AAS-T Degree, Certificate
or CISCO Alternative Certificate

Program Overview

Associate of Applied Science Transfer (A.A.S.–T) degree, 98 credits
Certificate, 78 credits or CISCO Alternative Certificate, 40 credits

• Students can begin the program any quarter.
• Network Design and Administration may be a good fit for you if you like to do highly technical, hands-on work.
• Areas of study include networks, math, UNIX, technical writing and computer hardware.
• Job titles include network technician, network designer, workstation or system support technician.

The Networking Program in Information Technology (IT) includes a four-quarter certificate and a six to seven-quarter AAS-T degree program. Prerequisites require an additional one to two quarters for most students. The curriculum was designed with input from Puget Sound industry representatives to include the skills needed for successful employment. The Network Design and Administration Program at Seattle Central will provide students with excellent IT networking skills and a conversant knowledge of enterprise applications like Sharepoint, Terminal and Exchange servers. We also explore Business class Open Source offerings such as SUSE and Ubuntu.

Career Opportunities

Despite the recent economic downturn, the information technology field is still growing faster and employing more “new to the field” people than any other sector of the economy. A recent Department of Labor study indicates that 8 of the 9 fastest growing occupations by the year 2014 will be in the area of Information Technology. More than 1,600,000 new IT jobs (or 27% grow rate) will be created in the United States by the year 2014. A Washington State Employment Security Department paper confirms these job growth statistics for our state as well, with some computer jobs posting growth rates of 6 % per year and higher. The current 2009-2010 unemployment figure for Network and System Administrators is less than 1%. There currently is a critical shortage of qualified IT professionals with up to date skills. Excellent job opportunities exist with the public sector, and in companies that range from startups to world class enterprises.

Job titles that this program prepares you for include Network Designer, Systems Analyst/Administrator, Network Technician, System Support Technician, PC Technician, Workstation Support Technician, Technical Support, and Computer Systems Technician. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) reports that the average annual salary for a Cisco Certified Network Associate with one to two years experience is $53,000. A Washington State employment security report goes on to say that experienced Network engineers have seen a 10.1% increase in total average salary with a range of $62,500 - $85,250. A salary survey at dice.com puts the average salary for a Network Designer with one year of experience at over $52,000. (2009)

Graduation Application

For Further Information:

Information Technology Programs
Business, Information Technologies & Creative Arts
Seattle Central Community College
1701 Broadway, Room BE3176
Seattle, WA 98122
PHONE: (206) 516-3150
FAX: (206) 516-3131