Curriculum for Computer Networking & Cybersecurity

With our Upside-Down Curriculum, you'll get hands-on learning in web technology, networking, and security, as well as valuable experience through internships.

Computer Networking & Cybersecurity Curriculum

Champlain College is recognized by the NSA as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance. Our unique Upside-Down Curriculum aligns with their standards, as it was developed based on industry needs and knowledge to ensure you start learning web technology, networking, and security from day one, with plenty of time for experiences and internships.

Learning Outcomes for Computer Networking & Cybersecurity

First Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Second Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
- SEC 260 Web and Applications Security
- SYS 265 System Admin. & Network Services II
- XXX Program Elective 1
- COR 203 Core Foundations: Making Meaning Through Culture
- COR 204 Theoretical Perspectives
Third Year
Fall Semester
- NET 330 Network Design
- SYS 320 Automation and Scripting
- SCI XXX Natural Science w/Lab
- COR 301 Core Foundations: Connecting Place and Identity
- COR 302 Field Methods
Spring Semester
- SEC 350 Enterprise and Network Security Controls
- XXX Program Elective 2
- XXX Program Elective 3
- COR 303 Core Foundations: Connecting Past and Present
- COR 304 Digital Methods
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
- CCC 410ITS ITS Capstone Design
- CRJ 225 The Law of Searching, Seizing and Using Digital Evidence —OR— CSI 320 Global IT & Ethics
- NET 480 Advanced Topics in Networking —OR— SEC 480 Advanced Topics in Cyber Security —OR— SYS 480 Advanced Topics in Systems Administration and It Infrastructure
- XXX Program Elective 4
- XXX General Elective
Spring Semester
- CCC 412 ITS Capstone Senior Project
- XXX General Elective
- XXX General Elective
- XXX General Elective
- XXX General Elective

In this course, students will learn the foundational concepts of cybersecurity. The course will cover system and data security principles. Students will explore the organizational, societal, and global implications of cybersecurity with a focus on ethics, risk management, and adversarial analysis.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

This course will introduce students to operating system concepts and other forms of systems software. Students will learn about standard operating systems functional components such as memory, process/thread, file system, input/output, storage and device management. Additional topics include data representation, imaging, virtualization, and the history/future of systems software. Hands-on experiential learning will be used to reinforce concepts.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Teaches a statistical approach to decision making under uncertainty. Topics are descriptive statistics, probability distributions, inferential statistics, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, linear regression and correlation.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Why go to college? What does it mean to be educated? In this course you'll begin to answer these questions. We'll explore the academic expectations of higher education, college as a diverse community, and the significance of education around the world. By examining how these issues are negotiated and implemented at Champlain and elsewhere, you'll gain perspective on your own education and a deeper understanding of the ways that the college experience can be both liberating and transformative.

Prerequisites	Take Cor-102 concurrently.
Credits	3

Inquiry is about learning how to ask the right kinds of questions, and figuring out how to answer those questions through discussion and reflection. This course introduces you to the types of inquiry necessary to succeed at Champlain and beyond. You will explore the intersections of reading, writing, and thinking by focusing on a specific topic or theme. You will approach that focus through the interrogation of relevant texts and analysis that draws upon multiple analytical frameworks. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-one

Prerequisites	Take COR-101 concurrently.
Credits	3

Students will be introduced to networking technology and the integral part it plays in business and society. Organizations expect the communication in information systems will be reliable, effective, and secure. Topics include network protocols, services, and topologies, information security, high-speed LAN/WAN topologies, client-server technology, security vulnerabilities, network troubleshooting Students will gain factual, conceptual, and applied knowledge regarding network communications, security, technology evolution, infrastructure components, management functions, business processes, and design issues.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

This course provides an introduction to computer and data network security. Students will examine the rationale and necessity for securing computer systems and data networks, as well as methodologies for implementing security, security policies, best current practices, testing security, and incident response.

Prerequisites	Complete SEC-110 or FOR-100 with grade of C or better
Credits	3

This course introduces students to the fundamental elements of professional writing (clear, concise, and targeted) that are common among seven forms of workplace?communication: email correspondence, cover letters, resumes, proposals, long formal reports, oral communication, and team projects. Through peer reviews and writing workshops, students develop the ability to write and edit text that precisely targets its audience. This course emphasizes deepening and broadening students' writing, speaking, and thinking abilities in a non-lecture-based, hands-on discussion-centered classroom.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

What makes an argument good or bad? What counts as evidence in our post-truth world? How can you understand and assess the truth value of a claim when you're not an expert? In this course you'll learn rhetorical strategies about how to examine arguments and types of evidence in different disciplines and fields of study. To help learn these strategies, you will do close readings of texts from a variety of disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences, popular culture, and social media.

