Overview

Mission Statement

Prepare students to meet emerging security and technology career challenges, to ensure they are technologically skilled, perform professionally, and provide excellent services.

Overview

The Information Technology Services and Cybersecurity programs are technical degree options that will prepare you to work in the rapidly evolving, high-demand, high wage world of technology. As technology is becoming a greater part of our lives, the demand for keeping services and systems safe and operational has never been higher.

As the Cybersecurity program derives from ITS, both programs share the first-year Intermediate Technical Certificate (ITC), which provides foundational knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level IT service work. The ITS ITC also trains to industry-recognized certifications.

The Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) in Information Technology Services (ITS) is a two-year program designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for employment in small, medium, or large corporate environments that may consist of multiple locations, networks, domains, and cloud services. Training includes support for a broad range of technologies and common network services such as messaging, file sharing and management, printing, firewalling, internet connectivity, Software Defined Networking (SDN), remote access, and server and client management. Additionally, the program prepares students to gain industry-recognized, skills-based, certifications from partners like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, and Amazon (AWS).

Program Options

  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS):
    60 Credits | 4 full-time semesters (24 months) | Including five general education courses
  • Intermediate Technical Certificate (ITC):
    30 Credits | 2 full-time semesters (12 months) | Includes fewer general education courses

What do our students learn?

  • Learn to install, configure, secure, troubleshoot, and maintain hardware and software
  • Design, configure, & troubleshoot network infrastructure
  • Backup and restore methods, & maintaining trouble-free operation
  • Management and maintenance of remote computing environments
  • Network infrastructure design with devices, servers, and applications
  • Installation and operation of network devices such as switches
  • Industry certification in A+, Network+, Linux+, Security+ (CompTIA), Microsoft, Cisco, and Amazon (AWS)

Why CEI’s IT program?

  • Lowest cost statewide in Idaho
  • Graduate with up to 8 industry certifications (Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA)
  • Low student-to-teacher ratio
  • Graduate with real-life, hands-on experience

Where are our graduates working?

  • National laboratories
  • Consulting services
  • Telecommunication companies
  • Owning their own small businesses
  • Security contractors
  • In-house IT Support

Placement

86% average placement for graduates over the past five years

Requirements

Application

Students wanting to apply for a degree seeking program at the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) must submit all of the following application materials for review:

  • Application for admission
  • Official high school/GED transcript
  • Official transcripts from ALL colleges attended
  • Minimum math placement score: SAT 430+, ACT 17+, or ALEKS 20+
  • Digital literacy placement:
    • Pass BSN 215 with a grade of “B” or better; or
    • Pass the CEI Digital Literacy Exam with a score >80%

Once all the application materials are received, admissions will evaluate the student’s application to ensure it is correct and complete.

Competitive Programs

The Information Technology Services and Information Assurance and Cybersecurity programs are competitive. There are 40 seats available every fall and spring semester, split between morning and afternoon classes, and 20 additional seats available in the spring in evening classes. Seats will be given on a first come first serve basis. In order to increase your chances of entering the program early you must submit your application, transcripts, and test scores to CEI as soon as possible.

When students are accepted into the CSEC program they will be placed into a cohort for the fall semester (day classes) or spring semester (night classes). Students interested in ITS, are recommended to start in the fall and students interested in Cyber, are recommended to start in the spring.

Course Curriculum

Information Technology Services (AAS)

60 Credits | 4 semester | Financial Aid Eligible

Semester 1

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 114Computer Essentials4
CNT 115Operating System Essentials4
CNT 129Leadership I1
COMM 101Fundamentals of Oral Communication3
GEM ANY GEM 3 Math WOK3

Semester 2

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 123Fundamentals In Network Security3
CNT 142Linux6
CNT 171Networking6

Semester 3

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 210Supervised Work Experience3
CNT 224Server I4
CNT 225Server II4
CNT 229Leadership II1
CNT 271Networking II3
ENGL 101Writing & Rhetoric3

Semester 4

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 210Supervised Work Experience3
CNT 226Server III3
CNT 270Emerging Trends in Computer Networking3
ElectiveAny Elective Course
PHIL 103 or CRJ 103 Recommended
3
GEMGEM 6 - Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing3

Information Technology Services (ITC)

30 Credits | 2 Semesters | Financial Aid Eligible

Semester 1

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 114Computer Essentials4
CNT 115Operating System Essentials4
CNT 129Leadership I1
COMM 101Fundamentals of Oral Communication3
GEM ANY GEM 3 Math WOK3

Semester 2

Course PrefixCourse TitleCredits
CNT 123Fundamentals In Network Security3
CNT 142Linux6
CNT 171Networking6