Skill requirements for IT managers and the IT model curriculum: a critical reflection

Although the IT model curriculum is primarily designed to help students achieve the program outcomes in the ABET CAC accreditation criteria, it explicitly states that students must be able to manage the information technology resources of an individual or organization within five years of graduation. This raises the question to what extent the IT model curriculum will allow students to develop the skills to take on such positions. In this paper, we first briefly describe the skills that IT managers must possess, and then reflect on the extent the IT model curriculum allows students to develop these skills. The intent of this preliminary study is to provide a guideline to those institutions that, having implemented the IT model curriculum, wish to develop postgraduate educational programs to prepare graduates for IT management positions.