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Computer Technician and Support Specialist Training and Career Info in Michigan



  School and Career Overview

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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 Wayne County Community College District, Oakland Community College, Grand Valley State, and Kettering.

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 Davenport, Wayne State, Marygrove, and University of Michigan-Flint.
  • Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Wayne County Community College District, Andrews, Lawrence Technological University, and University of Detroit Mercy.
  • Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Marygrove, Spring Arbor University, Walsh College, and Andrews.

School Setting

  • Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Andrews, Calvin, Baker College, and Kettering.
  • Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Albion, Alma, Hope College, and Olivet College.

Excellence

  • SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Michigan, Kettering, Michigan Technological University, and Albion.
  • % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Kuyper, University of Michigan, Lawrence Technological University, and Marygrove.
  • Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Andrews, Calvin, Albion, and Hope College.

 

Read Reviews of Schools for This Career and State

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Spotlight Michigan Schools Related to This Career

University of Phoenix

  • Locations: Ann Arbor, Clinton Township, East Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Livonia, Portage, Southfield, Troy
  • Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor, Master

ITT Technical Institute

  • Locations: Canton, Swartz Creek, Troy, Wyoming
  • Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate

International Academy of Design and Technology

  • Locations: Troy
  • Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor

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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career

University of Phoenix Online

  • Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master

DeVry University Online

  • Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Walden University

  • Programs: 17 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master

AIU Online

  • Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master

Ashford University

  • Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Keiser University eCampus Online

  • Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor

Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State

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Kalamazoo Valley Community College • Kalamazoo, MI
Studying Computer Support (completion in 2010)

• 4/29/2011

"I'm pretty much satisfied. I received an Associates degree in Computer Support and I got my A+ certification for free. I'm just worried that I haven't found a job yet in my field. Since I live in Michigan, the job market is pretty tough."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesI would recommend my school since the prices are lower than other colleges and universities. Also, some programs prepare students for immediate employment after 2 years. This is ideal for students who don't have time to pursue a Bachelors degree.
Program Reputation6I think my school has an above average reputation since their AITP student chapter consistently places at the annual conference. Some students have qualified to work at the school in IT departments and some have been hired by local companies.
Program Quality5I think they could have prepared students for the job market better by providing more realistic and hands on training. I also believe they should assist students looking for jobs in their field.
Instruction7The career preparation could have better but I did receive an opportunity to get free certification in my field. I believe that I learned relevant skills in IT from my hardware, Microsoft Server 2008, and Desktop Support classes. However, in my basic networking class I believe that I did not receive the proper training. I think there should have been more hands on homework assignments.
How Difficult6The difficulty was slightly above average since most IT classes involve above average difficulty. However, since some instructors accepted late homework assignments, that made some classes easier.
Hands-On vs. BookishI thought that there could have been hands on learning in my basic networking class. I thought we could have spent more time making Ethernet cords and working with routers and switches.
Schedule Flexibility3I don't believe that classes were that flexible in my field of study since some classes were not available during fall or summer semesters. There were no online classes available, weekend options, or flexible hours during the evening. Some classes that students needed were even canceled for the semester since their were not enough students signed up.
Academic Facilities8My school had a computer lab and hardware lab available. Computer lab hours were available were pretty flexible but the hardware lab hours were not flexible. Professors were readily accessible after class and even had office hours. The library hours reasonable and provided adequate reference materials. Tutoring services were provided free of cost to students. I didn't care for the academic providers since their advice was too general.
Social Life7There were several athletic teams at my school but I didn't know much about them. There were several student ran groups at my school. They also had opportunities to participate in local walks/runs.
Placement Services4The school has some basic services available to assist with job placement. They assist with writing resumes, job letters, and mock interviews. But besides that they don't provide much assistance. There have been some paid internship initiatives that only a select few students could qualify for. Supposedly they would be offered employment from the companies providing their internship.
Alumni Network3There aren't that many resources available to help students get a job once they graduate. None of my professors offered to give me a reference.

