Microsoft System Administration

The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Microsoft System Administration program is designed to provide students with background knowledge and skills required for learning the specific tasks and industry recognized standards associated with computer networks and data communications. The program includes a core of Microsoft courses to develop professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments based on current Microsoft operating systems including active directory, messaging services, file and print servers, and firewalls. The courses in the program are also designed to help prepare students for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate and Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) - Windows Server 2016 certification exams. Students who complete this program may seek employment in a variety of environments. Students can also pursue additional Certificates of Completion (CCL) in a variety of specializations within the information technology field to deepen their knowledge and skills and to help prepare them for multiple industry certification examinations. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Network and Systems Administration is also available.

Details

Field of Interest
Computer and Information Technology
Degree Type
Certificate of Completion (CCL)
Academic Plan
Microsoft System Administration (CER)
Academic Plan Code
5031
Total credits required
18-21
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students who pursue this Certificate of Completion (CCL) should have a basic level of computer literacy including navigating the internet and computer systems or take CIS105 as indicated in the required courses. Students with the requisite skills may have the CIS105 requirement waived by permission of the Program Director.

Courses within any of the following prefixes must be taken within five (5) years prior to completion of the program to be applied toward this award: AIM, BPC, CIS, CLD, CNT, CSC, ITS, and MST.

What You'll Learn
  • Monitor events and manage network resources.
  • Install, configure, and manage a Microsoft network operating system, virtualization, containerization, and Deployment Services.
  • Install, configure, and manage networks with Microsoft Active Directory services and policies including Federation Services.
  • Design, install, configure, and manage Microsoft network infrastructure services.
  • Configure and manage resource security with permissions based access control including file system permissions.
  • Design, install, configure, and manage high availability and scalable systems while also employing disaster recovery planning.
  • Utilize scripting to automate system administration tasks.

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Computer and Information Systems Managers

$153,060

There are additional career opportunities associated with this certificate that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Computer Network Architects
  • Computer Network Support Specialists
  • Computer Systems Analysts
  • Information Security Analysts
  • Network and Computer Systems Administrators

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CIS105 Survey of Computer Information Systems Critical course OR May be waived by permission of the Program Director CS 0–3
MST150++ Any Microsoft Windows course Gateway course Students may be able to accelerate their learning by taking 8-week courses 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CIS121AH Microsoft PowerShell/Command Line Operations Students may be able to accelerate their learning by taking 8-week courses 3
MST155DC Installation, Storage, and Compute with Windows Server Students may be able to accelerate their learning by taking 8-week courses 4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MST157DC Networking with Windows Server Students may be able to accelerate their learning by taking 8-week courses 4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MST158DC Identity Management with Windows Server 2016 Students may be able to accelerate their learning by taking 8-week courses 4
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm11?id=981350).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Microsoft System Administration