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IT Generalist

Get ready for the workforce by developing a wide range of IT skills.

A man and woman gather around three computer screens; the woman points to one of the screens with her pen.
Start Date:
September
Typical Length:
2 Years
Credential:
Diploma

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Overview

The IT Generalist program provides you with the broad skill set needed to work in the information technology (IT) industry.

You learn fundamental IT skills in a range of areas, including network systems, security, web development, programming and more. Through both core and elective courses designed to represent the IT needs of your region, the program allows you to focus on specific areas of study, depending on specific industry needs.

Graduates leave this program ready to take on a variety of entry-level positions within the IT sector.

Work experience

  • Field experience is a mandatory credit course, providing you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills outside of the classroom.
    • Opportunities are typically unpaid and last approximately 5 weeks.
  • This program is eligible for an optional cooperative education (co-op) credit course between year one and two.
    • Co-op provides an opportunity for paid, full-time employment in a field related to your program.
    • Co-op takes place in third term and must be a minimum of 12 weeks and 420 hours.
    • Our co-op program follows Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) guidelines.
  • Transportation, accommodations and other costs related to work experience are your responsibility.
  • For more information, visit work experience opportunities.

Choose NSCC

  • You benefit from faculty who bring years of industry experience to the classroom.
  • Courses are designed to give you a well-rounded experience that parallels industry workplaces.
  • You gain practical experience and apply your skills during work terms.

Other info

  • The range of available courses varies by campus. Your faculty advisor and academic chair will assist you in ensuring all graduation requirements are met.
  • Many employers in this industry require a current, official criminal record check as part of the hiring process. A conviction on your criminal record may impact your ability to secure employment.
  • Applicants may qualify for the following educational award: Digital Nova Scotia TechQuity Award – Community Foundation of Nova Scotia (cfns.ca)

September 2025

Campus Full time/part time Delivery Availability
Burridge Campus
Yarmouth
Full time In person
Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.
Seats available
Strait Area Campus
Port Hawkesbury
Full time In person
Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.
Seats available

Admission requirements

Program requirements

  • Portfolio development – As part of your studies at NSCC, you develop a portfolio of your work; the portfolio captures your achievements and profiles your skills to employers.

Tuition

Tuition amounts are for the 2024-25 academic year. Program costs and fees (textbooks, supplies, etc.) are additional.

Tuition (Domestic):
$3,620
Tuition (International):
$11,690

Tuition, fees and program costs

In addition to annual tuition, there are program costs (books, tools, etc.) and student fees for College services, health and dental plans, your student association and parking.

View detailed program fees page(s). Please note that amounts on these pages are meant for planning purposes only. They don't represent final amounts owing.

Career options

Graduates of this program are employed in the following positions

  • General IT support for small businesses
  • System administrator 
  • Technical service representative
  • Technical support advisor
  • Web support – server and client side

Future study options

Courses may include

These are some of the courses offered in this program. It is not a complete list and courses are subject to change in advance of the academic year.

Recognizing prior learning / transfer credits
If you have previous learning (course, employment, etc...) that's relevant to your program, you may be able to apply to earn credit. Not all programs are eligible. Learn about our recognizing prior learning (RPL) process.

BART 3075 - Entrepreneurship Project
This is a project based course where learners will have the opportunity to apply entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to a personal business venture whilst being advised and supported by experts and professionals. Learners will develop a business idea aligned to their area of study by applying established processes, attitudes and skills in a real world environment. This is an opportunity for learners to try things out and make mistakes in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Risk taking and innovation will be encouraged without incurring penalties for unsuccessful attempts.

COMP 2000 - Applied Social Media
Students will explore current trends in the use of social media platforms in the workplace. They will develop the skills to assess and identify the suitability of social media platforms. This course will engage students in hands-on application of these platforms to communicate. Course content will emphasize the importance of ethical and respectful communication in building professional relationships and delivery of outstanding customer service.

DBAS 1007 - Data Fundamentals
This course introduces students to the concept of a database management system and its role in the IT infrastructure of any business. Students will use a database management system to develop a database and use this database to store and manipulate data. Students will also be asked to interpret database diagrams and create database objects based on their meaning.

DBAS 1020 - Data Security
This course introduces the learner to the concept of databases. Emphasis will be placed on designing a database from requirements to logical design (i.e. ERD’s) and initial table (or equivalent) construction. Learners will learn how to build, modify and maintain a database using basic SQL syntax. Security topics discussed will include an introduction to data vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies such as SQL injection, input validation, creating data security through the proper definition of user privileges, roles and responsibilities as well as physical security issues in a data centre environment.

DBAS 2104 - Business Analysis Essentials
This course teaches the fundamental business processes that govern the operation of any business. The focus is on the tools and methodologies used by business analysts to gather information regarding those operational processes and how the gathered information is used to support strategic and tactical decision-making in the business. This fundamental understanding of the business and analysis is then used by the learners to accurately interpret the detailed business requirements that drive design and implementation of supporting IT products and services. Extensive use is made of real world case studies from the local area, including guest lectures from local business analysts. Tools and software used in the course will be chosen according to current local industry standards.