University Of Michigan • Ann Arbor, MI
Studying Psychology (completion in 2010)

• 8/11/2011

"I would be a lot happier had I chose a path in college that mimicked my career now. With that said, I had a great time."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesIf psychology, yes. if a person pursues psychology and takes the time to do volunteer work and goes on to future paths, great.
Program Reputation7Good programs, great teachers. Lots of different research projects to do.
Program Quality8I really enjoyed what I had learned. I do wish I had thought about it further - I am currently not in the Psychology field, so it's sort of funny how things go.
Instruction10Top notch professors and graduate student assistants. Definitely had all the resources I needed.
How Difficult9Michigan was more difficult than I had thought. Makes sense now that I am done - Wish I had knew that earlier.
Hands-On vs. BookishMostly book and theory based. Wish there was more real-world stuff.
Schedule Flexibility5Most classes are during the day. There are not many classes in evenings. It's hard to get some classes since the older students have more credits and get priority.
Academic Facilities10Great professors, very understanding. Will work with you to provide support and guidance.
Social Life7I should have partied more in the first 2 years of school, seems like I missed out! Definitely great spirit with football and events.
Placement Services8Appear to be good and provide help for 6-8 months post graduation. I have not used their services, but I have heard good things.
Alumni Network10I have not donated, unfortunately. I work close to the development office and see that they put in many hours.

Western Michigan University • Kalamazoo, MI
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2008)

• 9/13/2011

"Great school and good professors. A few more great professors would be awesome."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesMy education helped me get my job and the knowledge I needed for that job. I would recommend my school to anyone pursuing a job in IT.
Program Reputation5I'm not really sure. I think it is middle of the road.
Program Quality7Good professors that care. Not a lot of TAs, but a lot of career professors.
Instruction6I was taught well and learned a lot. It was a good start, but it left a lot to learn once on the job.
How Difficult6It seemed easy to me because I wanted to do the work. It was a good challenge.
Hands-On vs. BookishA lot of labs and hands on work. There was some book learning that sometimes should have been more hands-on.
Schedule Flexibility8A lot of flexibility in class times. Not a lot offered during the summer, though.
Academic Facilities8Great computer labs and libraries. They do need to offer more study group support.
Social Life7A lot of school spirit and good athletics. Fun parties and good organized social events.
Placement Services9Had good staff to help and a lot of resources. Had good job fairs.
Alumni Network5Haven't reached out much for support, though I hear a lot about successful alumni.

WM. D. Ford Vocational Tech • Westland, MI
Studying Electronics (completion in 1996)

• 9/18/2011

"The education was free and it allowed me to gain a further understanding of electronics. I actually was employed about eight years later as an electronics bench tech - so it definitely helped!"

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeThe school is really for working students looking to do something to improve their careers and place some job training on a resume. It works for that and you actually can learn something worthwhile.
Program Reputation3The electronics program is worth three credits to the local community college. It was basically a way to get something on paper, as compared to an institute of higher learning.
Program Quality7The instructor was excellent and my voc/tech class was quite engaging. I really enjoyed the hands-on part of the class.
Instruction5I went to school to learn electronics, so it did not prepare me for my ultimate career of IT. I learned a great deal and the school prepared me more for my hobby of ham radio.
How Difficult7Electronics is challenging. There is a lot to learn, both in theory and labs.
Hands-On vs. BookishAt least 80% of the class time was spent in the labs. Electronics is hard to learn without seeing what is going on.
Schedule Flexibility5With four sessions throughout the day it was easy to find a time to go. I was in high school at the time so that wasn't a problem at all. They offered summer classes and two evening sessions but no online options.
Academic Facilities5There were no facilities to speak of. The school had a class for about 40 students with a few rows of lab equipment and that was it.
Social Life1Throw a bunch of high school kids in a room and you get a party. It's not a very good learning environment. There was no school spirit at all, no athletics program. Parties existed but really because we were high school kids, and no organized social events.
Placement Services3These were non-existent. The school simply didn't do job placement.
Alumni Network2The voc/tech school I attended is lacking in both these respects. Essentially it was a career prep school so I'm not surprised at this.