Prerequisites	Take COR-104 concurrently.
Credits	3

This course introduces you to interdisciplinary inquiry using applied, project-based, and/or experiential methods. Regardless of the specific course focus, you'll have opportunities for making and doing interdisciplinary knowledge creation through a variety of approaches and activities. You will collaborate with other students, iterate on ideas, and work to develop a project. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-one

Prerequisites	Take Cor-103 concurrently.
Credits	3

Students will learn the history and basics of computing as well as the fundamentals of Python programming. General topics include: the history of computing, number systems, Boolean logic, algorithm design and implementation, and modern computer organization. Programming topics include: memory and variables, data types, mathematical operations, basic file I/O, decision-making, repetitions, functions, and list basics.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

This course is a thorough review of the foundational protocols used on the Internet and modern enterprise networks. With a focus on protocols aligned with the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and OSI models, students will explore the development and structure of protocols, their role in data communications, and integration within network-based applications. Students will engage in hands-on activities aimed at protocol analysis, network troubleshooting, and protocol-related security concerns.

Prerequisites	Complete NET-150 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

Students learn how to deploy, administer, and troubleshoot common operating systems environments. They gain experience in systems administration functions and issues as well as common network services. Students develop a conceptual understanding of each operating system function and network service and learn how to plan, implement, and administer each. Topics include user access and privileges, DHCP, DNS, remote access, file services, update and patch management, security and remote management.

Prerequisites	Complete NET-150 and SYS-140 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

Science holds an elevated place in society. The knowledge and meaning that science makes are seen as having a particular and special value. This course explores knowledge and meaning making in order to allow a thoughtful analysis of, and then engagement with, science as a way of knowing, and then engages with the methods and theories of the sciences themselves, to understand the analytical, creative, and generative possibilities of science.

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104.
Credits	3

While each section of COR 202 addresses a different problem, issue, or topic, they all focus on interdisciplinary research. You will collect, analyze, and assess information from different disciplines in order to recognize patterns, contextualize arguments and synthesize ideas while collaborating on a project. Emphasis will be placed on helping you translate and apply what you learn about interdisciplinary research to other professional contexts. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-two

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104.
Credits	3

Students will be introduced to the foundational technologies and security principles of web-based applications. This includes communication protocols, data formatting standards, client and server-side scripting, databases programming, and interactions within a tiered-application architecture. Students will gain a perspective on the importance of web applications in the modern enterprise with a focus on security threats, common vulnerabilities, and the practical application of security controls to mitigate those risks.

Prerequisites	Complete NET-150 and SYS-140 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

This project-oriented course focuses on the tasks and issues involved in the administration of distributed computing environments. Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) systems are covered, with emphasis on using cross-platform authentication. Network services including host based firewalls, DHCP, DNS, Mail, and Web services are covered. Content includes Enterprise File Services, Distributed administration of multiple systems, and network monitoring and management tools. Hands-on experience will include projects based upon representative technology from each of these areas.

Prerequisites	Complete NET-215 and SYS-255 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

Culture impacts everything we do, experience, and learn, but what is culture? Where does it come from, how does it form, and why does it have such a wide and deep impact on people's lives? This course explores culture as a system of meaning and meaning-making in order to allow for a more thoughtful analysis of, and then engagement with, cultural texts and media using different methodological approaches.

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104.
Credits	3

In this course, you will go in depth about a theoretical perspective that asks you to interrogate systems of power and power relationships. You will learn about the history of that perspective, including how it too was shaped by multiple contexts and compares with other viewpoints. You will use that perspective to analyze a specific topic, collection of texts, or cultural phenomena. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-two

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104.
Credits	3

Examines the basic principles and methodologies used in the design of both local and wide area networks. Topics include network options analysis, component and protocol selection, performance considerations and RFP development.

Prerequisites	Complete SYS-265 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

Students will learn how to integrate programming into operating system management. They will learn how to automate systems administration functions and connectivity testing. Powershell and Linux shell scripting will be explored to manage and monitor operating system processes and functions. Students will create programs that can be reused in production networks.

Prerequisites	Complete SYS-255 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

Where we are shapes how we understand ourselves and each other. In this course, we will dig into the relationship between place and identity. We will learn how to think spatially, recognizing how one's identity is situated within and constructed through movement through different spaces--be they natural and built environments, rural and urban, or actual and virtual. COR 301 will help us understand the complex meanings of identity in a world defined by movement and change.

