Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Computer Support Specialists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Columbia Southern University, Troy University, John C Calhoun State Community College, and Jefferson State Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Troy University, University of West Alabama, Auburn, and University of North Alabama.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Wallace Community College Dothan, Oakwood University, Talladega College, and James H Faulkner State Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Athens State, Troy University, J F Drake State, and Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Oakwood University, Columbia Southern University, Tuskegee University, and Samford University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Talladega College, Birmingham Southern, Oakwood University, and Spring Hill College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Auburn, Samford University, Birmingham Southern, and UA Hunstville.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Alabama State, Alabama A & M, Spring Hill College, and Oakwood University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Birmingham Southern, Tuskegee University, Amridge University, and Alabama A & M.
Working as a Computer Support Specialist in Alabama
Computer support specialists provide guidance and technical assistance to people who use computers. Computer support specialists install, configure, and remove data and software as and when required. They troubleshoot problems with computer hardware, software, or systems. They also regularly monitor computer systems and recommend fixes or upgrades. Sometimes they are also required to write manuals for users. Read a detailed Computer Support Specialists job description and schools overview.
The UAHuntsville's student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery provides information regarding conferences, and in general, promotes educational learning in the field of computing.
State Requirements
The State of Alabama does not require professionals to obtain any licenses or certificates to pursue this profession. However, for the majority of computer support specialist positions, employers in Alabama prefer candidates with an associate's degree or certification. In some cases, it may also be necessary to have a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, computer science, or information systems.
Major Industries
Computer support specialists work in various industries in Alabama. Some of these industries are:
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Colleges and Universities
- Electronics and Appliance Stores
- Religious Organizations
- Management of Companies and Enterprises
- Insurance Carriers
- Architectural and Engineering Services
- Commercial Goods Merchant Wholesalers
- Software Publishers
- Elementary and Secondary Schools
Major Employers
A few of the major employers of computer support specialists in Alabama include:
- Auburn University (Colleges and Universities)
- Seimens Vdo (Electronics and Appliance Stores)
- Elmore County Bd Of Educatiion (Elementary and Secondary Schools)
- Cas Incorporated (Computer Systems Design and Related Services)
- Regions Financial Corporation (Management of Companies and Enterprises)
- Briarwood Presbyterian Church (Religious Organizations)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Samford University • Birmingham, AL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 10/11/2011
"I feel prepared for what lies ahead, and professionally I am ready for my job. Also, I met my wife at Samford so I feel pretty good about that!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Samford is not known as a computer science school. But the experience is like no other. The small school atmosphere is very friendly, but can get old after 3-4 years. If you love the school and campus, go there. If not, don't! |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Samford is not known as a computer science school. The nursing school and law school are the two most well-known programs at Samford. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program taught me the basics of electronics. I have felt prepared for every problem I encountered, even new issues. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers were very knowledgeable. They prepared me for each certification test, and made sure I would be prepared for the job I had after graduation. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Technology came naturally to me. The part I had to work on the most was memorization. My memory is not very good! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program is dominated by book learning. Hands-on learning was something that was done more on my own time. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Classes are from 8:00 to 2:30 Monday through Friday. Not much exception. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library selection could have been better. I made use of the inter-library loan system several times. The computers in the library were not very new either. |
| Social Life | 6 | I was lucky that I found several very good friends at Samford. I was not a member of a Greek organization. The football spirit is not very good! |
| Placement Services | 5 | I never participated in the job placement or career services. I preferred to find my own job without any help from the school. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Financially, the alumni support Samford well. Other than that, I don't know. Alumni were never very active on campus. |
Auburn University • Auburn, AL
Studying Software Engineering (completion in 2008)
• 10/30/2011
"They could have done a better job of preparing us with real world applications. Otherwise they gave us the tools that we needed to succeed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school to others, but I'd tell them to make sure to do the business/software degree and do an internship. I would also tell them to take time outside of their classes to work on personal projects. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Auburn was one of two schools at the time that was currently teaching the major. Those who made it out generally found good jobs. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It was a very good program that taught a lot. The only problem is that there is only 1 of 2 programs like it, so no one knows exactly what it is or what it teaches. |
| Instruction | 4 | Majority of the professors barely spoke English, so no matter how smart they were they were unable to communicate well with students. Tools to learn were provided to more than adequately cover the needs of the courses. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I was one of five that graduated when our class started with a hundred plus. There were a lot of tough classes that were there to weed out people who were not cut out for the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The first couple of years were completely hands on and interactive. As you went further along in the program, you got less hands on work and more book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Many of the classes were only offered on certain days and times. You could generally choose what classes you wanted to take each semester as they were offered year round. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had state of the art computer labs and access to the second largest library on the eastern seaboard. Labs were accessible at all times of the day. |
| Social Life | 8 | We had a large student union that planned a lot of fun events. The only thing I knock the student union for is not having some things to do at the union or rec center for days when nothing was planned. |
