Network Administration and Security Professional (NASP)

Certificate Full-time School of Computing and Academic Studies

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Overview

Note: This program is under review and will not accept applications until further notice. Please contact tpp@bcit.ca for more information.

The NASP program is an applied intensive 1-year program that prepares students for a career in secure system and network administration within both enterprise and service provider environments. It addresses both conventional infrastructure and cloud based alternatives. The program is cohort based and is comprised of ten months of full time lab learning and a two-month industry work term.

NASP develops the requisite expertise to plan, implement, manage, and secure server, storage, network, and application infrastructure. It integrates business communications and leadership throughout its technical curriculum. As a compliment to facilitating the acquisition of technical skills and knowledge, the program provides employment advantages to its students through integrated work experience and the incorporation of industry certifications.

Educational Approach

The program employs project-based instruction, that is organized around the construction of IT solutions, using a variety of current open-source and vendor-specific technologies. By combining these diverse implementations, NASP students acquire an applied, foundational, and multi-vendor skill set.

Integrated Industry Certifications

The program incorporates the content for a range of industry certifications – To be determined.

Program Topics

Computing and OS Fundamentals: multi-platform including Windows, Linux, Cisco
Storage Technologies
Web Stack Hosting and Scaling
Python and PowerShell Programming for Administrators
Networking (with implementations in Linux, Windows and Cisco)
Identity, Messaging and Web Services
Application Services including: Authentication, DNS, File, Messaging, Web
Virtualization and Multitenant Computing (VMware, Windows, Linux, AWS)
Scripting, Automation, Provisioning, and Configuration Management
Security Fundamentals in multi-vendor and open source environments
Business and Communication Skills for IT professionals
Industry work term

Entrance Requirements

Application processing

Note: This program is under review and will not accept applications until further notice. Please contact tpp@bcit.ca for more information.

Entrance requirements

This program has a two-step admission process. Applicants must meet all entrance requirements and will be accepted on a first qualified basis as long as space remains.

Step 1: Pre-entry assessment

Pre-entry Assessment [PDF]: Meet with the Program Coordinator or attend a Network Administration and Security Professional (NASP) Information Session to have your pre-entry assessment provided.

A completed and approved pre-entry assessment form must be uploaded to complete your application.

Step 2: Meet the following entrance requirements

English: two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
- English Studies 12 (67%) or
- English First Peoples 12 (67%) or
- Other acceptable BC and Yukon courses or
- 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities, or social sciences (67%) from a recognized institution
  
  What if I don't meet these English requirements?
IT experience: one of the following:*
- IT support/network related experience or
- IT/computer science-related post-secondary education
  
  *Applicants without current IT experience are strongly encouraged to complete at least one of NASP's required industry certifications to increase the chances of acceptance.

Scheduled Intakes

Note: This program is under review and will not accept applications until further notice. Please contact tpp@bcit.ca for more information.

Costs & Supplies

Tuition fees

Please see the Full-Time Tuition & Fees pages for tuition fee amounts:

Books & supplies

Tuition fees include digital books and tablet, supplies, and vendor exam vouchers.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.

Refund policy

If notice is submitted in writing and received by the HTP Program Office AT LEAST twelve (12) working days prior to the first day of classes, all tuition fees paid (less the $2,000.00 deposit) will be refunded.
If notice is submitted in writing and received by the HTP Program Office by 4:00 p.m. on the second day of class, all fees paid less $3,000.00 ($2,000.00 deposit and $1,000.00 penalty fee) will be refunded.
There will be no refund of fees issued after the second day of class.
Withdrawal for medical reasons, possible partial refund with doctor's medical note.

Cancellation Policy

This program is subject to limited and minimum enrolment. Lack of sufficient enrolment will result in BCIT cancelling specific intakes of the program and will entitle accepted students of that intake to a full refund of all fees paid.

Courses

Class hours

9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday (excluding statutory holidays)

Program delivery

The program includes an intensive classroom component augmented by labs, assignments, team projects, and case studies. This component of the program covers the essential hardware, networking, and security knowledge, tools, and techniques.

