A woman using a smartphone with facial recognition technology.

B.S., Information Technology Ethics and Compliance

Technologies are not neutral tools.

They are political, have unintended consequences, and carry embedded values. They advantage and disadvantage populations, impact individual behaviors, and shape society. The B.S., Information Technology Ethics and Compliance program positions you to understand technology's impact on society and maximize its positive effects. By understanding how history, politics, culture, and context shape our interactions, you can guide the creation and use of technology toward fair, just, and ethical outcomes.

Is Information Technology Ethics and Compliance Right for Me?

IEC combines technology with law and policy, business, sociology, and education to understand how technology impacts people, organizations, and society. This program could be a great fit if you want to

  • help people and organizations use technologies in meaningful ways
  • think strategically to ensure technology is used ethically and is compliant with regulations
  • navigate complex sociotechnical systems and advocate for justice, equity, and the public good

Help Me Find My Major

What You'll Study

Gain foundational knowledge and state-of-the-art skills needed to drive IT solutions that improve the way people live, work, and communicate by exploring topics like these.

    • Social Implications of Information Technology Design
    • Emerging Technologies in Pop Culture
    • Ethics of Leadership or Technology
    • Socially Responsible Information Management
    • Ethical Issues in Data Science Practice
    • Legal and Regulatory Environment of Privacy and Security
    • IT Project Management
    • Informatics, Risk, and the Post-Modern World
    • Decision Theory and Analysis

      Suggested Academic Plan

      Application Focus Areas

      Pick an application focus area or work with an adviser to create your own so you can develop and apply more specialized knowledge in a specific field.

      • Business Foundations
      • Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations
      • Ethics and Sustainability
      • Health Care
      • Human-Centered Design and Development
      • Law and Policy
      • Organizational Leadership (World Campus)
      • ROTC
      • Security and Risk Analysis
      • Custom Application Focus

      Application Focus Areas

      Informatics students working together.

      The Power of Internships

      Every Information Technology Ethics and Compliance student must complete at least one internship before graduating—most complete more than one, and 84% receive a job offer from an internship provider. With hundreds of organizations recruiting and a dedicated Career Solutions team to support you, you'll have the tools and opportunities to launch your career.

      View Past Internships
      Photo of Andrea Tapia

      “As technology becomes embedded into everyday aspects of life, the need for ethical, thoughtful and socially responsible leadership in information technology has never been greater. From artificial intelligence and data analytics to digital surveillance and cybersecurity, today’s most urgent challenges are as much about people and power as they are about code.”

      Andrea Tapia , Dean

      Discover Your Career

      Technology is ever-changing, and so are the careers that create, use, and study it. As you work toward your degree, you’ll identify and refine your career interests through courses, student organizations, and experiential opportunities. With guidance and resources from our dedicated Career Solutions team—from your first job to the executive suite—you'll gain the technical expertise, business savvy, and communication skills to lead in business, health care, defense, technology, and countless other industries.

      Data Governance Specialist

      Creates policies and strategies for managing data across systems, ensuring compliance, improving data quality, and securing data in complex distributed environments.

      IT Specialist

      Specializes in areas like programming, networks, internet, web design, or mobile computing, adapting to new technologies and trends as they emerge in each field.

      IT Project Manager

      Coordinates cross-functional teams to manage technology projects, overseeing planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Expert in Agile, Waterfall, and project tracking tools, with strategic insight into organizational impact.

      IT Consultant

      Advises clients on building and operating IT networks, solving problems, improving performance, and offering solutions for business models, websites, and other IT aspects. Conducts analysis, proposals, and training.

      Cloud and Infrastructure Services Consultant

      Supports businesses by leveraging IT clouds, producing architectural artifacts like governance, security, and performance models, and facilitating cloud migrations for meaningful IT changes.

      Cybersecurity GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) Consultant

      Enhances cybersecurity by focusing on governance, risk management, and compliance, developing policies, mitigating risks, and ensuring adherence to industry standards and regulations.

      Security Solutions Analyst

      Secures, develops, implements, and manages information security, governance, and risk programs, analyzing business processes, identifying security risks, and designing solutions to protect data and systems.

      Business Systems Analyst/Consultant

      Analyzes business problems and designs technology solutions, bridging gaps through architecture, tools, or software applications to resolve issues and improve processes.

      Security Operations Center Analyst

      Secures, monitors, responds to incidents, recovers systems, remediates issues, ensures compliance, and coordinates activities to maintain security and system integrity.

      Students pose at the Grace Hopper Conference

      Diversity in Computing Conferences

      Through mentored research, student organizations, and experiential learning opportunities like attending the Grace Hopper Celebration and ACM Richard Tapia Celebration, Information Technology Ethics and Compliance students can extend learning far beyond the classroom. These professoinal conferences connect students with industry leaders to celebrate the power of diversity and computing and emphasize the importance of designing technology that advance fairness, equity, and justice.

      Grace Hopper and Tapia Conferences