| Placement Services | For looking for part time work while in school they offered a lot of help. They also helped you find full time work when you graduated. I did not participate in either so I do not feel I can rate it. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | My alumni network never contacted me or assisted me in any way. The only contact I've had from my alumni association was to ask me for money immediately after graduation. |
University Of South Alabama • Mobile, AL
Studying Accounting (completion in 1994)
• 11/23/2011
"If I had it to do over again, I would have selected another school. I was not very satisfied at all."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The quality of my experience was just not that good. There are numerous other schools within the state that I believe would offer a much better experience. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I know some individuals who have gone on to have a successful career in accounting from this university. I bear some of the responsibility for not having one. |
| Program Quality | 2 | My school did not adequately prepare me for a job in the field of Accounting. With a minor in Computer Science, I was able to get a job in the software support business. |
| Instruction | 3 | I don't think the instruction adequately prepared for a career in my major. The curriculum was dated, and there were too many foreign professors whose English skills were not sufficient. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The concepts were not extremely difficult. The instructors were not that demanding. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In total, I can only think of 3 or 4 hands-on type learning experiences associated with the university. Everything was tied to the textbook information. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | My attendance was before the internet offerings that are common now. As a result, it was much harder to get senior-level classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Accounting lab hours were almost nonexistent. When they were open, sufficient help was often not available. Had to pay for additional tutoring. |
| Social Life | 2 | The bulk of the student population does not live on campus. As a result, many activities were not well attended. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The process was never clearly explained. Getting information from them was very difficult. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have no other frame of reference; this is the only university I have attended. The alumni network is active. |
Herzing Institute • Birmingham, AL
Studying Information Systems (completion in 1993)
• 12/27/2011
"I was very satisfied with the program. I believe I received an adequate level of training for the price of tuition."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It was a very good experience and I learned a lot. However, I would only recommend an associate’s degree program to someone who was completely opposed to a four-year college. These days, many colleges offer an adequate level of technical training that was not available when I completed the associate’s degree program. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | It is a for-profit school, so those typically have lower reputations. In the mid-90s, this was fine, because there was no good technical training at 4-year colleges, but that has since changed. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It was an excellent program and provided great technical training at a reasonable price. It allowed me to work as an analyst for many years, without the need for a 4-year degree. |
| Instruction | 8 | Since it was a technical school, the instructors were not "trained" educators. They were basically technicians from the corporate world, and the lack of formal educational training was apparent. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The instructors were not trained well enough. The technical information was sufficient, but the teachers could have been much better. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As a technical school, the majority of the classes were hands on. In addition to hands-on programming classes, there were hands-on hardware repair classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It was fairly flexible, with classes offered from 8am until 9 or 10 at night. But essentially, most people chose either morning or afternoon classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The facilities were only average. The building was very old at the time, although the technical equipment was sufficient. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I believe they did a decent job of career placement. They were able to place me in a related field immediately upon graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There is no alumni network. Some of the graduates keep in touch via online communities, but there is no formal alumni network that I am aware of. |
Alabama State University • Montgomery, AL
Studying CIS (completion in 1999)
• 2/5/2012
"I don't believe that I could ask for a better learning experience. I had great instructors and much of what I do now was learning during my time at ASU. It's a great institute for higher learning."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There is no doubt about it. I would recommend this school to anyone who wants to go into computer support. I have a son attending ASU right now. He's undecided, but I really want him to consider Computer Information Systems because they still have a great program. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I knew that the CIS program was a good one because I asked before I started the school. I was certain that this was what I wanted to do. I came into school during a time when the "internet boom" was the phrase that paid. The instructors were excited about teaching us. I really appreciated this. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school provided a well-rounded course load. I believe my degree gave me the skills that I needed for my profession. Courses in data communications and management information systems were extremely helpful. |
| Instruction | 10 | The information systems program prepared me for a variety of career fields. I received knowledge in programming, networking administration and basic maintenance. I believe the instruction was very good. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The classes were challenging, but there were not impossible to handle. I definitely believe that a fair amount of time had to be spent on the courses. Programming in classes like C++ and COBOL were extremely challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good mix of hands on and book learning. This is why the computer lab was so important. We would go through lots of book material, but we would be responsible for completing the labs at the end of the chapters. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I know that there were some summer classes for my courses, but I am not really sure about weekend courses. I did have my fair share of evening courses so I would say that the flexibility is there. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The Levi Watkins Learning center was awesome. The computer labs were also great. I worked in the computer lab and we made sure that students always had the best computer support. The lab was open 24/7 and a work study student was always there to help. |
| Social Life | 10 | I cannot express how much fun I had at Alabama State University. It was such a great atmosphere for meeting new people. The academic side of things was great, but I also attended lots of parties. There was always something do to on campus. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I was part of a cooperative education program with Bellsouth when I was in college. I had some real hands-on experience with computer support before I left college. This was a great learning experience that the job placement department was responsible for. I was also able to receive lots of information for careers upon graduating. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I actually work with a lot of Alabama State University Alumni. My current boss took classes with me. He and many other classmates are very supportive of my current certification pursuits. |
