Early IT Program

The Early IT Program is an innovative partnership that challenges the status quo for college access and affordability while significantly increasing the quantity, quality, and diversity of IT talent. The information technology sector is a strategic component of economic development in the State of Ohio. The demand for skilled information technology professionals continues to grow beyond the current capacity of the educational system. An effective, scalable, and sustainable talent development system is integral to Ohio's economic competitiveness.

This program is centered around key innovative concepts that significantly reduce the total cost of a bachelor's degree (economic efficiency) while improving the level of job readiness for the graduates (educational excellence). The programs key concepts include:

Teach the first year of the bachelor's degree in high schools
Provide automatic guaranteed admission to the bachelor’s degree for those students who successfully complete the first year in high school
Use competency based graduate certificate to train high school teachers, enabling them to teach college courses
Integrate a 20-month paid work experience (co-op) with average pay of $45,000
Deliver the bachelor's degree on community college campuses to increase transition and completion rates
Provide an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree option to eliminate an additional two years of education
Utilize competency and project-based pedagogy to provide hands-on information technology education

The University of Cincinnati School of Information Technology partners with school districts to offer a pathway for high school students to work towards completing college and a career in Information Technology.

Students complete their first year of college while still in high school. The program reduces the number of years to graduate and the total cost. All students who complete their first year of classes in high school and complete these classes with a C or above average will be automatically admitted to the University of Cincinnati Information Technology program.

Want More Info About Early IT?

For academic partnership questions, please contact Kelly Broscheid: