Development of integrated curricula for AD and BS degree programs in IT area

In today´s economy, one of the biggest competitive advantages is an information technology (IT) knowledge force. The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education project # DUE-9950029 (NSF ATE project) is aimed to help increase the pool of highly skilled and well-trained IT technicians and technologists in the USA. It addresses the severe national shortage for such workers that is projected to persist well into the 21^st Century. The project serves both traditional and returning students. It aims to provide a 2+2+2 seamless transition for students from their junior year in high school, through an Associate Degree (AD) at the community college level or at university, to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in IT. The NSF ATE project´s team and faculty of more than 15 collaborating educational institutions created a draft of the IT integrated curricula and IT courseware-a model that can be readily adopted by other K=16 US educational institutions