Information Technology Degrees Online

Course structure
The CCNP curriculum provides the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy and maintain fully integrated network infrastructure services and applications. The curriculum focuses on the advanced skills required to manage the end-to-end network infrastructure but goes beyond core routing and switching to include applications deployed on the edge of the network, such as wireless, security and voice. It includes topics such as converged networks, quality of service (QoS), virtual private networks (VPNs) and broadband technologies. CCNP integrates next-generation network devices and services engineered to provide wire-speed delivery of concurrent data, voice, video and wireless services with optimised security. The CCNP curriculum includes four courses that align to the four certification exams that are required to obtain the CCNP certification. The four courses are:

Building Scalable Internetworks:
In this course, students will learn how to create efficient and expandable enterprise-class IP routing networks by installing, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting network infrastructure equipment as specified in the Enterprise Composite Network model. The routed network includes the most commonly used and emerging IP routing protocols. The course aligns with the new Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) 642-901 exam.

Implementing Secure Converged Wide-Area Networks:
This course will teach advanced skills required to secure and enhance services in enterprise networks for teleworkers and remote sites. It will focus on securing remote access and VPN client configuration. Aligns with the new Implementing Secure Converged WANs (ISCW) 642-825 exam.

Building Multilayer Switched Networks:
In this course, students will learn how to create efficient and expandable switched enterprise networks by installing, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting network infrastructure equipment as specified in the Enterprise Composite Network model. The course teaches the advanced skills required for building enterprise-class switched networks with integrated VoIP and wireless applications. It includes wireless LANs, basic Quality of Service to support voice, high-availability features, and enhanced security for switches. Aligns with the new Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Network (BCMSN) 642-812 exam.

Optimising Converged Networks:
This course teaches advanced skills required to optimise Quality of Service in converged networks supporting voice, wireless, and security applications. The course aligns with the Optimised Converged Cisco Networks ONT (642-845) exam.

Growing regulation of internal information controls and increased security concerns have helped made network technology expertise one of the highest demand skills across all industries. This online bachelor’s specialization will help prepare you to pursue this hot career opportunity through network technology classes and hands-on learning in network administration, design, and security. The course work is designed to prepare you to take certification tests from Microsoft, Cisco, and other leading technology organizations, and provide the knowledge necessary to design, maintain, and troubleshoot Internet, intranet, and extranet connections, including local- and wide-area networks. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing technical specialist positions designing, implementing, and maintaining networks in both the public and private sector.

Develop the skills necessary to design, implement, and maintain diverse network environments that meet business needs. This Network Architecture master’s specialization focuses on Internet, intranet, and extranet design, emerging network technologies, and the integration of divergent and disparate networks. The curriculum is based on the vendor-neutral concepts of network architecture, but also includes a Virtual Lab Environment that offers hands-on experience with vendor-specific network solutions. You will have the opportunity to acquire skills in designing, planning, and maintaining local and wide-area networks (LANs and WANs), and developing and implementing information security and disaster recovery plans. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing senior management or team leader roles in network management and administration, or network architecture and design.

The Telecommunications Technician/Technology Program has a focus on the engineering of the Internet as a global communications system. The program revolves around the technologies and systems that make the Internet work and allow it to evolve to the future. These include routing systems, network security, local and wide area networks, analytical tools, wireless technologies and the many supporting communications applications like DNS the global domain registry system. In the first year the program builds the basics that anyone in the business must know; network literacy, an intro to network operating systems like Linux/Unix, some applied math and elemental programming concepts. In the second and third years the focus is the Internet; engineering the systems, technologies and services that are critical to Internet operations. We cover both the theory and practice all of the key systems. You will design, build and test everything in the labs after you have studied the theory.

There are very few programs like Telecommunications Technology in Canada. This adds further to the demand for our graduates and co-op students. Our graduates are known for their unique skill set and for their keen interest in the industry.

Information Technology deals with the use of software, computers and computer-related equipment to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and receive information over IP-routed networks and telephony-based wide area networks. For that reason, information technology professionals are often called IT Specialists/ Consultants or Business Process Consultants, and the division of an organization that deals with computers, software and communication technology is often called the IT department.

The Information Technology program encompasses four majors: Computer Systems, Network Systems, Software Development and Telecom Systems. There is a common first semester, then you move into the major that you will have selected during the registration process. It is a full-time, 2-year diploma program.
This program will also utilize an e-learning (SAIT issued laptop computer) instructional delivery method.

Your Career
Computer Systems Major: Graduates of the Computer Systems major will have rewarding careers with a diverse set of job titles and descriptions. They help keep computers, communications and information systems installed, connected, maintained and supported. Graduates will often start in entry-level tech support roles (customer support representative, help desk, desktop support level one, etc.) and advance to more sophisticated levels of IT support roles (levels two and three, in larger corporations), management of support teams, or specialize into storage, server administration, or IT security areas. Graduates will have a well-rounded and strong foundation to begin their careers in the growing field of IT technical systems and support, with the opportunity to advance into senior technical analyst, systems administration and IT management roles.

Network Systems Major: Graduates of the Network Systems major will have strong technical skills in designing, installing, configuring, maintaining and administering local, municipal and wide area networks. This major focuses on the network infrastructure of an organization, but also includes significant discussion of related topics including security, network operating systems and network management (including wireless). In addition to comprehensive technical skills, graduates will acquire and demonstrate the professional communications, general business and problem solving skills required for success in industry. Students receive in depth training on router, switch and server configuration for support of network infrastructure, data transmission mediums, and new and emerging technologies. Students also receive the training required for industry recognized certifications.