DBAS 3075 - Introduction to Statistical Learning
This course introduces learners to statistical learning, a set of tools for modelling and understanding complex datasets. It is a recently developed area in statistics and blends in with machine learning. The course presents the application of statistical learning using many methods such as the lasso and sparse regression, classification and regression trees, and boosting and support vector machines. The course concentrates more on the applications of the methods and less on the mathematical details. Labs implementing the statistical learning methods will use the popular statistical software package R.

DBAS 3200 - Data Driven Application Programming
The course will explore scenarios that dictate requirements for a wide scope of data handling issues within the application. As such, the course content will develop an awareness of the data handling capability in the programming platform. Applicability of these capabilities is then reinforced and demonstrated through resolution of the scenario issues.

ICOM 2701 - Professional Practice for IT I
This course exposes students to tools and process that support professional continuous improvement. This course builds the foundations for professional habits and methodologies that help graduates remain current and relevant in an ever-evolving profession.

ICOM 2702 - Professional Practice for IT II
This course develops the skills, attitudes, processes and habits required to successfully prepare for a variety of interview scenarios and the associated presentation techniques. Emphasis is on the development of a professional portfolio and the part that personal marketing plays in gaining successful, relevant employment.

ICOM 2703 - Professional Practice for IT III
This course provides students with the skills and knowledge to curate a personal, professional portfolio in readiness for employment in the IT industry. In addition, students will practice and prepare for numerous interview situations and scenarios by honing the skills and techniques previously acquired.

INFT 2100 - Project Management
This course covers the basic theory and skills that introduce the learners to the process of effective project management and the unique challenges of Information Technology (IT) projects and methodologies.

INFT 2600 - IT International Placement
This course provides students with the opportunity to continue learning IT specific topics in an international context. The cross cultural experience, combined with IT related skill building will develop desirable industry competencies and attitudes. Students will be immersed in the culture of the host country and participate in regular class activities and collaborate with international peers.

INFT 3000 - Capstone
Learners acquire hands-on experience on a group project applying much of the material learned throughout their program. Throughout this course, learners will apply their skills to prepare and deliver technical documentation and presentations using various media platforms.

INFT 3100 - Work Experience or Industry Project
This course is a campus-based applied learning experiences which may consist of work experience, directed studies, industry projects or applied research and usually takes place in the final five weeks of the first academic year. Available options may vary from campus to campus.

INFT 4100 - Work Experience
This course is a summative experience in the context of a real-world organization. Students will apply learning in an authentic professional IT working environment and gain hands-on industry related skills and knowledge.

ISEC 1005 - Cyber Crime Survey
This course introduces learners to issues related to the current state of cybercrime. Learners will explore the origins of cybercrime and its role in cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, hacktivism and traditional criminal activities. The course will describe the evolution of threats, and the motivations, methods and resources of the various threat actors. The overall objective will be to give the learners an overview of the current threat landscape created by these threat actors as well as an understanding of the effectiveness and evolution of defensive strategies.

NETW 1027 - Introduction to Networking and Security
This course is focused on supporting network connected devices covering troubleshooting and maintaining connectivity from a client perspective.

NETW 2710 - Introduction to Cloud Computing and Server Virtualization
This course introduces the skills and knowledge required to analyze and manage server virtualization with cloud services, suitable for application in a small to medium business. The course enables students to develop a fundamental understanding of the economic and technological factors of virtualization and cloud computing services that impact business information technology performance and optimization. Additionally, the course enables learners to comprehend the components of virtual and cloud systems (e.g. storage, resource management and sharing and the benefits of automation).

OSYS 1000 - Operating Systems - Linux
This course introduces the skills and knowledge that will enable the student to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot a current UNIX based operating system (OS) in standalone workstation mode.

OSYS 1020 - Operating Systems Security
This course covers the fundamentals common to operating systems. The system architecture of privilege ring levels to provide security protection of kernel level programs from user level operations will be discussed. How the OS handles hardware and software resources including program execution, interrupts and memory management for standard input and standard output operation will be examined. The basic implementation of both Windows and Linux operating systems will be presented with hands on activities.

OSYS 1200 - Introduction to Windows Administration
This course is an introductory course to familiarize the student with key topics in managing a Windows client operating system.

PROG 1400 - Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
This course is an introduction to the essentials of object oriented programming (OOP). This course provides an explanation of the paradigm on which OOP is based, and how it affects programming strategies and solutions.

PROG 1700 - Logic and Programming
This course introduces the fundamentals of logic and computer programming and their role in the creation of software solutions for any problem. Logic is used to break down complex problems into manageable tasks to allow for comprehensive problem-solving using computer code. This course covers the process of creating logical designs and implementing them as programmatic code to build computer software programs.

SAFE 1000 - Introduction to WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems)
This course offers learners basic overview of WHMIS principles and establishes a solid foundation to support workplace-specific training on the safe storage and handling of controlled/hazardous products. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive basic WHMIS certification.

SAFE 1001 - Introduction to NS OH&S Act
This course offers students an introduction to the Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Act of Nova Scotia, which is required by any person employed in a Nova Scotia workplace. This is a generic, introductory course that provides basic knowledge of the Act for students and is considered to be the basis from which more specific training can be given.

WEBD 1000 - Website Development
This course provides an introduction to website development. Emphasis will be placed on development processes, usability, and adhering to current industry standards.

WEBD 3100 - Web Design Fundamentals
Website design extends the concepts from WEBD 1000 with a greater focus on presentation and usability. Industry standard tools and libraries will be implemented to create rich user experiences.

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