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A new flavor of EET and CS: BS Degree in Networking and System Administration (NaSA) at UNI

Abstract This paper describes establishment of a new Bachelors of Science Degree program entitled “Networking and System Administration - NaSA” at the University of Northern Iowa. The NaSA major is a cross-disciplinary program supported by electrical engineering technology and computer science majors in the College of Natural Sciences. This paper also reports recently developed curriculum for the NaSA major and lists program requirements in detail. The authors also intend to discuss the curriculum with similar institutions and consider their suggestions for the program enhancement.

I. Introduction

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, computer support specialists and system administrators are projected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the period of 2002-2012 1. Due to this reason there are a number of Bachelor of Science in Applied Networking Technologies and System Administration degree programs developed and established all over the U.S. as well as Europe and Asia 2-3. There are also a number of information technology and networking Baccalaureate degree programs offering in distance education 4. A list of ABET accredited Computing Programs and Information Technology related institutions can be found at ABET web site 5.

This paper describes establishment of a new Bachelors of Science Degree program entitled “Networking and System Administration - NaSA” at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). The NaSA major is a cross-disciplinary program supported by electrical engineering technology and computer science majors in the College of Natural Sciences. The curriculum includes mathematics and physical science core, fundamental electrical engineering technology core courses, and computer science classes. A background in the mathematics and physics is very significant for the intended BS degree program. The courses from existing electrical engineering technology major such as electrical circuits, analog/digital electronics, and analog/digital data communications core courses will be excellent flavor for the computer science classes for the NaSA major.

As the first and only major in a state-supported university in Iowa, the Networking and System Administration major is a timely program aimed at preparing graduates for careers and research opportunities in all fields related to reliable and distributed network computing and their corresponding hardware components.

Employment of systems administrators is expected to increase much faster than average as firms will continue to invest heavily in securing computer networks. Companies are looking for workers knowledgeable about the function and administration of networks. Such employees have become increasingly hard to find, as systems administration has moved from being a separate function within corporations to one that forms a crucial element of business in an increasingly

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Pecen, R. R., & Gray, P., & Zhu, J. (2006, June), A New Flavor Of Eet And Cs: Bs Degree In Networking And System Administration (Nasa) At Uni Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--822