Computer Technology
The Computer Technology (CTEC) department at Clark College offers training in a variety of foundational and content-specific topics relating to general computer literacy and fluency, computer operating systems interactions, programming, databases, web technology, and networking. Our course offerings serve a variety of missions: to enhance and expand an individual student's skill set, to serve as a prerequisite or requirement for another area of study, or to be a component course in one of the programs offered by this department.

CTEC currently offers the Computer Support Specialist program with degree and certificate options to provide students with skills for employment as computer technicians, help desk workers and other technical support roles. The department also offers a certificate in Web Programming and an AAT degree in Web Design and Development, collaboratively delivered with the Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) department.

Student considering options in computer-related careers should meet with a program advisor to consider which CTEC courses or programs may benefit them in their training and career exploration. CTEC course offerings can help provide a foundational understanding and set of skills in computer technology that will help them make informed decisions on career choices in other Clark College computer-related programs offered by Networking Technology (DNET), Computer Graphics Technology (CGT), and Business Technology (BTEC), as well as on transfer opportunities in Computer Science and Information Technology.

For CTEC degrees and certificates, students must complete all major area requirements with a minimum grade of "C" or better in order to successfully complete the program and earn the award. Students should refer to the Degree & Certificate Requirements Section of the Clark College Catalog to identify the courses needed to satisfy the General Education Requirements for our program offerings.
Computer Support Specialist (CP)
This program is designed for students desiring careers as computer support technicians and specialists who offer services and support for a company or organization. Support specialists install, configure and maintain hardware and software as well as diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve computer-related problems. The Computer Support Specialist Certificate of Proficiency at Clark College features training in foundational skills, based on computer industry certifications; an emphasis on customer service; and work experience in a computer help desk setting.

Students interested in the Computer Support Specialist program should obtain advising before entering the program.
General Education Requirements
Communication Skills (3 credits required)
ENGL 135
INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING
5 cr.
or ENGL&101
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I
5 cr.
Computational Skills (3 credits required)
MATH 090
ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA
5 cr.
Human Relations (3 credits required)
CMST&230
SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
or CMST&210
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
Introductory Courses
BTEC 149
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS ESSENTIALS
3 cr.
CTEC 100
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
3 cr.
CTEC 101
COMPUTING ESSENTIALS
2 cr.
CTEC 102
INTRODUCTION TO WINDOWS
3 cr.
CTEC 103
INTRODUCTION TO MAC/OS
3 cr.
CTEC 104
PC SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
3 cr.
CTEC 110
COMMAND LINE ESSENTIALS FOR WINDOWS AND UNIX
3 cr.
CTEC 120
BEGINNING PROGRAMMING
2 cr.
Major Area Requirements
CTEC 150
INTRO TO LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
3 cr.
CTEC 200
PC HELP DESK WORK EXPERIENCE
1-5 cr.
DNET 221
CISCO CCNA 1: NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS
6 cr.
DNET 232
COMPTIA A+ COMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNICIAN
6 cr.
Total Required Credits: 54-57
To learn more about this program's employment outlook, approximate cost and potential careers, please visit the Gainful Employment Program Information page.
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes are overarching skills that are emphasized and reinforced throughout several courses in a specific program; they are measurable statements that define what students should be able to do by the end of a certificate or degree at Clark College.
  • Demonstrate foundational understanding of concepts, skills and issues relating to underlying technology and current industry standards involving computer technology.
  • Install, configure, and maintain hardware and software to bring the system to an appropriate operational level for the end user.
  • Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair customer hardware, software, and networking issues.
  • Identify, access, and evaluate resources, and respond appropriately and professionally with written and verbal communications to colleagues and customers.
  • Maintain a professional and supportive role with colleagues and customers in regard to their computer technology needs.
  • Analyze the ethical and legal issues surrounding access to and use of technology.
General Education Outcomes
  • Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Human Relations: Demonstrate interpersonal/human relations skills as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Computational Skills: Solve quantitative problems and interpret the solutions as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
Computer Support Specialist (AAS)
This program is designed for students desiring careers as computer support technicians and specialists who provide services and support for a company or organization. Support specialists install, configure and maintain hardware and software as well as diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve computer-related problems. The Computer Support Specialist Associate of Applied Science at Clark College features training in foundational skills based on computer industry certifications. It also features an emphasis on support for a variety of platforms and network settings. Students in the program will gain practical experience in help desk and other service environments.

