Cloud Solutions Architecture A.S. Degree

This degree will prepare students to enter a career in the dynamic world of Cloud Computing. The degree builds upon the principles of virtualization, Cloud Computing, infrastructure, resources, and networking concepts and skills earned in the Cloud Analyst Certificate. The degree will expand upon those certificate topics with project management and advanced Cloud Computing Architecture skills. Using hands-on labs, the degree will focus on building well performing, resilient, secure, optimized, operationally excellent and cost-effective cloud architectures. This A.S. Degree prepares students to take the following eight industry certification exams: Network Pro and Client Pro, CompTIA Network+, Server+, Security+, and Cloud+, Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and the AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate.

The Cloud Computing program is most closely related to the networking program.  In fact, about  fty percent of the courses in the Cloud Computing pathway come from the networking pathway.

Based on this information, we can gauge the success of the Cloud Computing program by reviewing historical data of networking courses.  Using Chaffey networking pathway data in the Chancellors of ce Datamart we can estimate that upon program maturity we will have an average of 81 students enrolled in Cloud Computing and Architecture. 

Our goal is to improve our students’ lives and earning potential by bringing cutting edge programs to them. Therefore, we introduce the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Computing Program.  Our Amazon AWS Cloud Computing program will: 

1. Provide our students the skills needed for current and future employment  
   1. In the program we introduce a new Cloud Analyst Certificate with the latest cutting-edge industry standards, namely, Cloud Computing with Amazon AWS & CompTIA
      1. As of Fall 2019, Chaffey College is an official Amazon AWS Cloud Computing academy: https://aws.amazon.com/training/awsacademy/member-list/
      2. Being an official academy gives our students free, cutting edge, hands-on labs with Cloud Computing.  In fact, Amazon gives each student, in each one of our classes, credits to spend on the Amazon AWS cloud platform to learn Cloud Computing!
      3. Our first Cloud Computing course, CISNTWK 70, was in Spring 2020.
      4. Our Certificate covers the basics in Cloud Computing. 
         1. Courses will use Practice Labs & AWS labs for students' hands on skills attainment.
         2. Faculty will provide lecture towards student knowledge attainment.
         3. Our Certificate is a platform that will allow our student to pursue one of two AS Degrees in Cloud Computing.
   2. We introduce two new AS Degrees in cloud computing:
      1. Our Degrees will cover more advanced topics in cloud computing that build upon the foundation laid by the Certificate.
      2. For students that want to focus on systems architecture, we will introduce Cloud Solutions Architect AS Degree
      3. For students that want to focus on cloud security, we will introduce the interdisciplinary Cloud Security Professional AS Degree. This Degree melds Cyber Security and Cloud Computing pathways
2. Ensure our students have the courses and skills necessary for continued higher education & learning 
   1. We will accomplish this goal by aligning as many courses in the pathway with C-ID courses
   2. Cloud Computing will be our topic and our hands-on portions will be a mixture of Amazon AWS Cloud Computing and virtualization labs.
3. Align with industry recognized certifications to ensure a living wage is attainable 
   1. We will accomplish this goal by aligning our courses with industry recognized and sought-after certifications such Amazon AWS Certified Solutions Architect and CompTIA Cloud+
   2. Systems Admins with Cloud Computing experience earn a great salary, however, those with Amazon AWS Cloud Computing skills earn far greater salaries

Our objective is to prepare students for positions as cloud analysts, architects, and security professionals with both experience and industry recognized certifications so they can attain well-paying employment.  An Amazon AWS certification is one of most sought-after and highest paying certifications in the field of Cloud Computing.  CompTIA is vendor neutral certification thus giving students the flexibility to apply to any Cloud Computing position.  Our courses will have both AWS and CompTIA industry certificates built right into the pathway.

Completion of the Cloud Solutions Architecture A.S. Degree requires successful completion of 8 core classes from the program [including two courses that a student can select from to ful ll one of the course requirements (CIS-50 and CISCO-1)], completion of 2 architecture courses  [including two courses that a student can select from to ful ll one of the course requirements (CISPROG-5 and CIS-15)].