Program matrix

Required Courses:			Credits
	NASP 1100	Business Skills for IT Professionals This course addresses the business skills important to individual practicing IT professionals. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	7.0
	NASP 1200	Professional Skills for IT Professionals NASP 1200 introduces students to the principles of business operations, strategic and operational planning, cost/benefit analysis, information technology investment payback considerations and strategic uses of IT in business operations today. Students also acquire the skills necessary to plan an IT project. Prerequisite(s): 60% in NASP 1100 course outline	7.0
	NASP 1300	Technology Infrastructure 1 Students will acquire a fundamental understanding of computing and networking and its impact on the business. Students will gain the ability to analyze computing and networking environments through a thorough introduction to networking infrastructure and computer architecture. Concepts include computer hardware, operating systems, networks, and network security. The impact that Infrastructure Design has on business operations is covered in this course. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	23.5
	NASP 2200	Technology Infrastructure 2 Students advance their knowledge and skills related to network management, with the opportunity to work with multiple operating platforms that include Microsoft and Linux. Further study focuses on the key elements that are needed to create a secure network environment in today's enterprise. Students will also learn script writing to help automate administrative tasks, such as, mapping a network drive, connecting a printer or automating a backup from the command prompt. Students will advance their skills in the analysis and design of a networking environment, considering both technical and business impacts of the design alternatives. Prerequisite(s): 60% in NASP 1300 course outline	29.0
	NASP 2400	Network Administration and Security Professional Practicum Students will work in industry/government organizations and will complete 8 weeks full-time in an IT network administration and security related position. The practicum is a minimum of 30 hours per week for 8 weeks. The actual weekly hours will depend on the organization providing the Practicum. Note: Students are required to return to the BCIT Downtown Campus for a one-week period following the completion of NASP 2400 to deliver their Practicum presentations, have their Practicum evaluated and marked, and summarize the NASP Program prior to graduation. Prerequisite(s): 60% in NASP 1100 and 60% in NASP 1200 and 60% in NASP 1300 and 60% in NASP 2200 course outline	13.5

Total Credits:			80.0

Transfer credit

Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.

Program Details

Core Industry certifications – To be determined

Optional Industry Certifications – To be determined

Program length

12 months, full-time

Start dates set by individual offerings of the program. Please see the TPP website for current offerings of the program.

Accreditation

Students are required to pass the following vendor examinations to graduate:

CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Linux+ Powered by LPI
Installation, Storage, and Compute with Windows Server
Cisco Certified Network Associate

Program location

BCIT Downtown Campus
555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC

Graduating & Jobs

Job opportunities

Students are well equipped to compete for entry level and intermediate level jobs in network administration and security. While actual jobs obtained depend on the individual student’s background prior to the program and their achievements during the program, typical jobs for graduates include:

Network Administrator
Network Analyst
Network Security Analyst
Network Manager
System Engineer/Network Administrator

Graduate employment outcomes

The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2019-2021 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2018-2020 graduates and for Degree 2016-2018 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.

To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.

Network Administration and Security Professional (NASP)

Faculty, Advisors & Staff

Faculty

Uwe Helm, NASP Program Head

Staff

Youri van Vliet, Program Coordinator

Advisory committee

BCIT is well-respected by employers for its ties to industry. In Computing, this connection is formalized through a Program Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of experts in a range of roles from a cross-section of companies. The department consults regularly to ensure program currency and relevance.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this program, please send us an email.

You can also use the form below to make contact with our department, or other applicable departments at BCIT.

Campus info, map, and directions

Questions or comments?

Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.

Network Administration and Security Professional (NASP)

Overview

Educational Approach

Integrated Industry Certifications

Program Topics

Entrance Requirements

Application processing

Entrance requirements

Scheduled Intakes

Costs & Supplies

Tuition fees

Books & supplies

Financial assistance

Refund policy

Cancellation Policy

Courses

Class hours

Program delivery

Program matrix

Transfer credit

Program Details

Program length

Accreditation

Program location

Graduating & Jobs

Job opportunities

Graduate employment outcomes

Faculty, Advisors & Staff

Faculty

Staff

Advisory committee

Contact Us

Questions or comments?

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