Program Overview
Learn how the B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration can benefit your career
Prepare for professional roles designing and operating cloud-based systems with the online Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration program. The asynchronous coursework for this cutting-edge degree program focuses on career-relevant skills like virtualization, storing and backing up crucial information, and web server security and maintenance.
Take advantage of our highly competitive tuition as you learn about server-side technologies and tools, web environment analysis, and active directory configuration. This online cloud and system administration program can be completed quickly by transferring up to 90 credit hours toward your degree. Upon graduation, you will be prepared to pursue your AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification.
In this 100% online B.S. in IT – Cloud and System Administration program, you will learn how to:
- Design, operate, upgrade, and secure cloud systems
- Install and configure web servers
- Configure active directories, network infrastructure, and application infrastructure
- Perform system administration tasks
- Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions
Gain new skills in:
- Cloud computing
- Database administration
Potential Careers:
- Cloud Engineer
- IT Researcher
- Database Administrator
- Solutions Architect
Credit for prior learning acknowledges your experiences and can save you time and money on your degree.
You might be closer to graduation than you think!
Have questions or need more information about our online programs?
Also available:
Northern Kentucky University offers a variety of technology programs online. Learn more about our online technology programs.
Tuition
Keep your budget intact with our affordable tuition
The B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration online program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to in-state and out-of-state students. Financial aid may be available to students who qualify.
Tuition breakdown:
| Program | Per Credit Hour* | University Fee Per Credit Hour** | Total Per Credit Hour** |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. in IT – Cloud & System Administration | $475 | $16 | $491 |
| With Path to Success Scholarship and Locked-In Tuition* | $275 | $16 | $291 |
Tuition and fees are subject to change at any time.
*The Path to Success Scholarship with Tuition Lock is available to first-time NKU OnlineA students only; existing students may not participate. The Scholarship is comprised of savings off the original price of $475, for a $275 per-credit-hour tuition rate, bringing the total cost to $291 per credit hour, including the activity fee. The Scholarship cannot be combined with any other offer and is not available for the RN to BSN online program. Students who step out of the program for more than a year (thus requiring a new application) will no longer receive the $275 tuition lock; instead, they must pay the tuition or scholarship rate available at the time of new enrollment. Excludes some program-specific fees that will be divided and assessed by credit hour based on the number of hours taken.
Tuition and fees subject to change at any time.
Ranked among the “Top Public Colleges” by Forbes, 2022
Calendar
Create an academic schedule that fits your life
The B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration is delivered in a convenient online format, with 7-week courses that start six times a year. View the full calendar to see all upcoming dates. When you're ready to get started, be sure to submit your application, registration, documents, and tuition by the corresponding deadlines.
Now Enrolling:
| Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1 | 05/08/2023 | 04/26/2023 | 05/01/2023 | 05/04/2023 | 05/08/2023 | 06/23/2023 |
| Summer 2 | 06/26/2023 | 06/14/2023 | 06/19/2023 | 06/22/2023 | 06/26/2023 | 08/11/2023 |
| Fall 1 | 08/21/2023 | 08/09/2023 | 08/14/2023 | 08/18/2023 | 08/21/2023 | 10/06/2023 |
| Fall 2 | 10/18/2023 | 10/05/2023 | 10/10/2023 | 10/13/2023 | 10/18/2023 | 12/08/2023 |
| Spring 1 | 01/08/2024 | 01/02/2024 | 01/04/2024 | 01/05/2024 | 01/08/2024 | 02/23/202$ |
| Spring 2 | 03/11/2024 | 02/29/2024 | 03/04/2024 | 03/08/2024 | 03/11/2024 | 04/26/2024 |
Ranked among the "Best Colleges for Information Technology in America" by Niche (2023)
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Northern Kentucky University?
Admissions
Apply to the B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration online program
The admission process is the first step toward earning your B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration degree online. Please reach out to one of our enrollment specialists for any questions you might have. Requirements for admission to this program include:
View full admission requirements
B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration Online Admission Requirements
Applicants for the B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration online program are evaluated on a holistic basis and must meet the following requirements:
Transfer Admission
Transfer applicants are students who have graduated from high school and have previously attempted coursework for credit (other than college credits taken while in high school) at another accredited college or university.
Students with a minimum 2.0 GPA from an accredited institution and 24 or more transferable credit hours must submit the following:
- Complete online application and pay $40 non-refundable application fee
- If you are an NKU alumni or active/veteran military member, your application fee will be waived. Simply submit the online application without payment of the application fee. The fee will be waived when your credentials are verified. No further action is required.
