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Ready for an exciting career in information technology?

From entry-level certificates designed to equip you with the fundamental skills you need to get straight to work, to intermediate-level certificates that provide a deeper understanding of the tools and languages you need for your career, CT State is proud to offer computer information technology (IT) programs for every skill level! Whether you're a beginner looking to start a career in IT or an experienced professional seeking to specialize in web development or information security, CT State's Computer IT programs provide a solid foundation and valuable credentials for success in the industry.

The Equitable IT Pathways Initiative (EIT PI) Grant provides eligible students with tuition scholarships, supports and student success payments for approved IT programs. To learn more, go to our funding page.

Choose Your Certificate

IT Support Certificate

IT support tech smiles and talks on headpiece

The IT Support Certificate is designed to give learners the skills they need for an entry-level IT role. The certificate course teaches skills, including how to build a computer and install an operating system, system administration and security, networking, and troubleshooting. This certificate is composed of five classes that work in progression from beginner level to advanced level. You will also earn three individual industry-recognized certifications in addition to the overall IT Support Certificate. One exam voucher for the CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and AWS Cloud Foundations is included in the tuition.

In This Course, You’ll Learn To:

  • use the Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook and achieve an intermediate level of understanding of all five applications
  • understand the most common hardware and software
  • support complex IT infrastructures
  • confidently design, configure, manage and troubleshoot any wired and wireless network configuration

Prerequisites

  • IT Bootcamp or related experience, which includes familiarity with hardware (installation of RAM, expansion cards, peripheral devices, configure drivers and general hardware troubleshooting)
  • Must be comfortable using computer software and Microsoft Office applications

Level

Beginner

Commitment

198 hours
Instruction includes a combination of instructor-led and self-study training.

Credentials Earned

  • College Certificate of Completion in IT Support
  • CompTIA A+ Certification
  • CompTIA Network + Certification
  • Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • AWS Cloud Foundations Certification

Certificate Courses           

  • Prerequisite: IT Bootcamp (Beginner): 24 hours
  • CompTIA A+ Certification (Beginner): 72 hours
  • CompTIA Network + Certification (Beginner): 42 hours
  • Microsoft Office Specialist (Beginner): 42 hours
  • AWS Cloud Foundations Certification (Beginner): 24 hours

This Course Will Prepare You For A Career As A:

  • Computer User Support Specialist
  • Help Desk Technician
  • IT Specialist
  • IT Support Specialist
  • IT Technician
  • Support Specialist
  • Systems Analyst
  • Tech Support Specialist

Artificial Intelligence Certificate

outstretched hand with digital graphics implying artificial intelligence comes from hand

The non-credit certificate in artificial intelligence offers a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental concepts and applications of AI. Through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights, participants will emerge equipped to harness the power of generative AI in their professional endeavors. 

Courses

Introduction to Generative AI

This foundational course introduces participants to the world of Generative Artificial Intelligence, spanning across key areas such as language processing models and image generation technologies. Over four weekly sessions, students will explore the basic principles of Generative AI, get familiar with leading AI models like ChatGPT 4, delve into text-to-image generation, and discuss the ethical considerations and governance surrounding AI technologies. Designed for non-technical college students, professionals, and AI enthusiasts, the course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Generative AI, highlighting its capabilities, applications, and societal impacts.

AI in Society: Ethical and Social Implications

This course equips students with the skills to leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance productivity and efficiency in both their professional and personal lives. Students will explore how generative AI, automation tools, and AI-driven planners can streamline workflows, optimize decision-making, and improve time management. The course covers practical applications with a focus on integrating AI tools into everyday processes. Through hands-on exercises and case studies, participants will develop strategies to maximize output with minimal effort, fostering growth in both career and life.

Generative AI for Business and Creative Professionals

This course provides an exploration of advanced Generative AI technologies and their applications across various business functions. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of leading AI models, such as ChatGPT, Claude 3, and Google Gemini, and learn how to leverage their capabilities through advanced prompting techniques. The course will cover cross-industry use cases in marketing, operations, and human resources, as well as the organizational integration challenges associated with implementing Generative AI solutions. Through hands-on exercises, case studies, and a final project, students will develop the skills needed to effectively deploy Generative AI in real-world business scenarios.

Prerequisites

  • Students should be proficient in basic computer navigation, including using the mouse, opening and closing windows, and browsing the internet.

Level

Beginner

Commitment

40 hours

Credentials Earned

  • College Certificate of Completion in Artificial Intelligence

Certificate Courses

  • AI in Society: Ethical and Social Implications (Beginner): 15 hours
  • Applications of Generative AI in Business and Industry (Beginner): 15 hours

    Web Developer Certificate

    woman concentrates while coding on computer with two screens

    Web developers are responsible for ensuring that websites look good and function properly by collaborating with web and graphic designers, monitoring website traffic, troubleshooting website problems when they arise and updating websites as necessary. The classes in this intermediate-level web developer certificate are offered in a progression from beginner to advanced level, enabling you to earn two individual industry-recognized certificates in addition to the overall web developer certificate.

    In This Course, You’ll Learn To:

    • program HTML for the web. 
    • format cascading style sheets (CSS) 
    • utilize some of the most popular website-building tools, such as WordPress and Wix 
    • understand the concept of content management systems (CMS) and building dynamic websites
    • demonstrate proficiency by maintaining your own portfolio
    • utilize basic language elements, object-oriented programming, web application basics, utility methods for arrays, observable and observer objects, date and times, using scanner regular expression and GUI programming

    Prerequisites

    • High school diploma from a computer tech program (i.e. one of the state technical high school IT programs) or experience with coding programs and/or basic web developing

    Level

    Intermediate

    Commitment

    458 hours
    Courses include a combination of instructor-led and self-study training. The Google Data Analytics course is 180 hours and the Google UX Design course is 200 hours, each of which is facilitated by an instructor for 50 hours.

