The fields of Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Information Technology (IT) are experiencing rapid change. In 2003, an analysis of IT degree programs and those of competing disciplines at 10 post-secondary institutions concluded that an information technology program is perceived differently from information systems and computer science. In these new subjects, voluntary professional certifications, generally known in the Information Technology field as “IT” certifications, are increasingly used as indicators of professional skill. Recent trends, including two studies described here, one measuring student outcomes and one measuring a subject group’s responses to items that are nearly identical except for IT certification information, investigated the effectiveness and the student perceptions of IT industry certified instructors.

The results indicated that faculty with IT certification affected both student outcomes and student perceptions of instructor effectiveness, teaching methodology, student engagement in the class, and instructor technical qualifications. The results suggested that students’ learning outcomes improved and student perceptions of CIS instructors with IT certifications positively enhanced their assessment of the instructor effectiveness, teaching methodology, and student engagement, and the perception of the instructor’s technical competence. This has implications for CIS and especially IT academic programs, their faculty, recruiting, and professional development.