Applied Computing

Computer Network and System Administration Bachelor's Degree

Prepare for some of today's most challenging and exciting career areas: computer network design, administration, and security. Michigan Tech Computer Network and System Administration (CNSA) graduates are in high demand, they command excellent starting salaries and work for major employers.

As a CNSA major, you'll have loads of opportunities for hands-on learning, lab practice, and co-op and internship experiences. You'll develop robust skills in teamwork, communication, troubleshooting, and critical thinking.

Accreditation

Computer Network and System Administration is accredited by the Computer Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria.

Focus Your Studies

CNSA majors learn to build and troubleshoot computer networks and manage enterprise systems effectively and securely. You'll tailor your classwork to fit your interests through three technical emphasis areas:

  • Cybersecurity
  • IT Management
  • Network Engineering

Co-Ops and Internships

As a CNSA student, you'll have direct access to highly competitive cooperative education (co-op) and internship opportunities. These work experiences will give you foundational industry experience in many technical and non-technical areas in the field. When you graduate, you'll be well-prepared with the portfolio of skills that today's employers are seeking.

Recent Applied Computing Internships and Co-Ops

  • Alliance Laundry Systems
  • Boise Cascade
  • C Jackson Electric and Automat
  • Caterpillar, Inc.
  • CCI Systems, Inc
  • Consistacom, Inc.
  • Cooper Power Systems
  • CSX Transportation
  • Doosan
  • DTE Energy
  • Enterforce
  • Expera
  • Extreme Engineering Solutions
  • GE Aviation
  • General Motors
  • Georgia-Pacific Corporation
  • Harley-Davidson Motor Co
  • Hitachi Global Storage Tech
  • Johnsonville Sausage, LLC
  • Los Alamos Nat'l Lab
  • Mass Electric Construction Co.
  • Material Handling Services, LL
  • Mercury Marine
  • Michigan Consolidated Gas Co
  • Michigan Tech
  • MTU Systems Admin Svcs
  • Nemak
  • NewPage Corporation
  • Northern Star Industries
  • Nucor Steel
  • Packaging Corp. of America
  • Parr Instrument Co.
  • REMC#1
  • Sentry Insurance A Mutual Comp
  • Systems Control
  • Toyota
  • USG Interiors, Inc.
  • Wausau Paper
  • Top 5
    best bachelor’s in network administration
  • #1
    safest college campus in the nation
  • #2
    best return on investment (ROI) of public colleges in Michigan
  • #3
    best schools for internships

Great salary. 100% Job Placement.

Nationally, employment of network and computer systems administrators is projected to grow 3% from 2021 to 2031, and the 2021 annual median pay was $80,600, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 100% of Michigan Tech CNSA graduates are employed within 6 months of graduation.

CNSA grads have landed these great positions.

  • Network Engineer
  • Systems Engineer
  • Chief Security Officer (CSO)
  • Security Specialist
  • Database Administrator
  • Voice over IP (VoIP) Engineer
  • E-commerce Developer
  • Application Developer
  • Senior Interface Developer
  • Network Administrator

And these are some of their employers.

  • Progressive Insurance
  • IBM
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • NASA
  • Target
  • Cerner Medical
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • 3M
  • Harley Davidson
  • Ford Motor Company

I really like how invested the professors are in the classes. You end up developing great relationships with them.

Adam Fulton, CNSA
Adam Fulton
Student, Computer Network and System Administration

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying computer network and system administration at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Enterprise, Only at Michigan Tech

In their final year, Bachelor of Science majors complete either a Senior Design Project or an Enterprise project. Michigan Tech Enterprises are student-run business teams providing end-to-end original product development through real-world experiences in engineering design, team building, and project management. Senior Design and Enterprise teams work closely with a faculty advisor. Students in majors across campus participate in Enterprise program teams. College of Computing-affiliated Enterprise programs include Husky Game Development, HIDE, and IT Oxygen.

  • Students in the Husky Game Development Enterprise design and develop games for business, education, and fun. Earn credit, gain experience, and build your resume, all while creating quality software that will attract and satisfy industry sponsors. Who says you can’t work and play?
  • Humane Interface Design Enterprise (HIDE) students design, develop, and evaluate human-centered computer interfaces to make daily work more efficient and easier to manage. 
  • IT Oxygen Enterprise students—from numerous majors—provide Information Technology help to both student organizations and businesses, working on real projects for real companies that foster skills in development, problem-solving, and business.
Watch My Michigan Tech: Michael Dabish video
Preview image for My Michigan Tech: Michael Dabish video
"What I love most about CNSA is definitely the professors who really know what the industry needs in today’s society as far as the technology that is emerging right now."Michael Dabish '22

Why Accreditation Matters

Accreditation ensures that the Michigan Tech Department of Applied Computing provides students with a quality education. It is a voluntary process of self-regulation and peer review undertaken by many educational institutions. The Department of Applied Computing undergraduate program in Computer Network and System Administration (CNSA) is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation, ABET is the premier accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. Students in the Department of Applied Computing's CNSA bachelor's degree program can expect to achieve the following learning goals. Graduates of the program will have the ability to:

  • Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
  • Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  • Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  • Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
    Identify and analyze user needs and take them into account in the selection, creation, integration, evaluation, and administration of computing-based systems.
ABET Accreditation logo.

Computing[MTU] — The future needs you.

Try to imagine a world without computers everywhere. For better or worse, the genie is out of the bottle and computing, connectivity, and artificial intelligence have become critically ingrained in nearly every aspect of modern life. This is the world that needs the College of Computing.

Founded in 2019, the College of Computing is one of the first colleges in the nation—and the only college in Michigan—to focus solely on computing.  Digital transformation has morphed every discipline into a computing discipline, and industries like manufacturing, criminal justice, marketing, and health care are all being reinvented by digital technologies. The College of Computing is making sure that today's and tomorrow's employers have the computing talent they need to thrive in this brave new world.

Supercharge your future and meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to succeed in tomorrow's high-tech world.

Undergraduate Majors—Applied Computing

Not sure which major is the right fit? Explore Michigan Tech majors and minors.

My favorite thing about the CNSA program is how almost every class has hands-on lab time with real-world equipment.

Zach Heimer, CNSA
Zach Heimer
Student, Computer Network and System Administration