ITT Tech • Troy, MI
Studying Computer Network Systems (completion in 2010)

• 11/1/2011

"The school overall was not too bad. However, I thought for the money I had to spend that I would have received more knowledge from the program."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeI would base this on the knowledge of the person who was interested in the school. I would not recommend this to someone such as myself who knew about 50% of the program and was teaching some of the teachers my knowledge.
Program Reputation8ITT Tech is pretty well known for the CNS program. They are well liked when I was looking for jobs also.
Program Quality6The school was great. The teachers lacked knowledge in the general education courses and I outsmarted them often. A lot of the entry level classes were super easy and were required.
Instruction8The teachers at the school were good in the higher level classes. They were all in the field and had good experience which made the course smooth.
How Difficult5The program was not super challenging. I am young and have been with computers more than half my life, which makes it easy for the program.
Hands-On vs. BookishThe school was a mix of hands on and reading. It depended on the class and on how much lab time we actually had.
Schedule Flexibility6Classes were pretty easy to fit in. I was able to work full time and attend classes full time.
Academic Facilities6The school's computers were a joke. They were old Dells and were always broken. The library was very small and always crowded. The computer labs were always crowded and you had to wait in the hall to get on them.
Social Life5The school did not have many activities. The few they had were lame and very childish.
Placement Services1ITT Tech kept notifying me of jobs right above minimum wage that were far away. My friend finally got me a job and then they said they were the one who got me the interview... WRONG.
Alumni Network6The school's support was average. No one went above and beyond to help.

University Of Michigan Flint • Flint, MI
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2000)

• 11/28/2011

"I would say that there were some good courses that I took and I gained excellent computer knowledge. It would have been nice if there were more courses offered."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesI would recommend this school to my friends, because it has much improved since I graduated. There are more professors and more courses are offered now.
Program Reputation5My school's reputation was average, due to not having enough professors to teach all the courses. It would have been better if there were a better choice of courses to take.
Program Quality10I had an excellent computer science program that taught me how to fix computers and how to program computers.
Instruction10Most of the professors I took courses from had an excellent knowledge of the material.
How Difficult5The academic challenge was to keep up at least a C average in college. I had to study really hard, and I went part time to manage the workload of my courses.
Hands-On vs. BookishI would say that part of the course was reading from a textbook, and then there was a lab where there were hands-on activities. There would be an assignment in the book that you would do in the hands-on lab.
Schedule Flexibility10The class schedule was flexible. At times, there was more than one professor to teach the same course.
Academic Facilities10There were several computer labs that could be used to work on homework assignments. There were also plenty of tutors available to help the students.
Social LifeI did not take part in too many social events in college. I mostly focused on my studies and keeping up my grades.
Placement Services10My school had an excellent job placement service. I did not utilize it much, though.
Alumni Network5I would have to say that the support has been good. I do not have anyone in my alumni network that I know that well.

Baker College, Flint • Flint, MI
Studying Microsoft Network Certificate (completion in 2010)

• 11/16/2011

"I enjoyed the teachers intellect. I did not appreciate all the PowerPoints."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?noThey were not helpful in finding a job. They did not provide very many hands-on activities.
Program Reputation9I had heard many good things on TV about their educational prospects, and even though they were more expensive I went with them. I know their professors are smart, but they need to be better at teaching.
Program Quality8I wish they helped me find a better job and had more hands-on activities, and not just PowerPoints.
Instruction7I am disappointed with the extensive use of PowerPoints, and lack of hands-on work. I also wish we had better career introduction, and networking skills classes to help me get employed.
How Difficult5As long as you can memorize facts you can pass all the tests.
Hands-On vs. BookishThey used mostly PowerPoints.
Schedule Flexibility10Almost all my classes were offered either nights, or weekends. Teachers were understanding with those who also worked.
Academic Facilities9The library was fantastic, and held vast amounts of books. There were almost two computers to every student!
Social Life1I worked full time and did not participate. I also had a girlfriend, and didn't try to blend in.
Placement Services1I found their help very useless. I did not get very many good leads, and instead just got pointed to places where they "might" be hiring. It was very disheartening.
Alumni Network1I did not get any help getting a good job, rather I was pointed to places with sub-par job prospects, and low wages. I did not even get callbacks from many employers I found myself.

