Computer Support Specialist - IT Associate Degree

What careers are in my future?

Employment Potential

A graduate of the program will have the potential for employment in the following areas:

IT Consultant: provides one-on-one problem solving for users.

Help Desk/Support Specialist: develops customized user menus, installs software packages, administers networks, and is a support technician for software packages.

PC Programmer: performs detailed program design, coding, testing, debugging, documentation, and implementation of online or interactive systems.

Computer Sales Representative: makes customer calls, establishes customer contacts, identifies customer needs, and prepares proposals.

IT Trainer: trains employees on software packages which enable the user to solve problems on an individual basis.

Network Assistant: helps to configure networks, installs hardware and software, and trains users.

Desktop Application Developer: provides for the development, testing, implementation, documentation, and support of customized desktop applications.

PC Repair Technician: maintains and repairs hardware components of desktop computers, network servers and devices, and peripheral equipment including printers and scanners.

With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find other opportunities for employment.

• Network Administrator

• Database Administrator

• Internet Site Administrator

• Hardware Technician

• IT Department Supervisor

• Computer Support Certifications such as, A+, Security +, Project+, CI3, HDI Desktop Support Specialist, HDI Support Center Analyst, Microsoft Certified Professional

How do I get started in this program?

Requirements for Program Entry

• Completed application.

• High school transcript or equivalent. For a list of equivalents, go to www.nwtc.edu/gettingstarted.

• One year of high school algebra completed.

• Ability to use computer keyboard and mouse.

• To be admitted to this program, learners must achieve a prior cumulative high school or college grade point average of 2.6 or higher OR a satisfactory academic skills assessment score. College grade point average must be based on 15 credits or more. To learn more about starting this program, please contact an academic advisor at (920) 498-5444 or (888) 385-6982.

Program Availability

FULL TIME	Spring 2021	Summer 2021	Fall 2021
Green Bay	Accepting	Accepting	Accepting
Marinette	Accepting	Accepting	Accepting
Sturgeon Bay	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable

What will I learn?

Curriculum

Students following the study plan below will complete the Computer Support Specialist Associate Degree in the number of semesters shown.

FIRST SEMESTER

10-890-101

College 101

10-890-101 COLLEGE 101 ...Students will utilize digital tools and resources to assess, explore, practice, apply, and evaluate both employability and learning skills. By establishing NWTC cultural values as hallmarks of success in academic, career, and personal settings the course encourages reflective, personalized development of a growth mindset and emphasizes the importance of making wise choices. To maximize the return on investment, students should take this course in their first semester as it identifies key expectations (hidden rules) of higher learning and professional employment.

IT:Support:Software-Intro

10-154-160

10-154-160 IT:SUPPORT:SOFTWARE-INTRO ...an introductory course for the Computer Support Specialist program and covers the fundamental capabilities and functions of Windows, Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access.

IT:Support:Hardware-Intro

10-154-150

10-154-150 IT:SUPPORT:HARDWARE-INTRO ...computer network terminology, component identification, computer/peripheral configuration and maintenance, basic operating systems concepts and installations, basic networking concepts and configurations and troubleshooting using the Cisco IT Essentials curriculum.

IT:Network: Network Essentials

10-150-175

10-150-175 IT:NETWORK:NETWORK ESSENTIALS...develop the knowledge, skills, process, and understanding of client OS installation, configuration, administration, and troubleshooting; network connectivity; standard system maintenance procedures; command line introduction; and basic PowerShell script writing.

10-804-133

Math & Logic

10-804-133 MATH & LOGIC ...Students will apply problem solving techniques from discrete mathematics.Topics include symbolic logic, sets, algebra and base number systems (Prerequisite: Next Gen Arith score greater/equal to 250 AND Rdg score greater/equal to 250; OR TABE A 9/10 Math greater/equal to 12.7 AND Rdg greater/equal to 8.8; OR TABE 11/12 Math greater/equal to 780 AND Rdg greater/equal to 573; OR ACT Math score greater/equal to 15 AND ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16; OR prep courses-contact academic advisor 920-498-5444).

Accounting-for Non-Accountants

10-101-106

10-101-106 ACCOUNTING-FOR NON-ACCOUNTANTS ...teaching non-accountants to read, analyze, and interpret financial information for making informed business decisions. This class de-emphasizes the use of debits, credits, journal entries and other accounting procedures.

