ITP Minors: Mobile Development, Web Development, and more!

As a Computer Engineering/Computer Science major, my major-specific classes come from both the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering departments.  Despite this, I’ve got to say one of my favorite departments at this school is actually the ITP department.  ITP stands for Information Technology Program- a relatively generic name that doesn’t do justice to the awesome classes it offers. These classes are, for the most part, available to all majors!

The ITP department doesn’t offer any majors, but it offers minors and specializations that prepare you for cutting-edge industries.  They offer a lot of classes on web programming, game programming, database systems for enterprises, and way more!  They even just released a new mobile app development minor that is great for those who want to get into the exciting, fast paced world of apps on handheld devices.

Mobile App Development minor now available @USC under @USCViterbi! Front page article @dailytrojan – http://t.co/njwFmSn4AH

— USC Viterbi School (@USCViterbi) April 11, 2013

I’ve taken a few classes from ITP: Introduction to Web Design, Introduction to Information Security, and Professional C++.  All of these were fun experiences that were kind of “special topics” of sorts, going in depth into practical technologies in a way that weren’t covered in normal Computer Science classes.  Information Security in particular got down into the nitty-gritty of how hacking works, and even had us do an exercise in which we cracked a sample password file!  Professional C++, which I’m actually taking right, now, focuses on the kind of coding practices that will get you in your bosses good graces, and especially teaches in-depth details of the C++ languages.

ITP classes are definitely non-essential for Computer Science majors, but they offer a great array of classes for CS majors to delve into if they know a specific area they want to focus on.  But if you aren’t a CS major, don’t worry- there’s plenty for you too! Not only will computer skills help you in your own program, but there are also classes just more generally focusing on entrepreneurship and technical management.  Be sure to check out the website!  There’s something for everyone.