BLINN OFFERS COMPUTER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Philip Adams tried two universities before he found the right path at Blinn College.
“I didn’t enjoy the large class sizes and they didn’t offer what I wanted to focus on,” said Adams, a second-year student from College Station enrolled in the Computer Information Technology (CIT) Program at the Blinn – Bryan campus. “I came to Blinn and I’m thriving. I have the highest GPA I’ve ever had. I get up to go to class and I love it. I’m excited to learn and I know I’ll be able to use what I learn after I graduate.”
Blinn CIT courses cover the fundamentals of personal computers, networking and security using CompTIA standards; the installation, configuration and administration of Linux and Windows servers, Cisco switches and routers; and Apache and PHP web, and MySQL database programming and servers. Those lessons are complemented with plenty of hands-on experience.
Maj. Bob Nelson, professor and CIT program coordinator, said some students are older than the traditional college student, looking to change careers or gain technical knowledge for their current job, and a handful have already earned a bachelor’s degree. On average, students take about three and a half years to complete the program. A handful of the students who enter the program have already earned a bachelor’s degree.
“If a student’s GPA is high enough and they graduate with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, they will find a tech management job,” Nelson said. “They don’t have to be vetted anymore. They have been vetted through our courses.”
Blinn’s CIT Program places about 15 graduates in careers each year, many with small or medium-sized local companies.
“My students get solicited for jobs on a routine basis,” Nelson said. “Businesses here in the Brazos Valley have learned that graduates of our program are well grounded in the fundamentals. They can take this broad training and narrow their focus in on-the-job training.”
On track to earn his AAS degree through the CIT program in May, Adams plans to transfer to Sam Houston State University and then work in signals intelligence for the U.S. Marine Corps.
“This program is really giving us the experience we need to be successful,” Adams said. “This isn’t something that you have to come into with prior knowledge. You can come in, do the coursework and know as much as the people who have been tinkering with computers since they could walk.”
Blinn enrolled 18,413 students this Fall and has experienced 31.1 percent growth since 2006. Founded in 1883, the College’s tuition and fees average about one-third the cost of the same classes at most four-year public universities in the state. In addition to its campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg and Sealy, the College teaches online courses, dual credit for high school and prepares students for quick employment through its career and technical certification programs.
Eight-week courses that run March 6 – May 6 are available for registration through March 5. For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.
