Frequently Asked Questions
What is Computer and Internetworking Technologies?
Computer and Internetworking Technologies (CIT) is an electronics program
at College of DuPage that offers an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)
degrees and six different certificate options. A student with a CIT
degree is trained to work in various microprocessor and computer-related
fields. Specifically, this program is geared toward network administrators,
network designers, network specialists and network technicians responsible
for network performance, security or design.
What is the difference between the A.A.S. degree and certificate in
CIT?
The CIT certificate program requires 44 credit hours in electronics,
CIT, math and CIS courses. The CIT degree program requires 48 hours (due
to an additional physics course), as well as 18 general education credit
hours. The associate degree is transferable to other four-year baccalaureate
programs.
What other certificate programs are offered besides CIT?
C.O.D. offers additional certificate programs in the following areas:
Cisco Firewall Specialist, Microcomputer Servicing Technician, Network
Professional, and Internetworking Technician. Most students enroll
in these programs to improve their on-the-job credentials, retrain
for a new career in technology or increase their salability in the
job market.
What types of certification training does College of DuPage offer?
College of DuPage offers houses three professional training programs that offer a wide variety of certification opportunities: Cisco Networking Academy, CompTIA Academy and Cyber Forensics.
For additional information, contact the faculty members associated with these programs.
What is the job outlook for employment in the internetworking industry?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006 report, “technology
remains one of the 25 fastest-grosing industries in the nation. Wage-and-salary
employment is expected to grow 40 percent by the year 2014, compared
to only 14 percent growth projected for the economy (overall).” Depending
on experience, salaries for computer support specialists currently range
from $27,933 to $42,970; for network and computer systems administrators,
$41,379 to $71,674; and for computer systems analysts, $47,033 to $82,686.
What type of skills are required for success in this field?
A person interested in a computer-related career should enjoy problem-solving
and working in teams. In addition, he or she should be detail-oriented,
a quick learning, have excellent people skills and be able to adopt
new technologies quickly and efficiently.
If I’m interested in this
program, what should be my next step?
Meet with a faculty adviser to
discuss which CIT programs would work best for you.