Students interested in the Computer Support Specialist program should obtain advising before entering the program.
General Education Requirements
Communication Skills (6 credits required)
 
ENGL&101
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I
5 cr.
or ENGL 135
INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING
5 cr.
Health & Physical Education (3 credits required)
 
Computational Skills (3 credits required)
MATH 090
ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA
5 cr.
or MATH 095
INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA
5 cr.
Human Relations (3 credits required)
 
Humanities (3 credits required)
 
CMST&230
SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
or CMST&210
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
Social Sciences (3 credits required)
3 cr.
Natural Sciences (3 credits required)
 
Introductory Courses
BTEC 149
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS ESSENTIALS
3 cr.
CTEC 100
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
3 cr.
CTEC 101
COMPUTING ESSENTIALS
2 cr.
CTEC 102
INTRODUCTION TO WINDOWS
3 cr.
CTEC 103
INTRODUCTION TO MAC/OS
3 cr.
CTEC 104
PC SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
3 cr.
CTEC 110
COMMAND LINE ESSENTIALS FOR WINDOWS AND UNIX
3 cr.
CTEC 150
INTRO TO LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
3 cr.
Major Area Requirements
CTEC 115
INTERNET RESEARCH AND LIVING ONLINE
2 cr.
CTEC 121
INTRO TO PROGRAMMING & PROBLEM SOLVING
5 cr.
CTEC 140
INTRODUCTION TO UNIX
5 cr.
CTEC 141
UNIX SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
5 cr.
CTEC 181
INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE DESIGN USING ACCESS
5 cr.
CTEC 200
PC HELP DESK WORK EXPERIENCE (3-5 credits required)
1-5 cr.
CTEC 295
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
3 cr.
DNET 221
CISCO CCNA 1: NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS
6 cr.
DNET 232
COMPTIA A+ COMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNICIAN
6 cr.
Total Required Credits: 90-92
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes are overarching skills that are emphasized and reinforced throughout several courses in a specific program; they are measurable statements that define what students should be able to do by the end of a certificate or degree at Clark College.
  • Demonstrate broad-based understanding of concepts, skills and issues relating to underlying technology and current industry standards involving computer and information technology.
  • Install, configure, and maintain hardware and software to bring the system to an optimal operational level for the end user.
  • Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair customer hardware, software, and networking issues in a variety of environments.
  • Identify, access, and evaluate resources, and respond appropriately and professionally with written and verbal communications to colleagues and customers.
  • Maintain a professional and supportive role with colleagues and customers in regard to their computer technology needs.
  • Analyze the ethical and legal issues surrounding access to and use of technology.
General Education Outcomes
  • Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Human Relations: Demonstrate interpersonal/human relations skills as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Computational Skills: Solve quantitative problems and interpret the solutions as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Health and PE: Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Humanities: Analyze, interpret, and evaluate works and ideas in the Humanities within appropriate global and historical contexts as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Social Science: Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods in the Social Sciences as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Science: Apply fundamental principles and relationships from the Natural Sciences to solve problems as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
Web Programming (CA)
This certificate is designed to provide foundational training in key technologies related to web programming and web development.

