West
Los Angeles College West
Los Angeles CollegeYes, MCSE courses at WLAC are scheduled during for morning, afternoon, and evening. Please check the current schedule of classes for course offering and times.
MCSE courses at WLAC are regular semester courses and have the same per unit cost (less than $20 per unit) as other courses. MCSE courses are 3, 4, and 5 units courses. Overall you can expect to pay less than $150 per class, which would include tutition and textbooks. On average you can expect to enroll in at least seven classes.
The MCSE program at WLAC was designed to be completed in four semesters or two academic years. This can vary depending on a student's computer background and experience. If you are new to networking, you should be prepare to commit to a two year program. A first and second year class schedule is available to the MCSE Curriculum page.
Although, there are exception on rare occasions, auditing is generally not possible for MCSE courses.
MCSE candidates should have a good computer background. In fact, Microsoft recommends at least one year of experience working with; network operating systems, desktop operating systems, and networking hardware. The MCSE for Windows 2000 preparation program is not for students who are new to the computer industry. Students are expected to bring an existing understanding of PC-based hardware, computer concepts, and computer terminology.
There are hands-on labs for every class. You will be required to complete numerous labs involving installation, configuration, and optimization. Keep in mind the MCSE prepartion program revolves around software, not hardware. So, you will not be required to assemble or disassemble computers.
Yes, it does matter. First, you should be sure that your instructors are MCSE's and/or the school is certified to offer MCSE courses by Microsoft. WLAC has been a Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Partner (AATP) for over four years. Although, Microsoft has cancelled the AATP program as of January 31, 2002, WLAC is applying for a new Microsoft authorization under their Information Technology Academy program. One important consider for this authorization is that you can be sure that WLAC offers MCSE courses based on the MCSE official curriculum. In addition, WLAC uses only textbooks from Microsoft Press and/or approved by Microsoft. The second consideration when using a training facility is cost versus time. A college approach is typically more thorough and less expensive, but takes more time. The technical/training school approach is typically a Fast-Track (quicker), but very expensive. Fast-Track makes sense for those who already have a strond background in computers/networking, but need exposure to some specific technical/networking concepts.
Check out Microsoft self-study publications at Microsoft Press (www.mspress.com). There are 100's of titles available. You can also purchase MCSE Academic Learning Series (ALS) related textbooks from the college bookstore. The ALS series are excellent for self-study and exam preparation. In addition, the ALS series textbooks includes PowerPoint slides, lab exercises, free copies of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and/or Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional.
The field is getting more competitive but, there are still lots of jobs out here. You career success depends on you as an individual. For example, your experience, education, attitude, motivation communications skills, and inter-personal skills are major factors for getting the job you desire. Another factor depends on location. Los Angeles and Boston have the highest concentration of MCSE's. Therefore, the job market in those areas will be more competitive. If you are willing to consider other areas, then you will probably find a desireable position faster.
WLAC does not offer a specific A+ or Net+ training program. But, many of the classes you have to take for the MCSE or Cisco certification would prepare you for either certification. The biggest exception would be PC hardware. The MCSE program is more software that hardware. The Cisco program is hardware oriented, but the focus is on networking related hardware, such as, hubs, bridges, switches, and routers. The A+ or Net+ exam will test you on both of the topics I just mentioned. You will be expected to know the concepts behind network operating systems, such as, Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000, as well as, networking concepts including LAN and WAN theory. If you pursue the MCSE/CCNA certification you will be well prepared to sit for the A+ and/or Net+ exam. Also, keep in mind that a A+ or Net+ certification would limit your career options, because these are basically technicans-oriented certifications.
