Students seeking entry into the field of advanced networking should consider a certificate in systems networking. The Blue Ridge program trains students in both the Cisco and Microsoft realms, providing essential knowledge about both parts of a functional corporate network. The program provides the background required for employment in the networking portion of the IT field. Blue Ridge will equip students with the training required to install, configure, and operate routed LANs, WLANs, and WANs, and prepare for the Cisco™ Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification.
Program Overview
The Systems Networking certificate degree program is designed to address the needs of businesses and organizations within the local community. The field of Information Technology is growing regionally, and the need for certified technicians is advancing at a rapid rate. This course of study will provide the training required to install, configure, and operate simple routed LANs and WANs, and to prepare for the Cisco™ Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. The program also provides the essential knowledge and skills required for employment in the Networking portion of the Information Technology field.
The student will gain knowledge of switched LAN Emulation networks made up of Cisco™ equipment. The program is a focused coverage of Cisco™ router configuration procedures, which will be mapped to exam objectives for the Cisco composite CCNA or Cisco partial ICND 1 and ICND 2 certification exams. This program will also provide students with the knowledge to troubleshoot and repair desktop personal computers, install, maintain and manage Windows desktop operating systems, and manage, install, maintain, and troubleshoot Windows Server implementations. These additional courses will be mapped to the exam objectives for the Microsoft associate-level Windows Server domain administration exam.
Students in any program are subject to Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s requirements for admission, basic skills testing, and appropriate course placement, including developmental education courses, which may not count toward the completion of the program. Blue Ridge Community and Technical College requirements regarding academic standards and student conduct also apply.
Program Outcomes
- Merge networking concepts with the necessary server concepts to deploy a realistic enterprise network.
- Complete domain tests that include architecture, administration, storage management, security, and disaster recovery.
- Discuss troubleshooting scenarios involving the server domains and how a network technician would resolve potential issues.
- Develop the necessary communication skills to be able to coordinate and work on a team project, learn how to troubleshoot logical and design errors along with technical errors, and be able to provide clear and effective documentation of a project to aid future work such as maintenance and upgrades.
Career Opportunities
A wide range of government agencies and industries seek professionals in network design, network administration, and network engineering.
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