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104, COR-201, COR-202, COR-203, COR-204
Credits	3

Field methods are a collection of practices used in the sciences, arts, and humanities to understand phenomena in situ or as it is happening in a specific time and place. In this course, we will apply one or more field methods to research a topic, theme, or question that varies by section. We will learn practices associated with research in the field including but not limited to participant observation, data collection, and experimentation in order to navigate an uncontrolled environment. We will also examine the power dynamics between the researcher, informant, and subject matter to help us understand how, if not practiced ethically, field methods can create or reinforce biases rather than helping us learn with and make sense of the world around us. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-three

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104, COR-201, COR-202, COR-203, COR-204
Credits	3

Students will examine network-based threats, whether originating from the Internet or the local LAN, and learn about ways to protect, detect, and defend the enterprise network from such attacks. The relationship between user network policy and securing the network will also be explored. Students will participate in hands-on experiments and demonstrate their understanding of subject matter via labs, projects and presentations

Prerequisites	Complete SEC-250, SYS-255 and NET-215 with a minimum grade of C.
Credits	3

By learning from the past, we can make sense of the present and prepare for the future. In this course, we will learn how the 21st century has been and continues to be shaped by past social practices, ethical frameworks, power relations, and discourses. COR 303 is a course about how we know what we know about the past, and the ways different narratives about the past shape the present. Making connections between past and present will help us better understand how to live and make decisions in a globalized world defined by constant change.

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104, COR-201, COR-202, COR-203, COR-204
Credits	3

Digital methods are widely used forms of inquiry that employ technological tools to interrogate research questions important to the humanities and sciences (including the social sciences). Some examples include digital archiving, data mining, and story mapping. In this course, we will use one or more digital methods or tools to research a topic, theme or question that varies by section, with the express purpose of critiquing and reflecting on its application. This includes an examination of the values, flaws, and impacts of the methods or tools we are using, paying particular attention to their ethical implications and power dynamics. For detailed descriptions of the individual sections of this course, cut and paste the following link into your browser: bit.ly/core-year-three

Prerequisites	Take COR-101, COR-102, COR-103, COR-104, COR-201, COR-202, COR-203, COR-204
Credits	3

A senior-level seminar during which students research, design and plan a technical capstone project. Throughout the semester, students will demonstrate their ability to identify a research problem and solution that draw on their theoretical and practical training in their academic major and that can be executed in one academic semester. To be taken concurrently with CCC-411, ITS Capstone Reflective Component.

Prerequisites	ITS majors only and 90 completed credits.
Credits	2

Computer evidence (digital evidence) is being used every day in our country to convict criminals of crimes ranging from possession of child pornography to embezzlement to murder. Every competent, modern law enforcement officer understands the significance of digital evidence in every case submitted for prosecution. Students will be required to learn, and apply, legal principles that govern how this vital evidence is recovered (and used) to insure that it will be legally admissible in court.

Prerequisites	Complete CRJ-120 OR 30 credits
Credits	3

Students look at the positive and negative effects of changes and advancements in technology, with particular attention given to the relationships between technology, ethics, culture, and humanity. Through readings, discussions, debates, presentations and other learning methods, students will explore the evolution of technology and ethics. Students will investigate the ways technology is used and how information affects, and is affected by, society and the global community.

Prerequisites	60 completed credits.
Credits	3

Networking is an extremely dynamic field that changes at a far faster pace than typical curriculum development. This course will allow students to explore cutting edge technologies and concepts that are late-breaking or undergoing significant change. Topic selection will be based upon student interest and faculty research and expertise and will generally change annually. Students may substitute (3) 1 credit NET/SEC/SYS300 courses for this requirement. This course may be cross-listed with SEC480 or SYS480 courses should the topics be related.

Prerequisites	Complete NET-330 with a C or better and complete 90 credits
Credits	3

Cyber Security is an extremely dynamic field that changes at a far faster pace than typical curriculum development. This course will allow students to explore cutting edge technologies and concepts that are late-breaking or undergoing significant change. Topic selection will be based upon student interest and faculty research and expertise and will generally change annually. Students may substitute (3) 1 credit NET/SEC/SYS300 courses for this requirement. This course may be cross-listed with NET480 or SYS480 courses should the topics be related

Prerequisites	Complete 90 credits and SEC-350, with a miniumum grade of C.
Credits	3

Systems Administration is an extremely dynamic field that changes at a far faster pace than typical curriculum development. This course will allow students to explore cutting edge technologies and concepts that are late-breaking or undergoing significant change. Topic selection will be based upon student interest and faculty research and expertise and will generally change annually. Students may substitute (3) 1 credit NET/SEC/SYS300 courses for this requirement. This course may be cross-listed with SEC480 or SYS480 courses should the topics be related.

Prerequisites	Complete 90 credits, SYS-265 and SYS-320, with a minimum grade of C in both.
Credits	3

A senior-level seminar during which students implement and verify a technical capstone project specific to their major discipline that they have researched and designed under the supervision of their principal faculty member. Completed projects will be fully documented and presented in writing and orally to appropriate audiences.

Prerequisites	Complete CCC-410ITS with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

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Curriculum for Computer Networking & Cybersecurity

Computer Networking & Cybersecurity Curriculum