- Official transcripts from each college attended
- if applicable, transcripts from accredited Federal Bureau of Prisons or Police Academy program
Students with a minimum 2.0 GPA and fewer than 24 transferable credit hours are evaluated based on the freshman admission standards and must supply the following:
- Complete online application and pay $40 non-refundable application fee
- If you are an NKU alumni or active/veteran military member, your application fee will be waived. Simply submit the online application without payment of the application fee. The fee will be waived when your credentials are verified. No further action is required.
- Official transcripts from each college attended
- if applicable, transcripts from accredited Federal Bureau of Prisons or Police Academy program
- Final and official high school transcript or GED scores
- New transfer students who apply to the University with fewer than 24 college credit hours earned and a 2.75 and greater unweighted high school GPA will be offered admissions regardless of ACT/SAT scores. Please note: Nursing and respiratory care programs require ACT/SAT scores.
- New transfer students with a 2.7499 unweighted high school GPA and less will be required to submit ACT or SAT test scores:
- Required ACT scores:
18 (English, math, reading) - Required SAT scores:
Prior to March 2016: 430 (math, writing); 450 (critical reading)
March 2016 to present: 480 (evidence-based reading and writing); 470 (math)
- Required ACT scores:
Freshman Applicants
A freshman applicant is a prospective student who has not attempted coursework at an accredited college or university (other than college credit earned while in high school or during the summer immediately following high school graduation).
Students who are 21 years or older and have never attended college (other than college credits taken while in high school) must supply:
- Complete online application and pay $40 non-refundable application fee
- If you are an NKU alumni or active/veteran military member, your application fee will be waived. Simply submit the online application without payment of the application fee. The fee will be waived when your credentials are verified. No further action is required.
- Official high school transcripts or GED scores
Students who are under 21 years old and have never attended college (other than college credits taken while in high school) must supply:
- An online application form
- A $40 nonrefundable application fee
- Official high school transcripts or GED scores
- Freshmen applicants must have at least a 2.0 unweighted high school GPA to be considered for admissions.
- Freshman applicants with a 2.75 and greater unweighted high school GPA will be offered admissions regardless of ACT/SAT scores. Please note: Nursing and respiratory care programs require ACT/SAT scores.
- Freshman applicants with a 2.7499 unweighted high school GPA and less will be required to submit ACT or SAT exam scores:
- Required ACT scores:
18 (English, math, reading) - Required SAT scores:
Prior to March 2016: 430 (math, writing); 450 (critical reading)March 2016 to present: 480 (evidence-based reading and writing); 470 (math)
- Required ACT scores:
NKUWrite (English and reading) and ALEKS (math) scores are encouraged for placement. Some courses may require placement testing depending on transfer credit or ACT scores. Our Testing Services office can help you schedule these tests.
Official documents may be mailed or emailed to:
Northern Kentucky UniversityOffice of Admissions
Lucas Administrative Center
400 Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Have a question? Call us at 800-985-7215.
Courses
Explore the curriculum in our online cloud and system administration program
For the B.S. in Information Technology – Cloud and System Administration online, students must complete a total of 120 credit hours. Students are required to take 5 informatics core courses (13 credit hours), 7 information technology core courses (19 credit hours), 3 additional core courses (9 credit hours), 6 major electives (18 credit hours) and general education courses (37 credit hours). Students must select either a minor (21-28 credit hours) or an area of focus (12 credit hours). The remaining hours are to be taken as free electives.
Students must take the following courses:
INF 100: Orientation to College Informatics
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1
Assist first-year students transitioning to NKU and the COI through activities related to academic, social and personal development. Discover university resources and build community to develop a better understanding of the learning process and acquire essential success skills. Students will examine growth mindset and skills for college and lifelong learning.
INF 120: Elementary Programming – NS
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
An elementary introduction to programming for those with no previous programming experience. Emphasis on understanding how to read and write basic procedural programs, and on understanding the concepts of algorithm and execution. Prerequisite: MAT 102
INF 282: Introduction to Databases
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Core concepts for the design, creation, and manipulation of relational databases. Analysis of data requirements, conceptual modeling, definition of the relational model, relational database design and normalization, and database implementation; manipulation of relational databases using relational algebra with SQL. Prerequisite(s): C or better in MAT 102 (or higher) or placement.
INF 284: Introduction to Computer Networks
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to computer networking principles, focusing on network applications such as HTTP, Email, DNS, SSH and DHCP. Various protocols in the TCP/IP stack and emerging networking technologies are covered. Lab exercises reinforce concepts. Prerequisite(s): C- or better in MAT 103 (or higher) and one of INF 110, INF 120 or CIT 130.
