The Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio (ESCNEO) and its Ohio Online Learning Program (OOLP) are excited to announce the new Early College Information Technology (IT) Program, a partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology (UC-CECH).

With the shortage of qualified information technology professionals in northeast Ohio, in the state, and nationally, this new Early IT program offers high school students a direct pathway towards college admission at the University of Cincinnati.

Districts partnering with the ESC OOLP can offer the Early IT opportunity to their 9-12th grade students.

The following Early IT courses are fully online, asynchronous semester courses that count for 1 credit (courses are not for dual credit):

Fundamentals of Information Technology

Fundamentals of Web Development

Computer Networking

Database Management

Computer Programming

Systems Administration

Students who successfully complete the Early IT program by earning a C or above in all six IT courses, plus college English and math and an approved elective, will have completed the equivalent of the freshman year and are guaranteed admission into the University of Cincinnati-CECH Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) or Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BS Cyber) program. Students who do not complete the entire program are not guaranteed admission but may receive preferred admission and request advanced standing with equivalent credit if enrolled at UC. If the student enrolls at another Ohio college or university, the student must request a credit transfer and it is up to each institution on what may be accepted.