Advanced Career Institute

MODULES

COURSES

CLOCK HOURS

QUARTER CREDITS

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Technology Requirements

This is a description of all the technological requirements for successfully accessing and completing your courses.

Student Orientation

You will begin with a mandatory orientation, where you'll receive login credentials to access the student portal. You will learn about ACI’s mission, teams, departments, and resources. You will also access important school policy information on attendance, testing, grading, and other school services available to you for your success at ACI. You will take an assessment quiz at the end of the orientation to test your knowledge of policies and services. The orientation process should last about an hour.

Attendance 

The institution verifies daily attendance for Distance Education courses through a combination of academic activity and student engagement including:

• student submission of an academic assignment,
• completion/submission of a quiz or exam
• a posting by the student showing the student’s participation in an online study group that is assigned by the institution,
• a posting by the student in a discussion forum showing the student’s participation in an online discussion about academic matters, and
• an e-mail from the student or other documentation showing that the student initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

Students are required to engage in academic activity each scheduled day to receive attendance credit for that day.

E-Reference Library

The E-Reference Library is a virtual online library that provides content from well-known authors and publishers in a fully searchable electronic reference library, available at no additional cost to students. The e-Reference Library combines a wide array of leading business and technology books into a collection designed to address the unique needs of each student. Most books required for your courses can be accessed via the e-Reference Library.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usages and Limitations Policy

It is important that students understand the allowed usages and limitations of AI tools at Advanced Career Institute. Students may use AI tools to assist in formulating ideas, but not to replace originality.

MODULES

COURSES

CLOCK HOURS

QUARTER CREDITS

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Module 1

Introduction to Operating Systems

15

 .75

This course focuses on essential topics and tasks related to getting started, using Windows 11, organizing and searching for files, utilizing universal apps, and managing programs and file types.

Introduction to
MS Office

30

 1.50

In this course, you will learn about the most common applications contained in the Microsoft Office suite of software products.

• Understand the purpose and use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Utilize their basic features and functionality.
• Apply practical skills in document creation, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Module 2

Word Fundamentals I

30

 1.50

In this course, you will learn how to create professional-looking documents using Microsoft Word. Including customize the appearance of documents with formatting and font options, Enhance readability and functionality by adding objects, Apply styles, themes, and building blocks, Work with tables and merge Word documents.

Keyboarding I

15

 .75

This course Keyboarding I – is an introductory touch-typing course focusing on home row mastery, progressive key introduction, proper ergonomics, and achieving a minimum speed/accuracy benchmark (15 wpm with no more than 2 errors in a 1‑minute timing).

Module 3

Business Writing I

15

 .75

This course addresses is a foundational course in professional written communication emphasizing purpose, audience awareness, clarity, conciseness, process, feedback, revision, and correctness for workplace contexts. Including Analyze audience and purpose to shape tone, structure, and content, Apply a repeatable writing process (planning, drafting, feedback, revising, editing, polishing), Use the Ten Core Concepts (Process, Context, Medium, Message, Claims, Form, Social,Revision, Voice, Grammar) to improve document effectiveness, Develop clear, concise, and coherent business messages (emails, memos, short reports), Support claims with logical organization and appropriate evidence or justification, Revise for structure (flow, transitions) and refine voice for professionalism, Edit and proofread for grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and format consistency, and Demonstrate ethical and audience-respectful communication practices.

Customer Service and Communications Skills I

15

 .75

This course covers how to build rapport with customers by being customerfocused. This includes being able to connect with your customers, being positive, paying close attention to the customers’ needs, and understanding their feelings by empathizing with them. In this course, you will learn you can enhance the impressions you make in the field by using a few tried-and-true techniques, including being prepared, practicing customer recognition, and employing active listening so the customer feels reassured by your presence.

Customer Service and Communications Skills II

15

 .75

This course covers the basic rules for answering a customer call, including greeting the customer and offering your assistance. It includes information on how to make a good impression by listening and using questions to probe for more information, using your tone, and being able to empathize and be sincere with the customer. This course also describes ways of reflecting or adapting to your customers’ style. This course explores who internal customers are, the expectations placed on serving internal customers, and how to treat your coworkers as you would your external customers.

Module 4

Business Problem Solving I

15

 .75

This course takes you through the essentials of problem-solving and introduces to Learn about conflict styles, when to use them, and when to adapt your style, Understand how to handle conflict with difficult individuals, Explore the process of overcoming organizational biases and functioning as an inclusive leader, and Develop tactics for combating unconscious biases in the workplace.

