Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

School of Management, Tourism & Hospitality
mth@yukoncollege.yk.ca
t. 867.668.8762

Program Description

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program is offered entirely online in collaboration with several colleges in northern British Columbia and can be taken on a full- or part-time basis. This program will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the theoretical and applied uses of information technology in various business applications.

The program prepares students to enter the IT workforce as computer system support analysts (technical or applications), network administrators or software developers. Discussions are currently underway with selected universities to allow graduates of the ICT program entry into their programs at a second or third-year level so they may pursue bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science or Information Technology.

The ICT Program offers students a number of options:

A One-Year ICT Certificate
After one year of full-time studies students will have gained detailed knowledge of several PC applications and operating systems. They will be able to install, configure and troubleshoot software in both stand-alone and networked environments. They will be exposed to various programming, scripting and mark-up languages. The coursework will also provide them with customer service skills and an understanding of IT in a business environment.

A Two-Year ICT Diploma
The part-time second-year diploma option is designed for the working ICT professional. Diploma courses are offered on a part-time basis with an average of two courses available every term. Students will need a minimum of two and a half years to complete the entire diploma.
 

Admission Requirements

Certificate

• Math 10 (Applications, Principles, or Foundations and Pre-Calculus) (min. 75%) and English 12 or Communications 12 (min. 65%); OR
• Mature Student Status with acceptable scores on College Assessments or the GED® test.
• Students who have a math credit more than 3 years old must write the Mathematics Skills Assessment.
• Part-time students not fully meeting the above criteria may be admitted to courses, but must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 (C average) or better to continue in the program.

Diploma

• Math 11 (Applications, Principles, Foundations, or Pre-Calculus) (min. 70%) 

Other Requirements

It is strongly recommended that students have exposure to computers before commencing the program. It is also beneficial to have some experience with programming. Students are required to own their own computer, communications headset or microphone and have access to the Internet in order to participate in this online program.

Employment

Computers are in widespread use in almost every work site. Small businesses, municipal and territorial governments and various non-profit organizations and associations all have this in common, hence, the potential of a career in computer services, support or associated fields is both great and varied. As well as the office environment, computer sales and service companies are in need of qualified technicians to support the ever-increasing demand for computers. A certificate will qualify students for entry-level hardware technician, network technician or junior programmer positions. A diploma qualifies students for entry-level network administration jobs or entry level programming jobs as well as providing the basic knowledge and skill required for further training in this field.

General Outcomes

Upon completion of the certificate, students will have achieved:

• Competency in the use of various software applications, including operating systems.
• Basic understanding of computer networking theory.
• Competency in applying the basic technological knowledge and skills to plan, implement and maintain a network.
• Basic understanding of business functions as they relate to information technology professionals.
• Competency in public and customer relations skills.
• Concrete knowledge and practice in installing, diagnosing and maintaining computer hardware.
• Skills and knowledge to write various industry certification examinations, such as Cisco IT Essentials, CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Networks+.
• Foundational skills in programming and scripting.
• Basic website development and mark-up language programming skills.
• Ability to work successfully as part of a team to complete a project.
• Ability to configure basic web services.
• Ability to demonstrate familiarity with web standards.
• Ability to demonstrate effective problem definition and solving within a good customer service context.
• Ability to create basic systems requirements for existing or desired business processes.

Upon completion of the diploma and depending on the one of three areas of focus chosen, students will have achieved:

• Knowledge and in-depth skills in database design and practical experience in controlling data, design solutions for data storage and transferring database information.
• In-depth skills in installing, configuring and customizing Microsoft operating systems in stand-alone or networked environments.
• Advanced knowledge and skills in programming using multiple applications and languages.
• Ability to write reports and other business communications.
• Advanced ability to use web tools and technologies (such as multimedia, graphics, scripting, authoring tools, imaging tools and animation tools) for use in e-commerce.
• Ability to define and solve problems both independently and in teams by using creative approaches.
• Foundational knowledge and skills in project management.
• Ability and skills to research, evaluate, organize and summarize information.
• Ability to focus on emerging technologies and processes.
• Ability to transfer skills and knowledge of software, technology and business procedures from one situation to another.
• Ability to work as a team to define, scope, design, develop, test and implement a solution to a real business problem.
• Integrated focus on business information systems.

Ancillary Fees

2012-13 Ancillary Fees 21 KB

A Note on Online Training

The ICT program is delivered entirely online but is not self-paced. Course scheduling is not unlike scheduling of face-to-face courses with start and end dates. Online delivery of courses provides additional opportunities but also some challenges and does require significant commitment from students. Benefits include flexible hours of study, availability of the program in remote communities and increased course availability for those students who work part-time. Students will, however, work mostly on their own without the benefit of the classroom experience. Students who enrol in the program must have exceptional organizational skills, be motivated to schedule their own time for study and submit assignments on time. The courses in this program will have schedules that must be adhered to in order to complete them successfully.