New Mexico State University Associate Professor Rolfe Sassenfeld works with Caden Wilson, former information technology student and now a college assistant professor. NMSU’s College of Engineering has opened a Master of Professional Engineering in information technology for the fall 2020 semester. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)The College of Engineering at New Mexico State University is now accepting applications for a new professional master degree program to be launched in the fall 2020 semester. The professional Master of Information Technology (M-IT) degree program is a fully online, 30-credit hour, non-thesis option for graduate IT education.

The M-IT program is geared toward training undergraduates, graduates and working IT professionals in the advanced application of information technology. Program coursework includes IT system architecture, data communications, virtualization and enterprise security. Graduates will be able to utilize and manage information technology with the objective of increasing organizational productivity and competitive advantage.

The M-IT program includes newly developed IT courses along with electives from electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering, business computer information systems and computer science programs. Some candidates may qualify for an accelerated master’s option which will allow dual credit for up to 12 credit hours of upper-level undergraduate technology courses.

“The need for professionals in the field of information technology has grown steadily over the past decade. Nearly every business today fulfills their business goals by utilizing information technology,” said Rolfe Sassenfeld, associate professor of engineering technology. “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, IT professionals are now number 15 in the top 20 fastest growing professions. The compensation earned by IT professionals ranks among the top five highest paying professions.

“The importance of trained IT workers cannot be understated. With the ongoing pandemic, information technology has become a ubiquitous part of our daily life. Modern society has become completely reliant on computerized systems that handle our health, wealth and knowledge. Quick access to accurate and reliable information is now a basic utility,” added Sassenfeld.

Although the M-IT degree program will not be included in the NMSU catalog until spring 2021, prospective students may apply now and will be reviewed for participation in the program during the fall 2020 semester. Accepted applicants will be designated for the M-IT degree program sometime during the fall 2020 semester.

For additional details on program requirements and how to apply, visit https://engr.nmsu.edu/pmseie/. Questions may be directed to Sassenfeld at rolfe@nmsu.edu.