Office of Professional Development

IT Managers Program

The IT Managers Certificate Program is specifically designed for employees who currently serve or aspire to serve in positions focuses on managing the delivery of IT services and projects within their respective organizations.

The curriculum reflects the input of those who serve or have served in the most senior IT positions in the private and public sectors.  Participants actively engage with presenters and colleagues on topics important to IT Managers in today’s workplace.

The course is led by program facilitators and comprised of presentations presented by subject matter experts, and include guest speakers, panel discussions, group exercises and activities, networking, peer learning and a team/class Capstone project.

Program Benefits:

The IT Managers (ITM) Certificate Program is part of the overarching IT Leaders (ITL) Program, which includes the IT Executives Program. The combined program provides many benefits, including the opportunity for IT Executives and IT Managers to interact during many educational sessions, as well as, breaks and lunches. Interaction and collaboration between IT Executives and IT Managers provide a better understanding and perspective of each other’s role.

Wherever relevant, topics will be addressed in the context of planning and response to unexpected events. Lessons learned from those in class will further enhance the knowledge of ITL attendees.

• First CIO from City of Philadelphia
• Chief Technology Officer, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
• Chief Information Officer, City of Philadelphia
• Director, Department of Innovation & Performance, City of Pittsburgh
• Former Global Chief Information Officer, Deloitte
• Former COO, State of Georgia
• Director of External Affairs, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)
• Director, Business Applications Specialist, Microsoft
• Data Analytics and AI Specialist, Google
• Former Chairman and CEO, Unisys / Former CEO of Gateway
• Former CIO, Starbucks / Former VP, Cloud Hosting and DevOps Services, Walt Disney Company
• Deputy Treasurer and CIO, Pennsylvania State Treasury
• Managing Principal – Enterprise (C-Suite/IT/Cyber Resilience Strategist), Unisys
• Managing Directors, Senior Associates, KPMG
• Former CISO, Florida / US Public Sector Security Lead, Accenture
• Chief Technology Officer, Office of Technology Services, Global Talent Management, U.S. Department of State

IT Mangers (ITM) Classes meet two (1.5) days per month (*except where otherwise noted as two full class days)

• Full days are held from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, EST/EDT
• Half-days are held from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, EST/EDT

Program Module Topics**:

Module 1*: IT Leader’s Role in the Digital Age

Module 2: Leadership Styles, Emotional Intelligence & Trusting Relationships

Module 3: Business Strategies & Strategic Planning Tools

Module 4: 360 Communications, Negotiation Techniques & Selling Your Ideas

Module 5: Data-Driven Decision Making for Leaders

Module 6: Understanding & Leading Organizational Change / Agile, Lean, & Project Management

Module 7: Continuity of Operations (COOP) / Cybersecurity

Module 8*: Digital Organizations, Innovation, & Emerging Technologies

Module 9*: Capstone Presentation & Graduation

**Module topics and the order in which they are presented may change depending on speaker availability.

In order to be considered for the IT Managers program, an employee must be nominated by their organization’s CIO/IT Manager or other senior executive and have:

1. Mid to upper level Management classification; AND
2. Two years’ or more experience in IT operations or managing projects in the following core functional areas: application development, project management, computing and network, information systems security, or telecommunications.

Participants are expected to attend all scheduled sessions.

• To be eligible for a certificate of completion, participants must attend at least 90% of the sessions.
• One excused absence is allowed during the program.
• If a second absence is necessary, the participant must:
  • Watch the full session recording, and
  • Submit a written summary of key takeaways to the program facilitator, before the next session for the absence to be considered for approval.
• The participant’s supervisor or sponsor will be notified of any absence.
• The same applies to any participant that arrives to class late or leaves class early

Please note: More than one excused absence will make the participant ineligible for a certificate of completion.

Some sessions will require pre-readings such as articles, case studies, or research.  Significant preparation time is not expected, given attendees have a “day job.”

A requirement of those attending and graduating from the IT Managers Program is the successful completion and delivery of a Capstone Project.

Participants in the IT Managers cohort will collaborate as a team to achieve monthly milestones leading up to the final capstone completion date, guided by sample project timelines. The group will be structured with a Project Management Team and additional topic-specific teams as needed. While dedicated capstone working sessions will be built into regular class time, participants may occasionally need to meet outside of class to stay on track with deliverables and ensure successful project completion.

Capstone Project Description and Background

The purpose of the Capstone is twofold. First, to apply the skills learned in class in a meaningful way; and second, provide valuable improvement recommendations that, if implemented, can benefit the community.

Capstone Project Deliverables

A group project which produces a Comprehensive Capstone Written Report including a One Page Executive Summary will be submitted to the program directors. Additionally, a 20-minute Presentation will be delivered to highlight the findings, options, and recommendations to the stakeholders.

More information on the 2026 IT Managers Capstone Project will be provided at Orientation and during Module 1 of the program.

Awarding of a certificate of completion/credits/eligible PDUs will be based on the participant’s attendance and completion and delivery of a class Capstone project

Certificate
A Certificate of Completion is awarded at the end of the program.

Credits
Graduates of the course will also be awarded six (6) academic credits that can be applied towards a Master’s degree at Harrisburg University.

Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Graduates of the program are eligible for up to 59 Professional Development Units (PDU) through the Project Management Institute (PMI).

2026 Program Fees*

• Private-Sector/For-Profit Organizations/Self-Employed: $3,165
• Public Sector/Non-Profit Organizations:  $2,565

*Those accepted into the program or their organizations are responsible for the per-participant cost of the program.  Tuition fee is not collected at time of application.  Accepted applicants of the program will receive a tuition invoice at a later date.

Application Deadline: While our initial application deadline has passed, we will continue to accept applications for consideration, provided the completed application and supervisor letter are received by January 9, 2026.

Candidate Application

Candidates will complete an application form to present their learning goals, past experiences, expertise, and knowledge they will bring to the cohort for consideration.  [CLICK ON “APPLY NOW” AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE]

Required: Letter of Support/Recommendation
A letter of support or recommendation is also required from the candidate’s agency or organization head, or another senior leader.

Upon submission of your application, your supervisor will be notified via email and asked to provide this letter. You will be copied on that email for your reference.  The email will be sent by ProfessionalEd@HarrisburgU.edu with the subject line: “Request for Letter of Recommendation for Program Applicant”

Note: Your application will not be considered complete until your letter of support/recommendation has been received. 

Acceptance Notification

Applicants will be notified whether they have or have not been accepted into the program. At that time, accepted applicants will receive full course details and information on Orientation.

Watch the 2024-2025 IT Leaders Certificate Program Graduation Recording

Graduation Date: June 13, 2025