Microsoft Certified Specialist - Formerly MCTS Networking - Major #2724

Certificate of Achievement Program Map
🖶 Printer Friendly Report

The program map below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this path. It is always recommended that you meet with your pathway counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.


Designed to meet the training needs for qualified entry-level Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist network technicians. It is also designed to help prepare for the industry certification tests.


Upon completion of the program, students will:
  1. 1. Students will be able to describe the logical and physical components of Active Directory, plan and implement an organizational unit structure, plan and implement a Group Policy strategy to centrally manage users and computers in an enterprise, implement sites to manage and monitor Active Directory replication, plan and manage operations masters, and plan and implement an Active Directory infrastructure that is based on a directory service design provided by an enterprise architect.
  2. 2. Students will be able to install and upgrade to Windows XP Professional, configure and manage file systems, configure the desktop environment, use profiles to control desktop customization, configure Windows XP Professional to operate on Windows networks, and configure Windows XP Professional for mobile computing.
  3. 3. Students will be able to describe the process for designing an Active Directory infrastructure and a network infrastructure that supports Active Directory, design a site infrastructure that meets the needs of an organization, design an administrative structure that meets the needs of an organization, design a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) structure that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization, and design a name resolution strategy that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of the organization.
  4. 4. Students will be able to outline best practices for the information security goals of confidentiality, integrity and availability, explain ethical practices, define vocabulary/terminology related to information security, explain the importance of planning and administrative controls, identify security threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures, and identify procedures for security risk management.
Effective Term: 2023 Fall Semester

Certificate Requirements 

14 units

CIT 60
Beginning Visual Basic

4 units
Effective Term: 2023 Fall Semester
This course is an introduction to programming with Visual Basic. The student will develop applications using standard Windows elements such as command buttons, and check, option and list boxes. Emphasis is on structured program design, including debugging, testing, and documentation. (A, CSU, UC)
Course Details:
  1. Advisory: CIT 48A
  2. Advisory: CIT 48B
    1. CSU Transfer Course
    1. D3 - Anaylitical Thinkning

    CIT 28
    Client/Server Databases

    3 units
    Effective Term: 2023 Fall Semester
    This course covers the fundamentals of relational databases: how to design, connect, create, and query tables using Structured Query Language (SQL). (A, CSU)
    Course Details:
        1. CSU Transfer Course

          CIT 50
          Server Administration

          4 units
          Effective Term: 2025 Fall Semester
          This course is designed to familiarize the student with the implementation and support of a computer network infrastructure. The topics will include installing, configuring, and supporting the fundamentals of Windows and Linux servers. (A, CSU)

          CIT 54A
          Network Security

          3 units
          Effective Term: 2025 Fall Semester
          This course provides an introduction to network security principles including firewall technologies, AAA, intrusion prevention, securing LANs, implementing VPNs, and managing secure networks. (A, CSU)
          Total: 14 units