All students interested in this program option should obtain advising prior to pursuing this certificate.
Major Area Requirements
CTEC 121
INTRO TO PROGRAMMING & PROBLEM SOLVING
5 cr.
CTEC 122
HTML FUNDAMENTALS
3 cr.
CTEC 126
INTRODUCTION TO WEB SCRIPTING
5 cr.
CTEC 127
INTRODUCTION TO PHP
4 cr.
CTEC 140
INTRODUCTION TO UNIX
5 cr.
CTEC 181
INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE DESIGN USING ACCESS
5 cr.
CTEC 199
COOPERATIVE WORK EXPERIENCE (5 credits required)
1-5 cr.
or CTEC 290
SPECIAL PROJECTS (5 credits required)
1-5 cr.
CTEC 227
ADVANCED PHP
4 cr.
CTEC 241
SCRIPTING WITH PERL
5 cr.
HDEV 200
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2 cr.
Total Required Credits: 43
To learn more about this program's employment outlook, approximate cost and potential careers, please visit the Gainful Employment Program Information page.
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes are overarching skills that are emphasized and reinforced throughout several courses in a specific program; they are measurable statements that define what students should be able to do by the end of a certificate or degree at Clark College.
  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of recognized client/server-related technologies related to World Wide Web interactions.
  • Exercise foundational skills relating to interactions and tools in the Linux operating system.
  • Design and execute back-end scripting solutions to support web server activities.
  • Create executable server-side resources using PHP and relational databases.
  • Create and deploy client-side resources using HTML/CSS, JavaScript and other related tools.
  • Develop and deliver web content in a team or group setting.
Web Design & Development (AAT)
This degree is delivered in collaboration with the Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) program.

All interested students should obtain advising prior to pursuit of this degree.
General Education Requirements
Communication Skills (5 credits required)
ENGL&101
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I
5 cr.
or ENGL 135
INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING
5 cr.
Computational Skills (5 credits required)
CTEC 121
INTRO TO PROGRAMMING & PROBLEM SOLVING
5 cr.
Human Relations (5 credits required)
CMST&210
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
or CMST&230
SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
5 cr.
Major Area Requirements
Fine Art Foundations
ART 110
CREATIVITY AND CONCEPT
3 cr.
ART 115
TWO-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN
4 cr.
ART 118
TIME-BASED ART AND DESIGN
3 cr.
Computer Graphics Technology
CGT 101
PHOTOSHOP RASTER GRAPHICS
4 cr.
CGT 102
ILLUSTRATOR VECTOR GRAPHICS
3 cr.
CGT 104
WEB MULTIMEDIA CONTENT I
4 cr.
CGT 201
WEB VIDEO PRODUCTION
4 cr.
CGT 204
WEB MULTIMEDIA CONTENT II
4 cr.
Graphic Design
ART 172
GRAPHIC DESIGN EXPLORATION
4 cr.
ART 215
PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT
3 cr.
Web Design
CTEC 122
HTML FUNDAMENTALS
3 cr.
CGT 105
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
3 cr.
CGT 106
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLORATION
3 cr.
CGT 205
WEB DESIGN I
4 cr.
CGT 206
WEB DESIGN II
4 cr.
CGT 207
EMERGING WEB TECHNOLOGIES
3 cr.
CGT 214
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
3 cr.
or CGT 240
CAPSTONE PRACTICUM
3 cr.
Web Development
CTEC 120
BEGINNING PROGRAMMING
2 cr.
CTEC 126
INTRODUCTION TO WEB SCRIPTING
5 cr.
CTEC 127
INTRODUCTION TO PHP
4 cr.
CTEC 227
ADVANCED PHP
4 cr.
CTEC 185
DATABASE WEB TECHNOLOGIES
5 cr.
Total Required Credits: 97-99
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes are overarching skills that are emphasized and reinforced throughout several courses in a specific program; they are measurable statements that define what students should be able to do by the end of a certificate or degree at Clark College.
  • Apply fine art theory and design purposeful projects relevant to audience needs.
  • Synthesize multiple media assets with appropriate interactions and functions.
  • Generate original ideas and utilize processes toward solving visual communication problems.
  • Implement tools and technology to realize visual ideas.
  • Interact, collaborate and implement projects with peers, clients or others in various work environments.
  • Effectively organize and manage web design projects.
  • Use written, verbal and visual means to effectively present and communicate web design projects.
  • Demonstrate work and business ethics in web design practice.
General Education Outcomes
  • Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Human Relations: Demonstrate interpersonal/human relations skills as appropriate for a career and technical education program.
  • Computational Skills: Solve quantitative problems and interpret the solutions as appropriate for a career and technical education program.