Employment Skills I

15

 .75

This course assists students in developing their current personal assets into job-related employability skills. In addition, this course emphasizes the techniques required to become the role-model job applicant. Students will learn how to conduct a successful job hunting campaign as well as about concepts associated with positively launching a new job.

Employment Skills II

15

 .75

This course covers the interview process and prepare for the various types of interviews you may encounter, assess and accept job offers and how to succeed in your position during the first 90 days.

Module 5

Computer Repair I

45

 2.25

This course will review the various hardware components and peripherals in computer systems in detail. The course will also review print technologies, virtualization, cloud computing, and how to apply troubleshooting skills to hardware and networking issues.

Module 6

Computer Repair II

45

 2.25

Module 7

Computer Repair III

45

 2.25

The course begins with supporting mobile devices, covering setup, configuration, maintenance, and common troubleshooting techniques. Students then move on to supporting printers, learning how to install, configure, and resolve typical hardware and software issues. explore the complex world of IT professionals, including communication skills, ethical responsibilities, problem-solving strategies, and workplace expectations. The course concludes with network security and troubleshooting, introducing common network threats, security best practices, and basic diagnostic techniques.

Module 8

Computer Repair IV

45

 2.25

In this course, students begin by learning how to install Windows, including system requirements, installation methods, and post-installation configuration. The course then progresses to maintaining Windows, focusing on updates, system optimization, security practices, and routine maintenance tasks to ensure system stability and performance. In the latter part of the course, students develop critical troubleshooting skills. They learn how to diagnose and resolve issues after Windows has started, such as performance problems, driver errors, and application failures, and how to address startup and boot-related issues that prevent Windows from loading properly. 

Module 9

Network I

45

 2.25

This course provides learners with the basic concepts of networking, including network models like the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model and TCP/IP( Transmission Control and Internet Protocol ) model, and the protocols and applications that work within them. Students will learn about routing and switching operations and the common protocols used on most networks today.

Module 10

Network II

45

 2.25

This is the second of three Network+ courses. In this course students will learn storage, virtualization and WAN technologies. They will also cover documentation and diagrams, business continuity, Network Monitoring and Remote Access, policies and best practices, security devices, network attacks, and access
control.

Module 11

Network III

15

 .75

In this course, students will learn how to perform risk assessments and security audits on a network. Students will also learn about attack and defense strategies, access control and identity management, cryptography, policies, procedures, awareness, and physical security.

Security Plus I

30

 1.50

This is the first of two courses that introduces the fundamentals of network security. The course covers how to secure networks and mitigate security threats. Students will explore how to perform risk assessments and security audits on a network. Students will learn about attack and defense strategies, access control, identity management, cryptography, policies, procedures, awareness, and physical security.

Module 12

Security Plus II

30

 1.50

This is the second of two courses that introduces the fundamentals of Network Security. In this course students begin by exploring information and system architectures, learning how data, hardware, software, and network components are organized to support business and organizational goals. The course then examines IT operations and management, including system administration concepts, resource management, performance monitoring, and best practices for maintaining reliable IT services. The course also addresses wireless network attacks and defenses, introducing common threats such as unauthorized access, eavesdropping, and denial-of-service attacks, along with basic defensive strategies to protect wireless networks. Learning is reinforced through homework assignments that apply concepts to real-world scenarios.

Hard Disk Management

15

 .75

This course is designed for students in the IT field who need the competencies associated with Hard Disk storage systems and want to learn how to manage files, work with directories, format disks, create back-up files, and troubleshoot storage systems.

Module 13

Cloud Computing I

30

 1.50

In this course students will understand how to plan and deploy a successful cloud system, understand how to view cloud, deployment models and their network interactions, and how to evaluate computer resources required for successful cloud implementation, Understand how to test an environment before cloud deployment and how to migrate and integrate cloud services, Explain security controls and cryptography and its uses, Understand data security and how to use security automation tools and techniques.

Cloud Computing II

15

 .75

In this course students will perform cloud updates and patching, concerning cloud backup, and schedule and perform cloud maintenance, Explore disaster planning and recovery, cloud resource provisioning and how to run performance analyses, how to allocate compute resources and monitor resource usage, troubleshooting for the process of deployment, capacity, and automation issues and how to troubleshoot network issues and security issues.

Module 14

Externship

135

 6.75

Upon completing the required academic coursework, students will undertake unpaid, external experience. An externship can enable a student to translate knowledge gained in an academic setting into the world of work outside the school.  An externship can also assist the student in gaining first-hand knowledge of the expectations in their career field and the etiquette of the workplace.  It is important the student make the link between academic preparation and the world of work. 

Students in the Information Technology Professional Program must complete an externship of 135 clock hours.

Externship Policies

Externship Final Evaluation Form