10-801-136

English Composition 1

10-801-136 ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1 ...learners develop knowledge/skills in planning, organizing, writing, editing. Students will also analyze audience/purpose, use elements of research, format documents using standard guidelines, and develop critical reading skills. (Prerequisite: High school GPA greater/equal to 2.6; OR ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 18; OR Next Gen Reading score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 260; OR "preparatory course(s)", contact academic advisor at 920-498-5444)

IT:Support:Oper Sys & Data Com

SEMESTER TOTAL

SECOND SEMESTER

10-154-153

10-154-153 IT:SUPPORT:OPERATING SYSTEMS AND DATA COMMUNICATION ...core OS operation, configuration of desktop/network OS, system security/audit policy, data communications, network topologies, convergence technologies, mobile applications, virtual desktop management and advanced scripting. (Prerequisites: 10-150-175, IT:Network:Network Essentials; 10-154-150, IT:Support:Hardware-Intro)

10-801-196

Oral/Interpersonal Comm

10-801-196 ORAL/INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION ...the communication process, perception and self-concept, language, listening, nonverbal communication, interpersonal relationships, communication in groups and public communication; prepare and deliver an oral presentation. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English score greater/equal to 16; OR preparatory course-contact an academic advisor at 920-498-5444)

IT:Support:Help Desk/User Sup

10-154-190

10-154-190 IT:SUPPORT:HELP DESK/END USER SUPPORT ...describe the role of the help desk in technology support, use terminology, processes, and tools, and demonstrate the use of business, technical, communication, and self-management skills required for help desk support professionals.

10-102-158

Business Principles

10-102-158 BUSINESS PRINCIPLES ...economics and business; global business; ethics and social responsibility; types of business ownership; entrepreneurship; role of management: operations management; human resources; marketing; managing financial resources and legal issues impacting business.

10-801-197

Technical Reporting

10-801-197 TECHNICAL REPORTING ...principles of report writing and correspondence, proposals, feasibility reports, progress reports, investigation reports, evaluation reports, meeting reports, memos, and correspondence. (Prerequisite: 10-801-136, English Composition I OR 10-801-195, Written Communication with “C” or better)

10-152-185

Website Coding

10-152-185 WEBSITE CODING ...create code for generating the structure, function, and design of static websites using standards-based HTML5 and CSS3; validate code; test multi-browser and multi-device functionality.

10-105-101

Career Planning

10-105-101 CAREER PLANNING ...experiential learning introduction. Learn how personal branding allows candidates to differentiate themselves from the competition through appearance, personality, and marketing competency. Career portfolio introduced. (Corequisite: 10-890-101, College 101)

SEMESTER TOTAL

THIRD SEMESTER

10-150-163

IT:Network:Cisco 1

10-150-163 IT:NETWORK:CISCO 1 ...cable characteristics and termination, structured cabling systems, OSI reference model, IP addressing and subnetting, network architectures and basic protocols, Ethernet switches, basic router operation and configuration.

IT:Network:Microsoft Server 1

10-150-165

10-150-165 IT:NETWORK:MICROSOFT SERVER 1 ...Acquire necessary skills for supporting and configuring Windows Server including installation and configuration of an Active Directory Domain. Account administration, group policy management and core server roles and features are identified while preparing for MCSA Exam 70-410. (Prerequisite: 10-150-175, IT:Network:Network Essentials)

10-152-163

IT:Program:Visual Basic

10-152-163 IT:PROGRAM:VISUAL BASIC ...introduction to programming using the Visual Basic.NET programming language. Program definition and design, form design, and the coding, testing, and debugging of programs are covered. (Prerequisites: 10-150-175, IT:Network:Network Essentials; 10-154-160, IT:Support:Software-Intro; 10-804-133, Math & Logic)

10-107-194

IT:Documentation

10-107-194 IT:DOCUMENTATION ...plan documentation content and delivery methods; develop online, context-sensitive written documentation, become familiar with ISO 9000 standards, package PDF files, and create compiled help modules. Proficiency using Word required. (Prerequisite: 10-801-136, English Composition 1 or equivalent)

