article discusses the foreign experience of professional training of IT specialists. The growth in demand for professional IT specialists in the world, and in Ukraine in particular, has been noted. At the same time, it was noted that there is a shortage of professional engineering and teaching personnel, their non-compliance with world standards, which requires analysis and systematization of the experience of professional training of information technology specialists abroad. Based on the example of some leading educational institutions in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the USA, included in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), an overview of training systems for future IT specialists was made. Theoretical generalization proved the absence of such a unified system. The peculiarities of the training of IT specialists abroad are highlighted and summarized: basic training is carried out during the first and second years of study; students can choose additional disciplines at their own discretion; specialties have a significant share of the practical training component; in the third or fourth year of study, students choose a specialization according to which they study a certain list of disciplines offered for in-depth study; while studying at the bachelor's level, students can participate in scientific research in the field of information technologies. Recommendations for improving the system of professional training of future information technology specialists in higher education institutions of Ukraine were formulated: prompt response to changes occurring in science and technology, to the demands of the labor market; focus on the formation of responsibility, leadership skills, the ability to work in a team; creation of the student's individual educational trajectory; involvement of potential employers in professional training; formation of the ability to carry out oral and written communication, to interact with colleagues and employers, to know the rules of business etiquette; combination of learning and practice.
