Proposal for Integrating CompTIA Training into State University Curriculum

[Ronald]

Hello everyone,

I’m excited to share that I’ve recently taken on a part-time role as an IT Instructor in the Department of Computer Studies at a State University, alongside my work as a Freelance CompTIA Trainer. With 15 years of experience in IT operations support, I’m looking forward to leveraging this experience in my new role.

I’m considering proposing the integration of CompTIA A+ and Network+ training into our university curriculum. I understand that CompTIA training can be delivered in various formats, ranging from intensive bootcamps to more extended programs over several weeks, I am interested in adapting this content into a longer-term academic format that aligns with our semester schedule. Given our state university's very tight budget, I am exploring whether this adaptation is feasible and how it can be aligned with CompTIA’s guidelines and conditions.

If anyone has experience with integrating CompTIA certifications into an academic program, particularly within budget constraints, or knows if CompTIA offers semester-long formats for these certifications, I would greatly appreciate your advice and insights.

Thank you!

 

[Brian Ford]

Your statement that CompTIA training is typically conducted over 5 days is incorrect. There are 5 day 'bootcamps' but there are other training providers (including CompTIA) that offer training over 2 or 4 or 8 weeks using CompTIA CertMaster training materials and labs.

There are programs in colleges that are CompTIA certification preparation that (in my experience) use their own materials and deliver over a 8-15 week semester.

I'm a CompTIA Live Online Training Instructor ([email protected]) and I would happy to connect you with the representatives on the education sales side here. They can assist in navigating all the CompTIA as well as often state education program rules and regulations.

 

[Ronald]

Your statement that CompTIA training is typically conducted over 5 days is incorrect. There are 5 day 'bootcamps' but there are other training providers (including CompTIA) that offer training over 2 or 4 or 8 weeks using CompTIA CertMaster training materials and labs.

There are programs in colleges that are CompTIA certification preparation that (in my experience) use their own materials and deliver over a 8-15 week semester.

I'm a CompTIA Live Online Training Instructor ([email protected]) and I would happy to connect you with the representatives on the education sales side here. They can assist in navigating all the CompTIA as well as often state education program rules and regulations.

Thank you Brian for your valuable insights and corrections—I truly appreciate it! I stand corrected regarding the duration and formats of CompTIA training programs. What I originally had in mind were the 5-day 'bootcamp' formats, but I've now updated my statement to better reflect the variety of options available.

I’m excited about the possibility of integrating this training content into our academic curriculum. Given the budgetary constraints typical of state universities, we’re in the early stages of exploring how we might adapt these training formats to fit our needs. If there are any resources or support available to assist with integrating CompTIA training within a limited budget, that would be incredibly helpful.

Thank you again for offering to help facilitate this connection. I look forward to continuing this discussion and exploring potential solutions.

 

[Hemlock]

If anyone has experience with integrating CompTIA certifications into an academic program, particularly within budget constraints, or knows if CompTIA offers semester-long formats for these certifications, I would greatly appreciate your advice and insights.

Thank you!

Our college did this exact thing extensively.
We became a CompTIA academy partner and then aligned several of our "Diploma" courses directly into preparing students to write a CompTIA exam.
For example, our IT Diploma program has 20 courses. Students will take 5 courses per semester (15 weeks long each) for four semesters.
Of those 20 courses, we currently offer 6 courses that gear students to write a particular CompTIA exam.

• Two courses each of the A+ exams
• Network+
• Security+
• Linux+
• Server+

The other courses in our Diploma program are geared towards other technologies like wireless, Cisco Networking, Microsoft OS, Project Management etc. (We might bring in more CompTIA certification courses in the future)

Find a good text book. That is key!
CompTIA offers a great one now that they have integrated with TestOut. But there are other options out there.
Find a good instructor. That is key!
A good instructor (perhaps yourself!) will build custom labs for students, which helps bring hands-on skills to a 15 week course.

The CompTIA exams are not mandatory at our college, and students only write them afterwards if they choose to.
But we do tell them this...
A CompTIA certification looks nice on the resume.
An IT based Diploma/Degree from a college/University looks nice on the resume.
But put both on a resume? An IT manager will want to meet this person.

