A focus on the future
If there’s one feature institutes of technology have in common, it’s a desire to prepare students for the future. As technologies change in the “real world,” tech schools are quick to install them in labs and classrooms and to integrate them into the curriculum. Most technological universities pride themselves on offering you the opportunity to learn on the same equipment and technology used by business and industry. This means when you start your career or head off to graduate school, you’ll be able to contribute from the get-go. In fact, institutes of technology are so future-oriented that they are often quick to offer undergraduate programs of study in new academic disciplines. For example, Georgia Institute of Technology was among the first schools in the nation to offer an undergraduate program in nuclear engineering; Stevens Institute of Technology pioneered the first undergraduate program in chemical biology; and RIT’s undergraduate program in imaging science is the first and only program of its kind in the nation.

Blending technology with humanities
Technical know-how isn’t the only thing you’ll get at an institute of technology. Success in life and in your career will come from having a broad perspective. And that’s the value of liberal arts courses such as psychology, literature, languages, and sociology. “Our students find that their knowledge of subjects beyond math and science makes their marketability greater,” says Judi Marino, director of admission at Florida Institute of Technology.

Often, students at technical institutes are fairly clear about the career field they want to explore. Degree programs are often structured so students take courses directly related to their major from the very first semester. However, don’t rule out an institute of technology if you’re undecided about a college major. Technical institutes typically offer hundreds of courses and degree programs, plus the academic advising to help you make the best choices.

Faculty: collaboration is king
The faculty at institutes of technology are highly trained in their areas of expertise—and they have a passion for teaching. Most are active in their fields as researchers and consultants, which means that you’ll have many opportunities to collaborate on projects. Here are examples from four institutes:
• At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Arizona campus, professor Ron Madler treasures conducting research with his students. “Discovering together is rewarding,” he says. He and his students analyzed the fragments of a simulated explosion in space to better understand how space debris threatens spacecraft. Students in the Society of Women Engineers are working with assistant professor Rachel Shinn to design an orbital debris detection satellite.
• Florida Tech students also join with faculty to work on a wide range of research projects. For example, one computer engineering student is involved in a NASA-funded project designing a digital signal processor. And biology majors helped construct an artificial reef out of railroad ties 14 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. They will study the colonization and proliferation of species on the reef.
• A multidisciplinary team of Illinois Institute of Technology students is developing computer and telecommunications capabilities for several Eastern European nations. Students from the computer science, computer engineering, law, business, and psychology departments are working together on the project, which is sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency. Other students are working with biomedical engineering faculty and with doctors to develop new technologies that will restore human vision.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) students, led by faculty advisor Fabio Carrera, have developed a plan that aims to dramatically reduce cargo-boat traffic in Venice’s canals. This is one of nearly a hundred academic projects that WPI students have completed in Venice since 1988. Other projects have helped reduce damage to canal walls, cataloged the city’s endangered public art, and recorded the sounds of Venice via an audio catalog.

Cutting-edge technology
Technology, modern facilities, and state-of-the-art equipment also set tech-oriented institutes and universities apart. Chances are you’ll have direct Internet access from your residence hall room—and from hundreds of computers across campus.

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), for example, the Mobile Computing@Rensselaer program lets students connect their laptop computers to the University’s information infrastructure from anywhere. In addition, many institutes of technology have “smart classrooms” and laboratories designed for hands-on, interactive problem-solving—instead of lectures.

Beyond classrooms and labs
Institutes of technology draw a wide cross section of students from many states and foreign countries. And whether your interests are athletic, musical, political, recreational, or social, you will almost certainly find others at a technical institute who enjoy similar activities.

When you combine future-oriented academic programs, an experienced faculty, and an exciting learning environment, the results of an education at an institute of technology are obvious: career placement is high, access to graduate school is good, and alumni are in demand!

Terri Standish-Kuon, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, often writes about education issues. Co-author Sam Lopez is Director of Advancement Communications for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering at the University of Rochester.

Source: careersandcolleges.com