Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Online Computer Technician Training and Career Education

Aspiring and working computer technicians can enroll in online continuing education or training programs offered by colleges or universities to gain job skills or prepare for professional certification. Hybrid degree options may also be available.

Training and Career Education for Computer Technicians

Introductory online training programs provide instruction in vendor-neutral environment that covers basic PC repair as well as computer networking tasks. Acquired skills and knowledge may qualify a student to sit for some certification exams. Working computer technicians such as computer support specialists, help desk technicians or technical support specialists may enroll in vendor-specific training to earn specialized computer technician certifications. Some online training programs are only available to students with computers running certain operating systems. Some online course software programs will work only on Microsoft operating systems. Students don't usually earn college credit for taking these classes.

Online Training and Certification Prep Programs

Continuing and Adult Education

Some colleges offer continuing or adult education programs in PC maintenance and repair that include computer technician training. In some cases, courses may prepare students for some entry-level professional certification exams, like CompTIA A+ certification. These training programs may culminate with a certificate of completion. For students who can obtain a second computer to take apart and fix, there are optional hands-on activities that students can carry out independently. The curriculum covers the parts of a computer and how they work, like CPU's and motherboards, memory, expansion cards, bus structures and operating systems. The process for connecting and networking computers is also covered, along with basic troubleshooting, network and computer security, upgrades and safety.

Certificate training

Formal certificate programs may offer a curriculum similar to that of continuing and adult education classes. Students may complete a program like this to fulfill prerequisites for associate degree study in a relevant field. Online learning can take place through downloadable course materials, chat sessions and online discussion boards.

Professional Certificate Training

Computer technicians can enroll in online certificate programs in order to prepare for general professional or vendor-specific certification exams, such as Microsoft Certified System Administrator 2003 (MSCA), Microsoft Certified System Administrator Plus 2003 (MCSA+), Microsoft Certified System Engineer 2003 (MCSE), Cisco CCNA authorized certification and ComptTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications. These exams certify that computer technicians are qualified to manage networked computing environments utilizing a Windows-based server. Some certification training programs are intended for those who already hold entry-level credentials, like CompTIA A+. Programs may be offered asynchronously and feature open enrollment. The curriculum is specifically designed to discuss the topics covered by the exam.

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