Baker College • Auburn Hills, MI
Studying Computer Network Administrator (completion in 2010)

• 12/6/2011

"I was very satisfied with Baker. The staff is very nice and the school's location is in a good area."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesI would recommend it for anyone looking to start a career. The job placement guarantee is fantastic.
Program Reputation9They have a good reputation. Everyone there is very friendly.
Program Quality8My school was very good with the program I used. A few of my friends attended as well.
Instruction8Instruction was topnotch. Professors at this school all have worked in the field in which they teach.
How Difficult7IT was somewhat difficult. There was a lot of material to learn if you are not familiar with IT.
Hands-On vs. BookishIt was about 60% hands on and 40% book learning. In the computer field, you must be hands on with the PC.
Schedule Flexibility8Scheduling was very flexible. You can choose from morning, afternoon, or evening classes.
Academic Facilities8They had a computer lab with everything we needed.
Social Life3Baker is a career school only. They do not have any activities to participate in after school.
Placement Services9They guaranteed 99% of graduated students to be placed in a job. Career services helped find me a job; they were excellent.
Alumni Network8Internal support was excellent. If there were any issues, they would have it taken care of very quickly.

Eastern Michigan University • Ypsilanti, MI
Studying Linguistics (completion in 2012)

• 12/16/2011

"Not a top school, but still pretty good. I wish it garnered more respect."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeI got a good education. However, my career hasn't yet taken off as I had hoped.
Program Reputation8We have sent students to other great PhD programs. However, the school doesn't care much about the department.
Program Quality9Too many non-major students got to take the higher-level classes, which watered down my education. But the professors really knew their stuff.
Instruction9The professors are very talented and enthusiastic. I was challenged often.
How Difficult7You just need to learn how to write papers. After that, it's simple.
Hands-On vs. BookishI have had both kinds of classes. It depends on the faculty.
Schedule Flexibility7They offer a lot of night classes. It's a big commuter school, so scheduling is pretty solid.
Academic Facilities8The LINGUIST List is based out of Eastern. Also, the classes are small and the professors are very helpful.
Social Life5I didn't make too many friends. There is very little club activity.
Placement Services5I didn't really make use of it. I have heard mixed things, though.
Alumni NetworkHaven't used it much. Don't know what is offered.

Mott Community College • Flint, MI
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)

• 1/9/2012

"I was able to get a degree that led me to a paying job in my field. Attending school allowed me to complete the goal I set out for."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeSomeone looking for a local community college with flexible classes would find it adequate. Someone looking for a more-rounded university experience might not be fulfilled.
Program Reputation5While it is not a school that specializes or is well known, the courses are adequate to give someone a way into the field. In the immediate area however students know they can get a good education.
Program Quality5The school I attended has a acceptable computer sciences department. I was able to gain knowledge through my classes.
Instruction6Working with computers most of my life, I had a good deal of preparation before I even started classes. I was able to fine-tune the skills that I brought with me.
How Difficult6I understand the fundamentals of programming and am a quick learner. I was able to adjust my workload to accommodate other activities in my life.
Hands-On vs. BookishThere was a good ratio of book learning that accompanied real time in front of the computer. The text usually served as a guideline for computer tasks.
Schedule Flexibility10Mott knows the type of students who attend their school and make classes are extremely flexible.
Academic Facilities7A new library gives students the kind of resources they need to better familiarize themselves with their studies. Computers are up to date with current technology allow students to be at the forefront of their field.
Social Life5Personally, my experience was purely educational and other priories limited my social experience. That said, there are athletic teams, groups and many gatherings for a diverse group.
Placement Services7Mott is dedicated to educating a workforce and improving the community through employment. If there is a position to be filled, they will do their best to find someone to fill it.
Alumni Network5Through my years and classes I have made contacts through peers and teachers that allow my to converse with others in the field. Working in the area that I studied in school allows me to perform well.
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