syllabus

The Google IT Support Certificate

15 Google IT Support Certificate desktop

Prepare for an entry-level role in IT support by earning the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. No experience is required to get started.

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Why IT Support?

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Launch your IT career with a program designed to take you from beginner to job-ready in under six months

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Complete interactive, hands-on projects to help you ace job interviews

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Master the skills necessary to succeed in an entry-level role in IT support

5 Courses | Hands-On Learning and Career Exploration

Technical Support Fundamentals
The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking
Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User
System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services
IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts

Technical Support Fundamentals

This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT.

Learning outcomes:

Understand how the binary system works
Assemble a computer from scratch
Choose and install an operating system on a computer
Understand what the Internet is, how it works, and the impact it has in the modern world
Learn how applications are created and how they work under the hood of a computer
Utilize common problem-solving methodologies and soft skills in an Information Technology setting

The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking

This course is designed to provide a full overview of computer networking. We’ll cover everything from the fundamentals of modern networking technologies and protocols to an overview of the cloud to practical applications and network troubleshooting.

Learning outcomes:

Describe computer networks in terms of a five-layer model
Understand all of the standard protocols involved with TCP/IP communications
Grasp powerful network troubleshooting tools and techniques
Learn network services like DNS and DHCP that help make computer networks run
Understand cloud computing, everything as a service, and cloud storage

Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User

In this course — through a combination of video lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice — you’ll learn about the main components of an operating system and how to perform critical tasks like managing software and users, and configuring hardware.

Learning outcomes:

Navigate the Windows and Linux filesystems using a graphical user interface and command line interpreter
Set up users, groups, and permissions for account access
Install, configure, and remove software on the Windows and Linux operating systems
Configure disk partitions and filesystems
Understand how system processes work and how to manage them
Work with system logs and remote connection tools
Utilize operating system knowledge to troubleshoot common issues in an IT Support Specialist role

System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services

This course will transition you from working on a single computer to an entire fleet. Systems administration is the field of IT that’s responsible for maintaining reliable computers systems in a multi-user environment. In this course, you’ll learn about the infrastructure services that keep all organizations, big and small, up and running.

Learning outcomes:

Utilize best practices for choosing hardware, vendors, and services for your organization
Understand how the most common infrastructure services that keep an organization running work, and how to manage infrastructure servers
Understand how to make the most of the cloud for your organization
Manage an organization’s computers and users using the directory services, Active Directory, and OpenLDAP
Choose and manage the tools that your organization will use
Backup your organization’s data and know how to recover your IT infrastructure in the case of a disaster
Utilize systems administration knowledge to plan and improve processes for IT environments

IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts

This course covers a wide variety of IT security concepts, tools, and best practices. It introduces threats and attacks and the many ways they can show up.

Learning outcomes:

How various encryption algorithms and techniques work as well as their benefits and limitations.
Various authentication systems and types.
The difference between authentication and authorization.
How to evaluate potential risks and recommend ways to reduce risk.
Best practices for securing a network.
How to help others to grasp security concepts and protect themselves.