IT:Support:Advanced Projects

10-154-157

10-154-157 IT:SUPPORT:ADVANCED PROJECTS ...PC hardware, software, O.S. configuration, maintenance, IT resources, malware, bootable and unattended install media, data backups, disaster recovery plans, troubleshooting, virtualization, RAID storage , server farm build, emerging technologies. (Prerequisite: 10-154-153, IT:Support:Operating Systems & Data Communication)

IT:Web:Database Development

10-154-125

10-154-125 IT:WEB:DATABASE DEVELOPMENT ...database uses, database terminology, analyzing information requirements, data models, database design phases, entity relationships, normalization processes, database management systems, database objects, development environments, creating tables, writing queries using SQL, testing.

10-105-103

Career Preparation

10-105-103 CAREER PREPARATION ...create professional resume and cover letter, prepare for interviews, understand interviewing techniques, participate in a mock interview, evaluate outcomes of interview, and prepare for Career Experience. (Prerequisites: 10-105-101, Career Planning; 10-801-136, English Composition 1)

Intro to Diversity Studies

10-809-172

10-809-172 INTRO TO DIVERSITY STUDIES...basic American values of justice and equality by teaching vocabulary, history of immigration/conquest, transcultural communication, legal liability, multicultural majority/minority relations, ageism, sexism, gender, sexual orientation, the disabled/ADA. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better)

SEMESTER TOTAL

FOURTH SEMESTER

10-152-184

IT:Web:Programming-SQL

10-152-184 IT:WEB:PROGRAMMING-SQL ...write queries in a relational database: creating tables, setting primary/foreign keys, populating tables, manipulating data and reporting. Explore join types, stored procedures, functions, and database administration SQL statements. (Prerequisite: 10-154-125, IT:Web:Database Development)

IT:Support:Integration-VBA

10-154-171

10-154-171 IT:SUPPORT:INTEGRATION-VBA ...this course covers the use of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to automate operations using the object model of the Microsoft Excel application; integration of Excel with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Access, and PowerPoint applications/objects; fundamental programming constructs and data manipulations. (Prerequisites: 10-154-160, IT:Support:Software-Intro; 10-152-163, IT:Program:Visual Basic)

10-809-198

Intro to Psychology

10-809-198 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY ...survey of theoretical foundations of human behavior such as sensation and perception, motivation, emotions, learning, personality, psychological disorders, therapy, stress, and human diversity in personal, social and vocational settings. (Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of 2.6 or greater OR satisfactory reading and writing assessment scores OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing 1 with "B" or better OR Corequisite: 10-831-102, English Comp Prep)

10-107-195

IT:Training

10-107-195 IT:TRAINING ...effective presentation skills, plan training content and delivery methods, write lesson plans, provide training materials, conduct training sessions, and assess learners' grasp of stated objectives. (Prerequisites: 10-154-160, IT:Support:Software-Intro OR 10-152-173, IT:Program:Part 1 (C#))

IT:Support: Career Experience

10-154-199

10-154-199 IT:SUPPORT: CAREER EXPERIENCE...Students can select any hands on experience related to: Internship, Field Research, Service Learning, Simulations, Capstone, Industry Related, or International. Instructor approval required. (Prerequisite:10-105-103, Career Preparation)

10-809-195

Economics

10-809-195 ECONOMICS ...scarcity, resources, alternative economic systems, growth, supply and demand, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation, unemployment, and global economic issues. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better)

SEMESTER TOTAL

TOTAL CREDITS

Curriculum Note

A student desiring a strong financial background or a student planning to double major in Accounting is advised to substitute the four credit Accounting 1 (10-101-110) for the three-credit Accounting for Non-Accountants (10-101-106). To discuss this further, please contact an NWTC academic advisor.

. The credit for 10-890-101, College 101 is an Institutional Requirement for graduation. Consequently, it is not part of the program requirements, but must be passed with a C.

Program Outcomes

• Manage information technology hardware

• Manage software

• Support computer networks

• Provide end user support

• Solve information technology problems

• Demonstrate customer service skill as an IT professional

What's next after graduation?

Start here. Finish at a four-year.

NWTC transfer programs are offered through collaborative agreements with our four-year college and university partners. See where your associate degree credits will transfer >> EXCLUDEEND