Cyber-Security PractitionerAS DegreeCertificate of Achievement
- Community of interest
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 40710.01AS
- Department
- Comp Sys Admin/Info Sys
- CIP code
- 11.1006: Computer Support Specialist.
- TOP code
- 0708.20 - Computer Support*
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP
Program Snapshot
- Community of interest
- STEM Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 40710.01AS
- Department
- Comp Sys Admin/Info Sys
- CIP code
- 11.1006: Computer Support Specialist.
- TOP code
- 0708.20 - Computer Support*
Next Steps
AS Degree — expand to learn about this award
The Associate of Science is typically awarded for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum that gives you a broad base of knowledge, and an academic program where you specialize.
About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.
Semester-by-Semester Map
Term 1
Class Schedules
course details
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of programming. Students will learn about the software development life-cycle, algorithms, and the design, implementation, and testing of programs using an object-oriented programming language. (C-ID COMP 112).
course details
This course introduces a variety of the tools and concepts used while working with a UNIX/Linux-based computer system. Students will learn to write shell scripts using basic commands and regular expressions. They will then use those tools to write scripts first with basic shell commands, then with grep, sed, and awk, then with more advanced decision-making and flow control commands. Other scripting tools such as Perl and Python will also be explored. Students will write shell script programs to exercise their understanding of tools and concepts. This course will be taught using a combination of lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on labs. (C-ID ITIS-135).
course details
This course provides an introduction to the computer hardware and software skills needed to help meet the growing demand for entry-level Information & Communication Technology (ICT) professionals. The fundamentals of computer hardware and software as well as advanced concepts such as security, networking, cloud computing, and the responsibilities of an ICT professional will be introduced. A special emphasis is placed on software, hardware, and network troubleshooting techniques. This course is intended to help students prepare for the CompTIA A+ certification exams. (C-ID ITIS 110).
General Education: Area 1A
about Area 1A
English Composition
Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.
Graduation Requirement Choice (See GE Guide)
Term 2
Class Schedules
course details
An introduction to the fundamental principles and topics of Information Technology Security and Risk Management at the organizational level. It addresses hardware, software, processes, communications, applications, and policies and procedures with respect to organizational Cybersecurity and Risk Management. Preparation for the CompTIA Security+ certification exams. (C-ID ITIS 160).
course details
In this course students learn how to perform basic administration of a multiuser Linux system. Topics include customizing the user environment, user administration, essential system services, networking, and security. Students will perform all essential tasks of a system administrator on a modern Linux distribution. This course prepares students for the globally recognized LPIC1-102 Certification test.
Prerequisite: CSCI 25
Select one track:
CCNA
Systems Administration
General Education: Area 2
about Area 2
Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning
College-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning — the toolkit behind science, business, and informed citizenship.
General Education: Area 5
about Area 5
Physical and Biological Sciences
The physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena — astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics — taught alongside the scientific method that makes them work.
Term 3
Class Schedules
course details
This course introduces the network security specialist to the various methodologies for attacking a network. Students will be introduced to the concepts, principles, and techniques, supplemented by hands-on exercises, for attacking and disabling a network within the context of properly securing a network. The course will emphasize network attack methodologies with the emphasis on student use of network attack techniques and tools and appropriate defenses and countermeasures. Students will receive course content information through a variety of methods: lecture and demonstration of hacking tools will be used in addition to a virtual environment. Students will experience a hands-on practical approach to penetration testing measures and ethical hacking. (C-ID ITIS 164).
Prerequisite: CSCI 17 or Security+ Certification, or department approval
Select one track:
CCNA
Systems Administration
General Education: Area 1B
about Area 1B
Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
Baccalaureate-level oral communication and/or critical thinking — speaking with structure to a live audience, analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions.
General Education: Area 4
about Area 4
Social and Behavioral Sciences
The systematic study of people as members of society — cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology — and the methods these disciplines use to ask their questions.
Elective (any course numbered 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.
Term 4
Class Schedules
course details
This course prepares students for success in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) careers by developing the professional and interpersonal skills essential in today’s workplace. Students will learn how to create clear and effective reports, engage with stakeholders to ensure project and organizational success, and build confidence through interviewing techniques and résumé development. The course also emphasizes professional identity through social networking profile management and digital presence. A special focus is placed on the ethical and effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace, helping students understand how to leverage emerging technologies responsibly. By the end of the course, students will possess a toolkit of career-ready skills that complement their technical training and support long-term professional growth. Pass/No Pass.
Select one track:
CCNA
Systems Administration
General Education: Area 3
about Area 3
Arts and Humanities
How people and cultures, across time, respond to themselves and the world through artistic and cultural creative production. Visual and performing arts, art history, foreign languages, literature, philosophy, religion.
General Education: Area 6
about Area 6
Ethnic Studies
The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.
Elective (any course numbered 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.
Career Connections
2-Year Degree Paths
Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.
No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.
4-Year Degree Paths
Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.
Example roles: 2
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Computer Network Support Specialists
Graduate School Paths
Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.
No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the graduate-school pathway for this program.
Local Job Market
Computer User Support SpecialistsSOC 15-12322 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Maximus 1
- PT Solutions Physical Therapy 1
Where the postings are
- Chico, Butte County 1
- Linda, Yuba County 1
Sample current postings
Computer Network Support SpecialistsSOC 15-1231no nearby openings indexed
No nearby openings matched any of: computer network support specialist. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.
Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.
Source Notes
Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.
Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.
Last generated 2026-07-05T16:55+00:00