 

[Brian Ford]

Thank you Brian for your valuable insights and corrections—I truly appreciate it! I stand corrected regarding the duration and formats of CompTIA training programs. What I originally had in mind were the 5-day 'bootcamp' formats, but I've now updated my statement to better reflect the variety of options available.

I’m excited about the possibility of integrating this training content into our academic curriculum. Given the budgetary constraints typical of state universities, we’re in the early stages of exploring how we might adapt these training formats to fit our needs. If there are any resources or support available to assist with integrating CompTIA training within a limited budget, that would be incredibly helpful.

Thank you again for offering to help facilitate this connection. I look forward to continuing this discussion and exploring potential solutions.

Yes. There's a team at CompTIA that do this.

 

[Steve Linthicum]

You can see what we've done here in the California Community College system in an effort to align courses taught at our 116 colleges that have as a directive alignment with CompTIA certifications by downloading copies of final course descriptors available at: https://c-id.net/

Click on "Descriptors"; Click on "View Final Descriptors", select as the finalized discipline "Information Systems and Information Technology". You will get a list of courses. ITIS110 = A+, ITIS145 = Project+, ITIS150 = Network+, ITIS160 = Security+, ITIS170 = Cloud+

 

[abiodun1991]

Our college did this exact thing extensively.
We became a CompTIA academy partner and then aligned several of our "Diploma" courses directly into preparing students to write a CompTIA exam.
For example, our IT Diploma program has 20 courses. Students will take 5 courses per semester (15 weeks long each) for four semesters.
Of those 20 courses, we currently offer 6 courses that gear students to write a particular CompTIA exam.

• Two courses each of the A+ exams
• Network+
• Security+
• Linux+
• Server+

The other courses in our Diploma program are geared towards other technologies like wireless, Cisco Networking, Microsoft OS, Project Management etc. (We might bring in more CompTIA certification courses in the future)

Find a good text book. That is key!
CompTIA offers a great one now that they have integrated with TestOut. But there are other options out there.
Find a good instructor. That is key!
A good instructor (perhaps yourself!) will build custom labs for students, which helps bring hands-on skills to a 15 week course.

The CompTIA exams are not mandatory at our college, and students only write them afterwards if they choose to.
But we do tell them this...
A CompTIA certification looks nice on the resume.
An IT based Diploma/Degree from a college/University looks nice on the resume.
But put both on a resume? An IT manager will want to meet this person.

 

[Jose A Ruiz Marquez]

I work at a university where we created a cybersecurity analyst one year certificate. All of our classes use 100% Cert Master / Test Out content and are 8 weeks long. We have courses that cover Network+, Security+, Linux+ and CySA+. Everything is integrated though Canvas via API's that connect Cert Master with the LMS so the labs and quizzes are graded and the scores go back to Canvas. The professor meets once a week for a lecture and is available through office hours. We attained a CompTIA Academic Partner status and they were extremely helpful during the set up process.

 

[Roslyn Turner]

South Arkansas College uses quite a few TestOut courses in its Computer Information Technology associate's degree (60 cr. hr.) The degree has embedded technical certificates (30 cr. hr.) and certificates of proficiency (12 cr. hr)). The materials are:
IT Fund. Pro
PC Pro
Client Pro (retiring this course, due to overlap with PC Pro)
Network Pro
Security Pro
Ethical Hacker Pro
Hybrid Server Pro: Core

We also use Digital Literacy Pro for our Intro to Computers course, Office Pro for our Business Apps class, and Pro Certified: Excel for our Excel course.

Also, our local high school also uses some TestOut materials, so high schoolers with TestOut certifications can receive credit for our courses.

We use the Perkins Grant to purchase CompTIA certification vouchers for our students.

 

[Fanuel]

Congrats+ and all the best in your new role

 

[SyedAli]

I’ve adopted the Cengage book on CompTIA Security+ for our Cybersecurity students at Champlain College. While it’s not a complete training resource, it does provide a solid foundation to help prepare students for the exam. I believe it should be considered as part of the curriculum in programs and courses offered at colleges and universities.