2023-2024

Computer Information Technology, Bachelor of Arts

Personalized Learning

Online, Statewide, and Education Innovation

This plan is no longer accepting students.

This program is provided through our Personalized Learning system, wherein a student completes their courses at their own pace, in six month subscriptions, through an online competency-based learning environment. Students in a Personalized Learning program are not able to concurrently enroll in traditional semester-by-semester courses.

The program is designed to provide the foundational skills for continuous learning and to adapt to the fast changing information technology environment.  This program also includes competency-based and hands-on learning modules to enhance acquired business skills.  Parts of the curriculum are designed around highly valued certifications.  Students will also augment their IT skills with the social, verbal and intercultural business skills demanded by today’s work environments.

This plan will not be available to new students after Summer 2024

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally include a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All Northern Arizona University requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement.

Students may transfer up to 75 units of credit from an accredited community college. 

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Highest Mathematics Required MATH 115
Foreign Language Required
Some online/blended coursework Required
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Purpose Statement

The mission of the NAU Personalized Learning Bachelor of Administration in Computer Information Technology (PL CIT) is to prepare our students to be well-rounded technologist and leaders in the multi-faceted information technology industry. We are fully committed to provide the industry and community with highly skilled technologist that are culturally diverse and with high foundational skills for continuous learning. We teach our students to adapt to the high-paced and fast changing information technology environment and prepare our student for the realities of the workplace by integrating business intelligence and strategies to our program. The PL CIT degree program is technologically enhanced and is highly immersed with learning opportunities and experiences, hands-on learning modalities, filed simulations, and field experiences. The Computer Information Technology program teaches our student value, integrity, innovation, leadership, and provides an expansive exploration of emerging technologies in the field of information by providing an open and collaborative learning environment. The Computer Information Technology program leverages prior learning and provides the facilities and activities to enhance and improved existing experiences.

Student Learning Outcomes

Computer Information Technology Personalized Learning Graduates will be able to:

  • Explore Information Technology Foundations: Demonstrate knowledge of market trends and innovative technology in this fast changing technology industry and its many specialty areas and the graduate will develop a clear understanding of Information Technology
  • Examine Data Management and Administration: Demonstrate the ability to manage the dissemination of information via different formats, including data types, storage, archiving, and retrieval systems, applying common compliant data models/standards to meet the sophisticated demand for data organization and manipulation
  • Examine IT Business Operations and Leadership: Demonstrate acquired knowledge to translate business problems into responsive solutions through leadership and by managing business assets and resources utilizing performance indicators, organizational behavior and project management
  • Examine Information Security and Policy: Demonstrates extensive knowledge in the design, implementation and management that assure the security of business environments, including basic principles and best practices in information security
  • Examine Enterprise Architecture, Network and Telecommunications Technology: Demonstrates knowledge of a comprehensive IT framework to manage systems and have the ability to align IT strategies to support the organization’s mission critical goals and structure; demonstrate a balance coverage of the technical and managerial aspects of network and data communications
  • Explore Software Engineering and Development: Demonstrate formative skills in integrating and transforming business perspectives and processes to software technology
  • Explore Systems Administration: Demonstrate the ability to coordinate the installation, testing, and operation and maintenance of hardware and software systems; perform basic competencies in managing computing resources and implementing policies, principles, and best practices that are integral elements of operating environment
  • Examine Business Analysis and Design: Demonstrate an understanding of information technology and its business processes and strategies
  • Examine Web-based Systems and Technologies: Demonstrate knowledge in the fundamentals of web technologies and Internet standards relative to web technology development, i.e., organizational implications
  • Explore Information Technology: Demonstrates knowledge of computing approaches affecting new technologies in education and biological processes; demonstrate knowledge in developing and applying computational techniques to education and informatics
  • Integrate learning by participating in a capstone project: Demonstrate that the student has achieved the learning goals as established by the Computer Information Technology degree program by applying theories, concepts, skills, and knowledge

Transfer Block

  • Students may transfer up to 75 units of credit from an accredited community college. 

Major Requirements

  • Computer Information Technology Requirements

    This major requires 70-73 units distributed as follows:

    • Computer Information Technology Requirements: 54-57 units
    • Foreign Language: 16 units


    Personalized Learning Competencies for the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Technology

    • Completion of these competencies will result in the awarding of credit for NAU classes.
      C.1   Explore information technology foundations
      C.2   Examine data management and administration
      C.3   Examine IT business operations and leadership
      C.4   Examine information security and policy
      C.5   Examine enterprise architecture, network and telecommunications technology
      C.6   Explore software engineering and development
      C.7   Explore systems administration
      C.8   Examine business analysis and design
      C.9   Examine web-based systems and technologies
      C.10 Explore information technology: co-evolution with other philosophies
      C.11  Integrate learning by participating in a capstone project

      • BBA 305W  Effective Business Communications (3 units)
      • BBA 370  Administration of Information Technology Security and Assurance (3 units)
      • CIT 121  Foundations of Computer Information Technology (3 units)
      • CIT 127  Computer Information Technology I (3 units)
      • CIT 137  Computer Information Technology II (3 units)
      • CIT 213  Introduction to Programming for the Web (3 units)
      • CIT 221  Programming Fundamentals (3 units)
      • CIT 222  Business Systems Software Development (3 units)
      • CIT 250  Design and Analysis of Data Structure (3 units)
      • CIT 294  Technology Information Literacy (3 units)
      • CIT 311  Analysis, Design, and Modeling of Databases (3 units)
      • CIT 321  Fundamentals of Hardware and Operating Systems (3 units)
      • CIT 341  Management and Information Technology (3 units)
      • CIT 361  Fundamentals of Information Technology and Project Management (3 units)
      • CIT 460  Emerging Technologies in Information Technology (3 units)
      • CIT 490C Computer Information Technology Capstone (3 units)
      • PLD 450 Applied Project (3 units)
      • STAT 272  Applied Business Statistics (3 units)

    • ** Students transferring in an applicable statistics course are not required to complete STAT 272. Work with an advisor to determine applicability of transfer course work.

  • You may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your faculty mentor for details.

Foreign Language Requirement
General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Some courses may have departmental prerequisites required by students in other majors. Any prerequisites not fulfilled with transfer credit may be met by successfully completing a pretest; however, the pretest credit(s) will not be granted for the completion of the plan requirements.

    This degree is offered only through the Personalized Learning program. Work with a faculty mentor for any questions regarding the applicability of coursework completed through Personalized Learning to any other plan of study at NAU.