Computer Systems Technology (Co-op option available)

Program Overview

If you see yourself in a career that involves the design, testing, installation and maintenance of computer hardware and software systems, the Computer Systems Technology program is for you. This program is built on partnerships with some of the most influential names in networking today, including Cisco, IBM and Microsoft. With additional education in systems analysis, database administration and system and network security, this program creates multi-skilled graduates who can respond flexibly to the complex hardware, software and application needs and problems in today’s information technology environment. You will learn in new state-of-the-art labs and work with professors who are connected to industry.

Co-op/Field Placement

Computer Networks

Computer Hardware

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
September 2020	Open	Open
January 2021	Open

Tuition

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

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Co-operative Education (co-op)

Entrance into the co-op option is competitive. Students will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first year of study. Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete a four-month, paid work term between the second and third years of their program.

Semester 1 Courses

View All Courses

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Associate network engineer
Computer support specialist
Systems support analyst
Help desk analyst
IT analyst
Network administrator
Network analyst
Service specialist representative
Systems support specialist
Technical support analyst
IT security specialist

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.

Graduates of the three-year Computer Systems Technology program are ready to meet the information technology (IT) needs of the business, industry, service and government sectors. You will be trained to plan, implement and analyze IT solutions based on various operating systems, networking technologies and computer programming languages.

The curriculum addresses:

Advanced topics in network management
Communication protocols
CISCO switches and networks
Microsoft Servers and applications.
Mail servers
Security
Unified Communications enterprise-level management of server platforms

As a graduate, you will have the skills and expertise required to be an active participant in the planning and implementation of the information security programs and procedures required by modern organizations due to increasingly stringent reporting and privacy regulations. You will also be able to deploy Internet servers for the web, email and network services.

The multiple skills you will gain through this program will enable you to challenge for industry-recognized certifications including Cisco (e.g. CCNA, CCNP and CCNA Security); Microsoft (e.g. MCP and MCSE); and CompTIA (e.g. A+, Network+ and Linux+).

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- Network+
CompTIA A+
LPIC-1-2
Cisco CCNA
MS MCP (Server)

In The News

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

Semester 5

Semester 6

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	$15,484

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:

Associate network engineer
Computer support specialist
Systems support analyst
Help desk analyst
IT analyst
Network administrator
Network analyst
Service specialist representative
Systems support specialist
Technical support analyst
IT security specialist

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Banks
Colleges and universities
Computer and network support companies
Small to Medium Size Business
Government
Publishing companies
Retail corporations
Self-employment
Software, telecommunications or publishing companies

Field Placement

Your learning experience will be complemented by a four-week, 160-hour field placement in the final semester, which will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on IT experience, apply the theories and concepts learned, and gain contacts for future careers.

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Qualified graduates can go on to take Durham College’s Human Resources Management, Project Management and/or Information Systems Security – Computers and Networking graduate certificate programs or may be eligible to apply their academic credits towards further study through Durham College’s partnerships with many Canadian and international colleges and universities. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

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)

Software Requirements

Windows 10 Professional Edition

Co-operative education (co-op)

The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component of this form of experiential learning.

Students in the Computer Systems Technology program will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first year of study. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive. Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete a four-month, paid work term between the second and third years of their program.

Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions. Upon completing the work term, co-op students return to campus to complete their final two academic semesters of the program before graduating.

Program sequence

SEPTEMBER INTAKE:

	Fall (September to December)	Winter (January to April)	Summer (May to August)
Year 1	Academic semester 1	Academic semester 2	Summer break
Year 2	Academic semester 3	Academic semester 4	Co-op work term 1
Year 3	Academic semester 5	Academic semester 6

JANUARY INTAKE:

	Fall (September to December)	Winter (January to April)	Summer (May to August)
Year 1		Academic semester 1	Academic semester 2
Year 2	Academic semester 3	Academic semester 4	Co-op work term 1
Year 3	Academic semester 5	Academic semester 6

Courses

CO-OP OPTION

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

SEMESTER 3

SEMESTER 4

CO-OP WORK TERM

Co-op Work Term 1 (CSCC 1000)
The co-op work term will provide students with work experience in the design, testing, installation and maintenance of computer hardware and software systems. The co-op work term expands students’ learning environment to real work settings where they will be challenged to apply their academic knowledge and then return to campus with a deepened understanding of industry demands and required skills.

SEMESTER 5

SEMESTER 6

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

CO-OP ADMINISTRATIVE FEE

Once transferred to the co-op option of a program, students will have a co-op administrative fee of $475 assessed to their accounts. The administrative fee goes to support the broad array of support services provided to co-op students. These services are dedicated to supporting student success.

Learn more

Find more information about the benefits of becoming a co-op student.

Find more information about the benefits of becoming a co-op employer.

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Intakes and Availability

Tuition

Co-operative Education (co-op)

Semester 1 Courses

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

Certifications

In The News

Admission Requirements

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Field Placement

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Laptop Requirements

Minimum Recommended Hardware

Software Requirements

Co-operative education (co-op)

Program sequence

SEPTEMBER INTAKE:

JANUARY INTAKE:

Courses

CO-OP OPTION

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

SEMESTER 3

SEMESTER 4

CO-OP WORK TERM

SEMESTER 5

SEMESTER 6

CO-OP ADMINISTRATIVE FEE

Learn more

Computer Systems Technology (Co-op option available) in the news

Helpful Resources

College guide September 2020 [PDF]

College guide September 2020 [Interactive]

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]

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