Information Technology Technical Support

Students earning the Information Technology Technical Support Certificate are able to apply fundamental concepts of IT support including networking, operating systems, system administration, troubleshooting and customer service, IT automation, and network security. Students upon completing this program are prepared for an entry-level career in IT support or to continue education in the field of technology. This program also prepares the student for the CompTIA A+ exams. Students earning this certificate will also earn a Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

The employment in Santa Clara County and California is strong for Computer User Support Specialists with an increase of 22.4% predicted between 2016-2026.  It is currently estimated San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area has 10,410 openings for Computer User Support Specialists.

 

We intend to begin with a cohort of 40 students.

De Anza College’s Information Technology Technical Support meets the needs of both students and employers alike. Students completing this program will have the foundational IT skills required for entry-level jobs in IT Support or continued education in the field.

Students earning Information Technology Technical Support Certificate are able to apply fundamental concepts of IT support including networking, operating systems, system administration, troubleshooting and customer service, IT automation, and network security. 

After completing this certificate some of the employers that students can share their information with are Google, Hulu, Walmart, Infosys, and Intel. Students earning this certificate will also earn a Google IT Support Professional Certificate. Google initiated this program after not being able to fill their open positions in IT support roles. 

This program also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams.

With further experience and/or education, other careers that the IT support career could lead to are systems analyst, support specialist, database administrator, IT technician, computer specialist, and many more.

Requirements	Dept. Name/#	Name	Units	Sequence
Required Core (22.5 units)	CIS 69A	Technical Support Fundamentals	4.5	Yr 1, Fall
	CIS 69B	The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking	4.5	Yr 1, Winter
	CIS 69C	Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User	4.5	Yr 1, Winter
	CIS 69D	System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services	4.5	Yr 1, Spring
	CIS 69E	IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Ages	4.5	Yr 1, Spring

 

Required Core Total:          22.5 units

TOTAL UNITS:                       22.5 units

 

Proposed Sequence:

Year 1, Fall = 4.5 units

Year 1, Winter = 9 units

Year 1, Spring = 9 units

TOTAL UNITS: 22.5 units

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)

This certificate delivers a specific pathway to an entry-level career in technology that provides a living wage. Jobs for the Future nonprofit is connecting faculty at community colleges who are teaching this material. Course guides are provided for each course which includes overviews of key terms, discussion prompts, technical details, and suggestions for potential supplemental activities. There is an IT Cert Instructor Forum (https://groups.google.com/g/google-it-cert-instructor-forum?pli=1). Faculty will be supported in the integration of Qwiklabs with the LMS and in maximizing the effectiveness of this platform.

Many of the topics covered in the courses contained in the IT Technical Support Certificate are the same that are contained in other courses offered at De Anza College, West Valley College, and Evergreen Valley College. However, in every case, these are topics that are part of courses that segway into careers in a particular branch of the technology field. These branches most frequently require an Associate's or Bachelor’s degree to find successful employment in the career.