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Cisco Networking Academy

The Cisco Networking Academy provides students with valuable internet technology skills for the global economy. These hands-on training courses qualify students to pursue a number of industry-standard certifications, such as CCNA, CCNP and CCNA Security.

The Cisco Academy teaches students to design, build and maintain computer networks. The Academy curriculum teaches students Internet technology skills such as networking, UNIX, IT Essentials, Cabling and Java, and prepares them for industry certifications, including Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and Cisco Network Security certifications.

Cisco Certifications

The Cisco Academy curricula covers a broad range of topics from basics on how to build and maintain a network to creating a website, object-oriented programming and more complex IT concepts such as applying advanced troubleshooting tools. The program delivers web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hand-on skills, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry-standard certifications.

The Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) program consists of four courses within the Computer and Information Technology (CIT) program. These courses are:

  • CIT 1121, Introduction to Networks, 3 credit hours
  • CIT 1122, Routing and Switching Essentials, 3 credit hours
  • CIT 1123, Scaling Networks, 3 credit hours
  • CIT 1124, Connecting Networks, 3 credit hours

The above four courses, which must be taken in order, are equivalent to 280 hours of instruction and provide students with a basic foundation in networking. Students who successfully complete this portion of the program are eligible to complete the CCNA certification exam.

Students who have earned a valid up to date Cisco CENT or Cisco CCNA certification are eligible to apply for Credit by Demonstrated Competence (CDC) test. Student must produce the original certification results to be eligible for CDC. For more information, contact Tony Chen, (630) 942-2537, chento@cod.edu, or Felix Davis, (630) 942-2134, davisfe@cod.edu.

CIT 1121, Networking Fundamentals

  • 3 credit hours
  • Information on current and emerging internetworking technologies
  • Includes Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) reference model, binary numbers, hexadecimal numbers, address classes, Internet Protocol (IP) addressing and subnetting, protocols, standards, basic electrical concepts, cabling techniques

CIT 1122, Routing Protocols and Concepts

  • 3 credit hour
  • Practical skills required to verify and troubleshoot basic router configurations
  • Includes router configuration, distance vector and link state routing protocols, switching methods, hub technology, basic flow control methods, layer 2 data link addressing, layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) addressing

CIT 1123, LAN Switching and Wireless

  • 3 credit hours
  • Includes routing techniques, Local Area Networks (LANs), Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) design, configuration and maintenance, LAN configuration, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Access Control Lists (ACLs), Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) protocols, Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), network troubleshooting

CIT 1124, Accessing the WAN

  • 3 credit hours
  • Wider Area Network (WAN) topics
  • Includes frame encapsulation, signaling standards, WAN design, Point-to-Point (PPP), Integrated Services Data Networks (ISDN), frame relay and network management 

College of DuPage's Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) program blends classroom lecture with hands-on training to provide students with the skills and knowledge to perform well on the job and prepare them to pass the CCNP and other industry standard certification exams.

This program is geared toward network administrators, network designers, network specialists and network technicians responsible for performance, security or design. The program consists of three courses within the Computer and Information Technology (CIT) program. These courses are:

  • CIT 2241, Cisco Certified Network Professional - ROUTE, 3 credit hours
  • CIT 2243, Cisco Certified Network Professional - SWITCH, 3 credit hours
  • CIT 2244, Cisco Certified Network Professional - TSHOOT, 3 credit hours

Students who successfully complete this advanced curriculum are eligible to complete the CCNP certification exam.

CIT 2241, Route

  • 3 credit hours
  • Includes scalable internetwork requirements, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) operation and support, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) operation and support, BGP, Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), and EIGRP configuration, standard and extended access lists, route redistribution, routing update traffic, policy-based routing, IP private addressee, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), layer 3 path control

CIT 2243, Switch

  • 3 credit hours
  • Includes Local Area Network (LAN) media types, basic switch configurations, Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) implementation, routing between VLANs, multilayer switching, Hot Standby Routing Protocol (HSRP) configuration, Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) configuration, multicasting, Basic Quality of Service (QoS), switch security. network access restriction, campus switched networks, wireless access, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

CIT 2244, TShoot

  • 3 credit hours
  • Includes troubleshooting EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, routing redistribution solutions, Ipv6 routing, Ipv6 and Ipv4 interoperability, switch-to-switch connectivity for the VLAN based solution. general switch security, switch virtual interfaces (SVIs), Wireless, a VoIP support solution and layer 3 security

The Cisco Certified Network Associate Security Certification (CCNA) provides the knowledge and hands-on skills required to install, troubleshoot and monitor Cisco security network devices. Students who complete this course will be prepared to sit for the CCNA exam, which is a stepping stone for job roles such as network security specialist and network security administrator. CCNA Security certification is a prerequisite for becoming a Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP).

The CCNA Security certification can:

  • Offer new IT professionals a rapid path to specialization in security.
  • Offer experienced networking professionals a path to enhance their careers with new security knowledge and skills.
  • Provide a next step for individuals who want to enhance their CCNA-level skill set and prepare for entry-level security specialist careers.
  • Help IT professionals, whether new or experienced, differentiate themselves in the marketplace with specialist skills in order to achieve success.
  • Serve as a major step in obtaining the CCSP certification for IT professionals wanting to pursue a career in security. It is a prerequisite for CCSP certification.

The Cisco CCNA Security certification validates the knowledge required to install, troubleshoot and monitor Cisco security network devices. In addition, CCNA Security confirms an individual's skills for job roles such as:

  • Network security specialist
  • Security administrator
  • Network security support engineer

CIT 1121, Networking Fundamentals

  • 3 credit hours
  • Information on current and emerging internetworking technologies
  • Includes Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) reference model, binary numbers and Hexadecimal numbers. address classes, Internet Protocol (IP) addressing and subnetting, protocols, standards, basic electrical concepts, cabling techniques

CIT 1122, Routing Protocols and Concepts

  • 3 credit hours
  • Practical skills required to verify and troubleshoot basic router configurations.
  • Includes router configuration, distance vector and link state routing protocols, switching methods, hub technology, basic flow control methods, layer 2 data link addressing, layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) addressing

CIT 1123, LAN Switching and Wireless

  • 3 credit hours
  • Includes routing techniques, Local Area Networks (LANs), Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) design, configuration and maintenance, LAN configuration Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Access Control Lists (ACLs), Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) protocols, Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP) and network troubleshooting

CIT 1124, Accessing the WAN

  • 3 credits
  • Wider Area Network (WAN) topics including frame encapsulation, signaling standards, WAN design Point-to-Point (PPP), Integrated Services Data Networks (ISDN), frame relay and network management

CIT 2251, CCNA Security

  • 3 credits
  • Includes network security concepts, developing a secure network, defending the perimeter, configuring AAA, securing the router, constructing a secure infrastructure, implementing endpoint security, providing Storage-Area Network (SAN) security, securing voice solutions, using Cisco firewalls to defend the network, Cryptography and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), digital signatures, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and asymmetric encryption, Building a site-to-site Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) VPN solution

Prerequisite: CIT 1124 Accessing the WAN with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent; CCNA certification or consent of instructor

Contact Information

Dr. Felix Davis, Coordinator
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1536
(630) 942-2134
Email: davisfe@cod.edu

Nazia Naqvi, Program Advisor
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1E13
(630) 942-2081
Email: naqvin@cod.edu

Dan Jacobson, Program Support Specialist
Email: jacobsond@cod.edu

Business and Applied Technology Division
Technical Education Center (TEC), Room 1034
(630) 942-2592