Welcome to the User Support website
This website provides information about the User Support Certificate of Achievement, a course of study offered by the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. The program prepares students for jobs providing technical support and training for computer users. Such assistance is needed by any organization that uses computers, so the job possibilities are endless.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES in the User Support field have job titles such as Help Desk Technician, Technical Support Representative, Customer Support Professional, PC Support Specialist, User Support Specialist, Call Center Support Representative, Applications Analyst, Systems Technician, Training Facilitator, and Computer Education Specialist. All require sound technical knowledge and good “people” skills, as can be seen from the following description of the job of a Help Desk Technician:
Help-desk technicians assist computer users with the inevitable hardware and software questions not addressed in a product's instruction manual. Help-desk technicians field telephone calls and e-mail messages from customers seeking guidance on technical problems. In responding to these requests for guidance, help-desk technicians must listen carefully to the customer, ask questions to diagnose the nature of the problem, and then patiently walk the customer through the problem-solving steps. Read more >>
Classes in the User Support emphasis at CSN are offered in both the classroom setting and through Distance Education. The DE offerings are comprehensive enough that it is possible for a student, who is so inclined, to complete all requirements for the Certificate through Distance Education. Furthermore, careful selection of electives will allow a student to attain both a Certificate of Achievement and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computing and Information Technology without the necessity of any “extra” course work.
To complete a Certificate of Achievement a student is required to complete 33 credits (11 courses). The required courses provide a good grounding in customer service, computer hardware, software and the most common computer applications — word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and databases. Elective courses can be used to gain specialized knowledge that could enhance employment prospects. Possible electives include networking, accounting, computer graphics and geographic information systems.
Please browse through the pages of the website to learn more about the User Support Certificate of Achievement. Read about one User Support graduate’s experience getting a job and growing with it.