The ITAS - Systems Administration and Networking program prepares students for careers in the design, installation, operation, and administration of network and Internet-based information systems. The program combines rigorous theoretical and technical education with hands-on, project-based learning. Using the most up-to-date curriculum, the ITAS program develops a student's technical skills, as well as teamwork, communications, and project management skills that align with VIU's graduation attributes, to satisfy industry demands for well-rounded, highly employable technology graduates.

The program will cover modern IT systems administration skill sets and set up students for careers in the implementation and management of Information Technology hardware, networks, operating systems, cybersecurity and virtualized cloud computing.

ITAS - Systems Administration and Networking is offered as a two-year diploma program. The program consists of two 4-month terms per year, plus a one month practicum work experience session at the end of the first academic year.

The first year of the program provides students with a solid foundation in Information Technology hardware, Windows and Linux client and server operating systems, wired and wireless networking and project management.

In the second year of the program, students will install, configure, and administer a wide variety of Information Technology services such as Active Directory, E-mail, web site servers, cloud and virtualized systems, network routing and switching, and cybersecurity best practices, in a mix of Linux, VMware and Windows Server environments. Second year graduates receive a diploma in Information Technology and Applied Systems - Systems Administration and Networking.

Graduates of the ITAS program will be qualified to work for:

Internet service providers,
Network design, installation, and support companies,
Web development and web-hosting companies,
Private and public educational institutes and training centres,
Computer retailers and systems integrators,
Most companies that use computers, computer networks, and the internet to carry out their business operations.