Computer Systems Technician

Program Overview

The Computer Systems Technician program is the perfect vehicle to launch a rewarding career in computer assembly, installation, configuration and troubleshooting. You will learn from industry-connected professors in new, state-of-the-art labs. This program is built on partnerships with some of the most influential names in networking today, including Cisco, IBM and Microsoft. Graduates will be able to help support computer users throughout an entire organization by deploying desktop and laptop systems, assisting users with day-to-day tasks, supporting help desk environments, troubleshooting networking issues and rolling out emerging technologies that will give their organizations a competitive advantage.

Computer Networks

Computer Hardware

Hands On

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 12 mathematics (C, M or U)

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Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
January 2020	Open	Closed
September 2020	Open	Open
January 2021	Open

Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CDN)
Year one international: $13,322 (CDN)

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Semester 1 Courses

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Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Call centre support
Computer service technician
Help desk technician
IT consultant
IT specialist
Information systems administrator
Network technician
Security administrator
Technical consultant

View all Career Options

Program Details

NOTE: Students enrolling in this program are required to purchase their own laptop. For specific hardware and software requirements for this program click here.

This program will provide you with the technical skills and expertise required to work in the high-demand world of personal computers, networking and application support to meet the information technology (IT) needs of modern organizations.

The program curriculum addresses the technical aspects of commonly used components and troubleshooting techniques for:

Computer hardware
Networking technologies
Operating systems
Security
System administration

You will also learn how to develop your communication and administrative skills and be trained in critical-thinking skills designed to help you respond to many technical challenges. As a graduate, you will be able to:

Challenge for industry-recognized certifications (e.g. Cisco CCNA, Microsoft MCP, CompTIA, A+, Net+)
Install and configure system software and network devices
Troubleshoot computer system and network issues.

Note: To ensure you make an informed decision about your IT career path, a common first semester is offered for the Computer Systems Technician, Computer Systems Technology, Computer Programmer and Computer Programmer Analyst programs. This approach will give you an opportunity to explore the systems/programming applications and networking/hardware applications of the IT sector.

Certifications

Student may choose to pursue the following industry certifications, which could require additional exams and/or related work experience to qualify:

CompTIA A+ Network+ Security+
Linux LPIC-1
CISCO CCNA
Microsoft MCP Server Certifications

Certifications

Student may choose to pursue the following industry certifications, which could require additional exams and/or related work experience to qualify:

CompTIA- Network+
LPIC-1
Cisco CCNA
MS MCP (Server)

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 12 mathematics (C, M or U)

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

Costs

YEAR ONE FEES	Domestic	International
Tuition	$2,722	$13,322
Compulsory Ancillary	$1,337	$1,812
Program Incidental	$350	$350
Total Fees:	$4,409	$15,483

Please note: fees are based on the 2019-2020 academic year and do not include textbooks. For more information please see Other fees to consider.

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Call centre support
Computer service technician
Help desk technician
IT consultant
IT specialist
Information systems administrator
Network technician
Security administrator
Technical consultant

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Banks
Colleges and universities
Computer and network support companies
Government
Retail corporations
Software companies
Small to Medium Business
Telecommunications companies

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Graduates may choose to return to Durham College to complete an additional year of study in the Computer Systems Technology program. Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/pathways to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Laptop Requirements

Minimum Recommended Hardware

Intel I7 or AMD A10 processor or better with chipset that must support virtualization
16 GB of RAM
1 TB hard drive
Ethernet Network Card
Wireless Network Card
One USB 3.0 port (two preferred)