advanced knowledge and practical abilities in a range of IT fields; are able to work in a team or unsupervised; have advanced problem solving skills; can pursue lifelong learning; and have multidisciplinary and multicultural perspectives.
Details of Majors
The majors of the BIT convert our students from those with general IT knowledge and skills, into graduates with in-depth understanding and practical abilities in their chosen field. Students develop greater independence of thought and action through project work, and are exposed to state-of-the-art equipment, concepts, and terminology.
Software development
pushes the students understanding of abstract concepts through advanced data structures and the latest software innovations. Graduates of this major will be experienced in both procedural as well as object oriented languages, and a full year project is undertaken in conjunction with a course on software project management. Electives such as concurrent programming, computer graphics and artificial intelligence challenge the students further whilst adding an extra layer of interest and motivation.
Data management
addresses the complexities of large-scale distributed data as is found in the world today. Graduates will have worked with large amounts of web-based data, and designed and analysed a number of data searching and mining techniques and algorithms.
IT security
prepares students to understand and combat threats to security in a rapidly changing world. More than any other major, it is important to keep up with the market evolution and to keep abreast of concepts and implementation techniques.
Computer networks
offers grounding in current technology in use in Oman as well as the latest innovations across the world. Network technology, network management, internetworking, and wireless networking are all very relevant to the expansion of Oman today: combined with the concepts of network security make graduates of this major very useful to industry.
Career opportunities
IT has found its way into almost every aspect of modern life, and so it is no surprise to find IT specialists in an enormous variety of occupations and enterprises. From multi-national conglomerates and government ministries to small businesses, IT specialists support and innovate, bringing information access to where it is needed. In general IT specialists will take responsibility for the selection of hardware and software products to suit the needs of an organization. They will be involved with detailed organisational systems analysis, the integration of products with organizational needs and infrastructure, and may be responsible for installing, customizing, maintaining, and upgrading those applications as the organization grows. Examples of these responsibilities include the design and installation of networks; network administration and security; the design and maintenance of web pages; the development of multimedia resources; the installation of communication components; the selection and management of email systems; securing the working environment; and the planning and management of the technology lifecycle by which an organization s technology is maintained, upgraded, and replaced.
There are entrepreneurial IT consultants, typically self-employed, who focus specifically on the development and maintenance of databases and/or websites for small businesses or schools. Simple stand-alone systems, or more complex systems where on-line sales automatically update an inventory database and interact with accounting software, or where on-line registration automatically updates student loading and timetabling information.
Those looking to work in larger teams might consider the IT sections of medium to large businesses where staff engage fulltime in installing, customising, and maintaining hardware and software, in addition to large-scale database and/or network design and administration. Software houses employ large numbers of developers, working in teams to create function-specific programs for such as mobile phones, or generic programs such as games and virus protection.
The academic field may appeal to other graduates in terms of teaching and/or further study and research. After the appropriate pedagogical course BIT holders could be competent “computer studies” teachers, and for those who attain the necessary GPA, the BIT degree makes CAS graduates eligible for entry into post-graduate programs in many universities at home and abroad