    Credentials Earned

    • College Certificate of Completion in Web Developer
    • Google Data Analytics Certificate
    • Google UX Design Certificate

    Certificate Courses

    • Prerequisite: IT Bootcamp (Beginner): 24 hours
    • Web Design (Beginner): 30 hours
    • Google Data Analytics Certificate (Intermediate): 180 hours
    • Google UX Design Certificate (Intermediate): 200 hours
    • JAVA (Intermediate): 30 hours
    • PHP/MYSQL (Intermediate): 18 hours

    This Course Will Prepare You For A Career As A:

    • Associate Data Analyst
    • Data Analyst
    • Interaction Designer
    • Junior Data Analyst
    • UI Designer
    • User Experience (UX) Designer
    • Web Developer

    Cybersecurity/Information Security Certificate

    woman looks at transparent screen with code typed on it

    A security certificate is used to provide a website's security level to general visitors, internet service providers (ISPs) and web servers. It's also known as a digital certificate and a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate. These classes are offered in a progression from beginner to advanced level, which will also enable participants to earn three individual industry-recognized certifications in addition to the overall Cybersecurity/Information Security Certificate. 

    The following courses include one exam voucher in the tuition: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+.

    In This Course, You’ll Learn To:

    • identify the fundamental concepts of computer security
    • recognize security threats and vulnerabilities
    • manage data, applications and host security
    • implement network security
    • manage certificates
    • identify and implement compliance and operational security measures
    • manage risk, troubleshoot and manage security incidents
    • plan for business continuity and disaster recovery
    • gain foundational skills in navigating the Linux operating system and writing simple Python scripts, enabling you to perform basic system tasks and automate routine processes.

    Prerequisites

    • Successful completion of the IT Bootcamp or similar knowledge.

    Level

    Intermediate

    Commitment

    246 hours
    Instruction includes a combination of instructor-led and self-study training.

    Credentials Earned

    • College Certificate of Completion in Information Security
    • CompTIA A + Certification
    • CompTIA Network + Certification
    • CompTIA Security+ Certification
    • Associate of ISC² CISSP or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

    Certificate Courses

    • CompTIA A+ Certification (Intermediate): 72 hours
    • CompTIA Network+ Certification (Intermediate): 60 hours
    • CompTIA Security+ Certification (Intermediate): 60 hours
    • Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery: 6 hours
    • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (or Associate CISSP) (isc2.org), (Advanced): 35 hours

    This Course Will Prepare You For A Career As A:

    • Computer Network Architect
    • Information Security Analyst
    • Network and Computer Systems Administrator

    Network and Cloud Certificate

    aerial view of city with digital light beams bouncing between buildings and areas

    This certificate is intended for individuals with five years of hands-on experience architecting and implementing network solutions. Candidates should have experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS) security best practices, AWS storage options and AWS networking, have knowledge of advanced networking architectures and interconnectivity options, and be able to design, implement and optimize global cloud networks. These classes are offered in a progression from beginner to advanced level, which will also enable participants to earn four individual industry-recognized certifications in addition to the overall Network and Cloud Certificate. One exam voucher for each AWS Cloud Foundations, Architecture, Operations and Developer is included in the tuition.

    In This Course, You’ll Learn To:

    • build solutions for account security.
    • use monitoring and automation
    • understand AWS services like AWS Lambda, AWS X-Ray, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, and more.

    Prerequisites

    • Associate degree in information technology, computer networking, cybersecurity and/or five or more years of hands-on experience architecting and implementing network solutions.

    Level

    Advanced

    Commitment

    144 hours

    Credentials Earned

    • College Certificate of Completion in Network and Cloud
    • AWS Cloud Foundations Certification
    • AWS Cloud Architecture Certification
    • AWS Cloud Operations Certification
    • AWS Cloud Developer Certification

    Certificate Courses

    • AWS Cloud Foundations (Intermediate), 24hrs
    • AWS Cloud Architecture (Advanced), 40hrs
    • AWS Cloud Operations (Advanced), 40hrs
    • AWS Cloud Developer (Advanced), 40hrs

    This Course Will Prepare You For A Career As A:

    • Cloud Project Manager
    • Cloud Solutions Architect
    • Cloud Systems Administrator
    • Cloud DevOps Engineer

    IT Bootcamp

    Commitment: 24 hours
    Cost: $475

    This course will acquaint you with the computer terminology and devices that help manage digital information today. The curriculum will cover the installation of RAM, expansion cards, and peripheral devices as well as how to configure drivers and troubleshoot your Windows operating system. Learn to reformat a hard drive then partition and load Windows on it. Additional topics include troubleshooting basics, researching errors online, hardware trends, buying a new PC (pre-built vs. custom), and standards for monitors, hard drive sizes, ports, and optical drives. Additionally, viruses, spyware, surge protectors and backups will be discussed.

    Google IT Support

    Commitment: 150 hours
    Cost: $1,020

    Ready to jump into the exciting world of information technology (IT)? This fully-online program will teach you everything you need to know to earn a Google IT Support certificate.

    Next Steps

    Find Your Course

    Use our course finder to get info about upcoming classes including dates, times, locations, and more. (Select WFD/CE 2024-2025 for summer, fall and winter courses.)

    Register

    Registering for a course is easy and can be done in-person, online, or by mail.

    Learn About Funding Options

    Many of our courses have funding options available for qualifying students.

    The CompTIA A+, Network and Security programs are approved by CompTIA, 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 100, Downers Grove, IL 60515, 866-835-8020