University Of Alabama • Huntsville, AL
Studying CS (completion in 2009)
• 2/14/2012
"Overall, I was satisfied with the kind of exposure and the practical hands-on approach."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Good school for computer science. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The CS program is quite popular. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Good school for CS. |
| Instruction | 5 | I should have become a software developer instead. I sometimes feel I'm overqualified for my job. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The workload can sometimes get hectic, especially the assignments. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It's the assignments and the homework that insist on the hands-on nature. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Quite flexible, especially evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The classes and labs are good, but the library is a bit outdated, with not too many new books. |
| Social Life | 7 | The social aspect was quite good. The basketball team was very popular. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Not too many big companies around the school. A few small companies recruit students. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | The alumni support is good. We have an alumni directory. |
Northeastern University • Boston, AL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2009)
• 2/27/2012
"It was alright. I would think twice about going there again if I had the chance, and would caution others. But ultimately I have no regrets."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a good career with potential for job growth and opportunities. You meet many smart people and are exposed to interesting technologies in a constantly changing field. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school's reputation was fairly good and I was able to get a good job upon graduation. People are often impressed when I say where I've graduated from and with what degree. |
| Program Quality | 2 | Didn't particularly care for many of my course classes. A lot of them were irrelevant and useless in the real world. Focusing too much on theory and not practical application. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instruction was fair. Some teachers were excellent and had a good grasp of the material. Others simply couldn't care or were more interested in research or activities other than instructing students. |
| How Difficult | 5 | At times it was overly difficult and at other times it was overly easy. Too much focus on specific subjects and not enough on other core skills. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Too much focus on book learning. If I had not engaged in activities outside of school I would have been unprepared for the workforce upon graduation. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Class schedule flexibility was often poor if you were to deviate from the standard schedule. Administration was often unhelpful and concerning. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Facilities were poor. Often in a run down state, broken and not supported. Often dirty. Not enough on campus housing for students. |
| Social Life | 7 | Decent. I met many like-minded people who I still keep in touch with today. Too many people were attending just for the degree which took away from the overall experience. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Excellent. I was able to get internships whenever I needed them. Career Services was extremely helpful in placement. I was easily able to find a job upon graduation. |
| Alumni Network | Can't really say as I didn't have much to do with Alumi Activities. I will say alumi donations were not particularly high. |
STLCC Meramac • Kirkwood, AL
Studying Network Specialist (completion in 2011)
• 3/20/2012
"The classes were easy but informative. The teachers were knowledgeable and helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It's only really good if you transfer to a four-year college. The programs weren't very specialized and just general IT teaching. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | It's a community college so everything is about average. Classes transfer to higher learning places pretty well. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It provided enough hands on experience to prepare you for a job. Some of the text books were out of date though. |
| Instruction | 8 | Teachers provided extra help before and after class. Many had previous experience in IT and related real life experience to class. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The classes were pretty basic in what they taught. Work load was pretty easy with little to no take-home work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Many of the classes were a mix of both. Some, like online ones, were a book only and no hands on at all. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | A lot of the first classes were pretty flexible. However, the higher level ones ended up being online-only or only at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Most of the hardware and software was fairly modern and well maintained. Some of the text books were extremely outdated. |
| Social Life | 3 | I commuted so didn't get to go to many social events. Most of the events were simple movie nights and costume parties. |
| Placement Services | 4 | School provided little help outside of job fairs. They best way for career service was to get an internship. |
| Alumni Network | I have no idea if the school even has such a network. It wasn't brought up during my time there. |
Rasmussen College • Green Bay, AL
Studying ISM Computer Technology (completion in 2012)
• 3/25/2012
"I am a hands on learner, it is difficult for me to learn unless you just put me to the task rather than ask me to read a book, take a test than learn."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend my school as it is too expensive, the curriculum needs to be improved and they need more classroom space and working systems. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school is very expensive and the program directors are not flexible at all and very pushy. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school programming is very much hands on participating in teaching and learning styles. |
| Instruction | 8 | I think that I have learned more on my own since I have graduated, I repair computers from my home and it gives me that much more knowledge. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I rated it average difficulty due to the fact that the teaching styles were a little too laid back. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a lot of hands on learning. I was able to design and build my own computer. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The flexibility was awesome because they offered day, night and online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | It seemed as if they were either understaffed or unreliable. I signed up for a tutor and she did not show up half of the time. |
| Social Life | 10 | The IT program would get together every other Saturday night and share ideas, play and create online games and just socialize. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They really did not offer career placement, after I graduated I joined a service called The Transitional Jobs Program. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | The school's alumni network is amazing, we have our own site on Facebook and consult each other regarding IT questions. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.