HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

Why Study for Information Technology Support?
This accelerated technician programme, which is a partnership between the institutes of technology and industry, provides graduates with the necessary skills to operate as a first line information technology support person in a wide range of industrial and business environments. The programme has a strong emphasis on practical aspects of Information Technology Support and offers a specialist qualification in hardware and software support, and CISCO and Oracle training.

On completion of the programme, graduates will have gained knowledge and skills in various areas including:

Installing and trouble-shooting local area networks
Installing software packages and setting system parameters
Managing user accounts on server systems
Providing user support, including help-desk operation
Providing hardware support
PCs and peripherals
Providing support to Software Development environments
Providing user training
Monitoring system and network performance

Programme Modules
Programme modules may include the following:

Computer Applications, Computer Systems, Operating Systems 1, Computer Networks 1, Software Development 1, Interpersonal Communication, Computer Networks 2, Operating Systems 2, Training and Support, Mathematics Electives (two of): Databases, Multimedia, Business Management, Software Development 2

Career Opportunities
Graduates have a wide choice of career paths in both public and private sector industries: large manufacturing companies, financial institutions, healthcare industries and electronic organisations. Many of our graduates have obtained jobs in local authorities, educational institutes and other businesses, both domestically and internationally as:

Administrators and IT Technicians
IT Team Leader
Help Desk technicians
IT Trainers

Other Essential Information
Application
Closing date for applications is the 11th November 2011.

Lectures will commence in January 2012.

Industrial Links
There is a six month period of sponsored and paid industrial placement sandwiched between two six month periods in the Institute. Companies involved include ADC, ACS, Brothers of Charity, Compaq, CMS Peripherals, Dell, Esat BT, Lionbridge Technologies, Western Care, Mayo Connacht Gold, Lionbridge, Mayo VEC, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon County Councils and Teagasc.

Follow-on Studies
Students may progress to the one year add-on Bachelor of Science in Computing in Information Technology Support at the Castlebar Campus or other Institutes.