Online Systems Administration Courses and Training Programs

Experienced IT professionals can take online courses and training programs in systems administration. People may take these classes to formally advance their skills and also prepare for professional certification testing.

Courses and Training Programs

Systems administration courses may be available as stand-alone training programs or as part of formal degree programs. Stand-alone classes can be offered through educational partnerships set up between third-party providers and colleges or universities.
Programs may be open enrollment, although they're typically intended for those who have 6-12 months of relevant work experience - some even prefer that students have already earned professional IT certification, like A+ or Network+ certification. Schools typically confer a certificate of completion and may offer continuing education credits.

How Courses Work

Self-paced and instructor-led programs may be offered. Students can log onto a course management system regularly to access lectures, assignments, lessons, quizzes and exams. Instructor-led programs generally offer the opportunity to interact directly with the teacher, as well as chat online with fellow students.
Learning is typically asynchronous, although firm start dates may be enforced. Self-paced programs can take six months or more to complete, sometimes up to a year. A limited number of extensions to that deadline may be possible.

Curriculum

Areas of study include management and implementation of changes to maximize server efficiency for computer networks. From hardware and software configurations to resource management, students generally learn all facets of systems administration. Courses also prepare students for professional online systems administrator certification exams. The curriculum may be specialized according to type of computing environment.

Degree Options

For students who decide they'd like to earn a formal college degree, systems administration courses may be available online as part of associate's, bachelor's or master's degree programs. Degree options are generally available in computer technology, network and system administration or a similar field. Students who want to enroll in a degree program often need to formally apply and be accepted as a student.