Software Development Major: Graduates of the Software Development major will assist with the development of software applications, work collaboratively with teams to design new software, create software on multiple platforms (Windows, Web, Linux) use various languages (i.e. Java, C, .NET, PHP, XML, PL/SQL, SQL) and utilize different technologies (i.e. networks, databases, operating systems, ERP). Graduates can start in a junior position and work their way up to more advanced levels of Software Development or go into specialty areas. This is a field that graduates, right out of a post-secondary institution, can excel at.
Telecom Systems Major: Graduates of the Telecom Systems major may find employment as a telecom technologist, production test technologist, cable technician, service technician, associated field engineer, sales and marketing, communication equipment installer and manufacturing technologist. They will be proficient in designing, installing, configuring, commissioning, integrating, maintaining and administering voice, data, and video networks owned telecommunications companies such as TELCO or Information Service Providers (ISP). They also find careers in a wide range of businesses, industries, and government institutions.

The degree programme specializing in Computer Systems and Networking is for those whose interests are in Distributed Computing Environments, Computer Communications and Networking incorporating Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs) together with Network Management. Positions available include Network Engineers, Network Designers, Systems Engineers and Systems Administrators.

Cisco Systems, Inc., based in San Jose, California, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-performance LAN and WAN products such as routers, switches, and hubs, and sponsors this program at ACC.

The Cisco Networking Academy program prepares students to design, install, and maintain small to medium-sized local- and wide-area networks. The program consists of four courses of five credits each. Classes meet once or twice per week for discussion, testing, and lab activities. Students who successfully complete the four courses will have the knowledge and skills needed to pass the Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) exam.

Because the Cisco curriculum is online, you should have Internet access from home and an email account. In addition it is recommended that prospective Cisco students be comfortable using a command-line interface. Some computer hardware experience will be helpful, although not required.

The Cisco program is intense and demanding; it is not for the casual student or computer beginner. Individuals who are new to the college environment are advised to begin with some introductory computer courses to sharpen their time-management and study skills.

Networks are essential to the operation of business, government and education. Modern life would struggle without them. Wireless access to the web, secure networks for banking and mobile telephones are all examples of how our lives are influenced by networks.

Our course teaches the principles and practice required for the construction of local and wide area networks, as well as a technical understanding of how the internet works. You’ll also acquire essential skills in the design and programming of software to run such networks efficiently and securely. In your third year you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a paid work placement.

You’ll gain the skills and technical knowledge needed to build, programme, operate and manage networked computer systems on this course. This programme incorporates the syllabus of the CISCO Certified Network Associate (CCNA) programme, and graduates may go on to take CISCO examinations.

When people exchange e-mail with business colleagues, search a library database using a web browser on a personal computer, connect to a wireless router in a hotel or classroom, talk to family and friends on a cell phone, make a charge card purchase in a store or at a gas pump, or just surf the Internet from home, they are utilizing telecommunications systems and services. The advancement of telecommunications technology has transformed the way and speed with which individuals communicate and exchange information. Indeed, the use of telecommunication systems and services has profoundly changed our lives.

As we now depend daily on the stability and reliability of our telecommunication networks and systems, there is a very strong demand for individuals with a background in telecommunication management. The objective of the telecommunications management curriculum is to provide students with the theory, tools, technical expertise and management know-how required to be successful in planning, designing and managing a telecommunications environment. A foundation in computing principles, computer security, local area networks, wide area networks, network performance analysis and distributed systems will be the cornerstones of the curriculum. Telecommunications Management is a very broad and dynamics field, hence we have designed our curriculum with this in mind. Our advanced courses will build on this strong foundation to complete the Telecommunications Management curriculum.

The need for individuals with expertise in telecommunications management is reflected in the current Bureau of Labor Statistics information. The United States Department of Labor has listed “network systems and data communications analysts” as being the second fastest growing occupation covered in the 2005-06 Occupational Outlook Handbook. They list the most significant source of postsecondary education or training for this to be a bachelor’s degree.

The rapid spread of computers and information technology has generated a need for highly trained workers to design and develop new hardware and software systems and to incorporate new technologies. You will design, test and evaluate systems such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), the Internet, intranets, and other data communications systems. Systems may range from a connection between two offices in the same building to globally distributed networks, voice mail and e-mail systems of a multi-national organisation.

Where will I be taught?
The Department of Computer Science and Information Systems is housed in the Beswick Building on the Chester campus. Open-access computer facilities, with broadband access to the Internet, are widely available. Computer hardware is kept up-to-date so that it can fully support the latest software. The University Library has an excellent collection of on-line and conventional books and journals to support this programme, and there is access to information sources via JANET (Joint Academic Network).

What will I learn?
The course is structured to develop and build your knowledge, understanding and skills over the three years of the programme. You will develop your analytical and logical skills by tackling problems and designing solutions for increasingly complex scenarios.

Level 1
You will evaluate information systems and solve problems using appropriate packages; obtain, evaluate and share information to persuade and entertain. You will be introduced to software and hardware component interaction and WWW and internet. The data communication and networking provides the content so that you have the opportunity to obtain the CISCO networking qualification.

Level 2
Your theoretical knowledge is developed and applied to real-world problems. Databases are constructed and managed as well as websites designed and produced. Your programming skills will be developed so solutions for more complex problems can be produced. A critical understanding and appreciation of the fundamental building blocks of computer systems will be achieved. The software engineering life cycle will be explored.

Work placement
A six-week period of work placement with one of our placement providers will enable you to meet the challenge of putting computing, management and project development theories into practice, whilst further developing your technical skills. Past placements include designing a database for a small business, producing on-line material for schools and preparing an IT development plan for a small business.

Level 3
Additional programming skills are developed. A web based environment and database systems are managed. Tools for network management are evaluated and applied. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of advanced software systems is evaluated.