INF 286: Introduction to Web Development
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to web design and development for majors in the informatics fields. Web page creation with use of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Website development best practices. Website development process. Prerequisite(s): C- or better in MAT 103 (or higher)
Students must take the following courses:
CIT 130: Information Technology Fundamentals
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to the organization of computers, operating systems, and networks; comparison of common operating systems; hands-on experience in PC construction and configuration; data representation; overview of the information technology industry and its societal context. Prerequisites: MAT 102 or placement and ENG 101R or placement.
CIT 171: Introduction to Linux
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Students learn how to navigate and perform basic tasks in the Linux operating system command line interface through hands-on experience. Prerequisites: ENG 101 or ENG 101R or placement.
CIT 247: Networking Fundamentals
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Data link control, communications network techniques, network protocols (IP, TCP, UDP); planning and deploying a LAN; wireless networking; routing; security; introduction to Cisco IOS. Prerequisite(s): C- or better in CIT 130, CIT 171 and INF 284.
CIT 271: Windows Administration
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Organization of the Windows operating system; installation, configuration and recovery; scripting using batch files; user management; basic server administration and directory services. Prerequisites: INFO 120 and CIT 247 or INFO 284.
CIT 285: Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to fundamental concepts and technologies in cyber-security, with lab exercises that focus on practical aspects of securing computers. Topics include risk analysis, common attacks and defenses, authentication, access control, network security, application and data security, and cryptography. Not open to students who have completed or are taking CIT 480. Prerequisites: CIT 130 and CIT 247 or INFO 284.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Advanced usage and basic administration of Unix/Linux systems, including management of files, users and processes, tools for editing and pattern matching, shell scripting, and software installation. Prerequisites: INFO 120 and CIT 247 or INFO 284.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Programming in a dynamically typed scripting language, including interfacing to operating system and network services and automation of common system administration tasks. Prerequisites: INFO 120 and CIT 271 or CIT 371.
Students must take the following courses:
STA 205: Introduction to Statistical Methods
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Graphical descriptive measures; numerical descriptive measures; probability; hypothesis testing, estimation; analysis of variance; chi-square; regression; analysis by means of statistical software. Not open to students who have completed STA 250 or STA 314. Prerequisites: P in MAT 101 or placement.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Ethical issues faced by computing professionals including those related to computing in the workplace, security, crime, privacy, property rights, risk, liability, and the internet. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent of instructor
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Principles and techniques of technical writing, with particular attention paid to conveying technical content to lay audiences and nonspecialists. Students learn the value of visuals, style, and design in communicating complex content and are introduced to the types of documents central to the technical professions. WRITING STUDIES. Prerequisite: ENG 102, HNR 102 or equivalent
Students must take the following courses plus two additional 300 or 400 level CIT or CYS courses. CYS 439 may count toward these electives.
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to the concepts and technologies of cloud computing, including designing, operating, upgrading, and securing cloud systems. Concepts and technologies covered include server and network virtualization, load balancers, caches, service delivery, configuration management, monitoring, and capacity planning. Prerequisites: C- or better in CIT 371.
CIT 436: Web Server Administration
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Web server administration concepts; installing and configuring a web server; proxy server; name resolution; web server security and maintenance; server-side technologies and tools; monitoring and analyzing the web environment. Prerequisites: C- or better in INF 284 and CIT 371.
CIT 472: Database Administration
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Database administration concepts; procedural extensions to SQL; installing and configuring a database server; creating and configuring database instances; user management and security; backup and monitoring activities. Prerequisites: C- or better in INF 282, CIT 271 and either CSC 260 or CIT 383.
CIT 451: Advanced Windows System Administration
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Active directory configuration, network infrastructure configuration, application infrastructure configuration; specific topics include Active Directory and its security, Domain Name System, DHCP infrastructure, routing, remote access, advanced firewall and network access protection, IIS security, FTP, SMTP, Media Server. Prerequisites: C- or better in INF 282, CIT 271.
Students must complete a minor or take 12 credit hours from a declared area of focus outside of INFO, CIT or CYS courses.
Students must take 13 credit hours of free electives to reach the bachelor's degree minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation.
Students must take 37 credit hours of general education courses, selected from the following categories. Note: Some general education courses may be part of the major/minor/focus requirements. If so, those courses may be used to count for both general education and the major/minor/focus.
- General Education Courses:
- Communication; Written (3 credits)
- Communication; Written II (3 credits)
- Communication; Oral (3 credits)
- Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry
- Mathematics and Statistics (3 credits)
- Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry
- Natural Sciences with lab (4 credits)
- Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry
- Natural Sciences without lab (3 credits)
- Self and Society
- Cultural Pluralism (3 credits)
- Self and Society
- Individual and Society (3 credits)
- Self and Society
- Individual and Society (3 credits)
- Culture and Creativity (3 credits)
- Culture and Creativity (3 credits)
- Global Viewpoints (3 credits)
