Online Networking Degree

Network Administration
Few other career fields have seen the kind of growth that network administration has nor is there as promising a future as for potential students who desire to become network administrators. Indeed, network administrators have become the lynchpin in keeping businesses connected and online. As a skilled network admin, you will learn the background and infrastructure responsible for keeping vast networks of computers connected and interconnected be it business local area networks to wide area networks such as those employed by colleges and universities or even the Internet itself.


An online network administration degree is available as an associates, bachelors, masters, as well as several specialized certificate programs. As you work toward your degree you will take a variety of courses including network protocols, administration, security, encryption, firewalls, and more. Most employers will hire graduates with as little as a two-year degree though higher-level management jobs are often given to holders of four-year and graduate degrees. Of course, while you are working you can always pursue professional certification such as Microsoft and CISCO. These can often help you advance into a better paying positions.

Network Security
Perhaps no other facet of our networked lives has undergone more of a scramble for qualified individuals than in network security. As businesses, governments, charities, religious organizations, and others continue to gravitate towards online existences, so do individuals with the intent of capitalizing on weaknesses in many network designs. The role of a network security expert is to ensure the integrity of an organization's valuable data against these growing and ever-changing threats.

Online degrees in network security can be earned as associates and bachelors. During your studies you can expect to learn how to safeguard vast computer networks, office equipment and software, as well as stored and archived data from unauthorized use, access, and modification. You will have to know how to implement a number of counter-intrusion techniques, as well be proficient in encryption, password protection, firewalling, and anti-virus programs. You may often have to work long or odd hours including nights and weekends or whenever problems inevitably arise.