Network Engineering: CS

Network Engineering: CS

Certificate of Specialization | 28 credit hours minimum

Area of Interest: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

Program Website

Academic Advising

Program Description:

Forest Park

Network Engineering Certificate of Specialization is a skill-oriented program that prepares students to design, implement, troubleshoot, maintain, and secure enterprise network infrastructure. It starts with the foundation principles of local and wide-area, multi-segmented networks, and then covers a wide range of skills associated with all aspects of enterprise level networks for business. The design and implementation skills developed include those required for network and application servers, desktop hosts, infrastructure cabling and connection devices such as switches and routers (including wireless), security appliances and virtualization of resources for performance optimization. The courses in the program provide a combination of online, distance learning and intensive, classroom-based, hands-on skills development. The demonstration of hands-on skills is critical to employers. Students completing the program are prepared for a variety of industry certification exams as well as entry-level employment technical interviews.

Location. This program is offered in its entirety at Forest Park. 

Related Programs. The Computer and Information Technology Department offers an associate and certificates in the following areas:

Cisco Networking Academy: CCNA, Certificate of Specialization

CompTIA A+ Certification, Certificate of Specialization

CompTIA A+ and Security+ Certifications, Certificate of Specialization

IT Help Desk/End User Support, Certificate of Specialization

Network Security Engineering, Associate in Applied Science

Cost of Attendance.  For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES

Program Career and Salary Information.  Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at the following URL: https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest. 

The following limitations to the data apply: Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.

Interested in this program? Start the enrollment process by visiting the Apply to STLCC page.   

At the completion of the program, students are expected to:

  1. employ the command line interface (CLI) to implement, troubleshoot, maintain, and secure an enterprise network.
  2. use network methodologies to implement a secure Local Area Network (LAN) network.
  3. describe the proper implementation and use of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), trunks, Etherchannel, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), routing, and First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRP).
  4. explain the network layered models and the use of global, local, and internal network addressing.
  5. explain how to initiate, monitor, and secure data as it is traveling across the network.

Program of Study

Program Requirements
IS 130Hardware Support - CompTIA A+ Core 1 (Hardware)3
IS 229Unix/Linux I3
IS 237Fundamentals of Information Assurance/Security - CompTIA Security+3
IS 264Unix/Linux II3
IT 102Desktop Software Support - CompTIA A+ Core 2 (Software)3
IT 101Cisco Networking Academy I: Introduction to Networks5
IT 201Cisco Networking Academy II: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials5
IT 210Firewall and VPN Security3
Total Credit Hours28

Full-Time Academic Plan

PLEASE NOTE:  If you originally enrolled at STLCC prior to Fall 2024, you may need to view an archived catalog for your correct program requirements.  Please speak with an advisor or the program coordinator for more information.

New PlanGrids
First Year
Fall Credit Hours Prerequisites Milestones/Notes
IT 102 Desktop Software Support - CompTIA A+ Core 2 (Software)3Reading Proficiency
IS 229 Unix/Linux I3Reading Proficiency
IT 101 Cisco Networking Academy I: Introduction to Networks5Reading ProficiencyOffered Fall and Spring, First 8 weeks
IT 201 Cisco Networking Academy II: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials5IT 101 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading ProficiencyOffered Fall and Spring, Second 8 weeks
Credit Hours16
Spring Credit Hours Prerequisites Milestones/Notes
IS 130 Hardware Support - CompTIA A+ Core 1 (Hardware)3Reading Proficiency
IS 237 Fundamentals of Information Assurance/Security - CompTIA Security+3IT 102 or IS 229 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading ProficiencyFirst 8 weeks
IS 264 Unix/Linux II3IS 229 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading ProficiencyOffered Fall and Spring
IT 210 Firewall and VPN Security3IT 201 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading ProficiencyOffered Fall and Spring
Credit Hours12
Total Credit Hours28

*Click on the hyperlinked course number to view additional information about the course.

**Students completing a course that has been assigned a MOTR number may transfer that course to any public institution in Missouri. Those who complete CORE 42 requirements will have that verification on their transcript.

*** It is your responsibility to verify that the courses listed above will transfer to the four-year institution of your choice.  Maximize your transfer credits/classes by meeting with an academic advisor.