Franklin University Launches Seven M.S. in Information Technology Specializations in AI, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Technology Leadership

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Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
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New online graduate pathways give working professionals options to build specialized expertise for rapidly evolving technology and leadership roles.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - As artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and digital technologies reshape how organizations operate, Franklin University has expanded its Master of Science in Information Technology (M.S. in IT) with seven career-aligned specializations designed to prepare professionals for emerging and evolving technology leadership needs.

The expanded 100% online program now offers specializations in Artificial Intelligence, AI Leadership for Professionals, Cybersecurity Engineering, Cybersecurity Governance, Data Analytics, IT Management and Tech Product Management, along with a customizable Standard Track for students seeking greater flexibility in building their graduate IT education.

The expansion reflects a changing technology workforce in which organizations need professionals who can do more than understand technology. Increasingly, they need people who can apply AI, protect digital infrastructure, turn data into business intelligence, manage technology portfolios and products, assess risk, and connect technology investments with organizational strategy.

That shift is reflected in national workforce projections. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that increased use of information technology, including artificial intelligence, is expected to drive demand across a number of computer and mathematical occupations through 2034. Among them, employment of data scientists is projected to grow 33.5% from 2024 to 2034, while employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 28.5%.

Franklin's expanded M.S. in Information Technology is structured to address this increasingly diverse technology landscape by combining a common IT foundation with specialized graduate study. Students complete a 24-credit shared core and a 12-credit specialization, for a total of 36 credit hours.

One IT Master's Degree, Multiple Technology Career Pathways
Rather than treating information technology as a single career path, Franklin's expanded M.S. in IT gives students the ability to develop deeper expertise based on where technology is headed and how they want to contribute.

The seven specialization options include:
• Artificial Intelligence - Builds technical AI capabilities within a broader IT foundation, helping professionals understand both AI technologies and the systems and decisions surrounding their use.
• AI Leadership for Professionals - Prepares technology professionals to evaluate AI opportunities, manage risk and help lead responsible AI adoption across organizations.
• Cybersecurity Engineering - Develops technical depth for protecting systems while strengthening the broader decision-making capabilities needed in cybersecurity; the specialization also includes preparation for the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam.
• Cybersecurity Governance - Connects security controls, risk assessment and governance with enterprise priorities and business needs.
• Data Analytics - Builds capabilities in statistical analysis, data mining and dashboarding to prepare professionals for analytics and business intelligence leadership.
• IT Management - Focuses on leading technology as an integrated part of the business, including communicating with executives, evaluating business conditions and making strategic IT decisions.
• Tech Product Management - Combines an IT foundation with product management expertise for professionals interested in roles such as technical product manager, product owner and business systems analyst.

Students who want a broader or more individualized graduate experience can choose the Standard Track, which allows them to select approved graduate-level technical electives aligned with their professional interests and career goals.

Preparing Professionals for the Convergence of Technology and Business
A defining feature of the expanded program is the ability to pursue both technical and leadership-oriented pathways within the same M.S. in Information Technology framework.

For example, professionals interested in artificial intelligence can choose between a technically oriented Artificial Intelligence specialization and AI Leadership for Professionals, which emphasizes evaluating opportunities, managing risk and leading responsible organizational adoption. Cybersecurity students can similarly choose between Cybersecurity Engineering, focused more heavily on technical security capabilities, and Cybersecurity Governance, focused on risk, governance and enterprise security leadership.

This structure recognizes an important workforce reality: organizations need both the professionals who build, implement and secure emerging technologies and the leaders who can determine how those technologies should be used to create value, manage risk and support organizational goals.

Potential career pathways associated with the expanded program include cybersecurity engineer, information security manager, data analytics manager, business systems analyst, IT consultant, solutions architect, IT manager or director, chief information officer, AI/ML project lead, AI program director and AI governance officer.

Designed for Working Technology Professionals
Like Franklin University's broader portfolio of career-focused programs, the M.S. in Information Technology is designed around the needs of working adults. The 36-credit program is offered 100% online and can be completed in as few as 16 months. Students learn from experienced technology practitioners and gain exposure to industry-relevant tools and technologies, including SQL/MariaDB, Git, Node.js, React, VMware and OpenStack. Franklin also is an AWS Academy member institution.

By expanding the M.S. in Information Technology around areas such as AI, cybersecurity, analytics, technology management and product leadership, Franklin continues its focus on creating education pathways that evolve alongside the workforce and give working professionals opportunities to build capabilities they can apply within rapidly changing organizations.

Learn more about Franklin University's M.S. in Information Technology and its specialization options: https://www.franklin.edu/degrees/masters/information-technology

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).

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