Information Technology Professional

The Information Technology Professional program at Advanced Career Institute, now partnered with CompTIA, offers Distance Education training for information technology professionals in California looking to learn and acquire skills for software applications, hardware troubleshooting, security issues, cloud computing, and local network support.

At Advanced Career Institute, you’ll learn how to maintain, build, troubleshoot, and repair hardware and software. You will also gain knowledge and skills in networking local and wide-area networked computers, preventing cyber-attacks, and solving network security issues within the fast-growing cybersecurity industry. You’ll also understand and be able to work with cloud infrastructure services.

This program also offers preparation courses for CompTIA certifications: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Cloud+. While we suggest students pursue as many of these Industry certifications as possible, they are not a program requirement and students will not be required to pass any Industry certification prior to graduation.

CompTIA partnership. By partnering with CompTIA, one of the globally recognized IT professional certification organizations, ACI is able help students get started toward a growing career.

Learn on your schedule. ACI’s accredited, career-focused IT programs enable students to take classes on a schedule that fits their lifestyle. All course material is in one centralized location and can be viewed at any time and not just during your scheduled training.

Regular interaction with instructors. Students will experience regular and substantial interaction with their instructors via discussion boards, online lectures, phone, email, text, and via our comprehensive Learning Management Systems (LMS). ACI instructors and Student Services are required to respond to student questions within 24 hours.

Hands-on externship. Prior to graduating, eligible students will receive an IT externship to put their skills to work with hands-on experience.

Admission to ACI and the Information Technology Professional program includes completion of the Institution admission requirements and access to a personal computer with the minimum configuration and internet connection that meets the minimum requirements for this program. Students enrolling in the Information Technology Professional (IT-Pro) program must have a High School Diploma, GED, or a recognized state equivalent to be eligible for any federal financial aid. To ensure a distance education student has access to a media device, they must complete the Online Orientation and the questionnaire that follows.

Program length. 720 clock hours / 47 quarter credit hours, a 32 week program, offered in Visalia via distance education — online only. The ACI homepage states the program can be completed in 32 weeks full-time or 48 weeks part-time.

Instructor office hours. Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM & 7:00 PM–9:00 PM.

Start dates. The 2026 academic calendar lists Distance Ed (Visalia main campus) starts on November 5 and December 7, 2026. Class starts & times are subject to change.

Cost of attendance. Tuition is $16,947 and the registration fee is $250, for total charges of $17,197 (2026 California School Catalog & Student Handbook, Vol. 26 v1.2, Current Fee Schedule p.91). Tuition includes all books, supplies and materials needed for the program, and the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) fee is included in the charges above.

The Information Technology Professional program includes a technology licensing fee that grants access to content for one year. Upon expiration of the license, students will be responsible for paying any applicable renewal fees in order to maintain access to the program’s content. The transportation program fees (drug screen, DOT physical, permits, retests) do not apply to the IT professional program.

Registration fee. A $250 non-refundable registration fee applies to students who commence class; ACI retains only $100 of it if a student does not commence class.

Financial aid. Available aid includes Federal Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, private loans, institutional payment plans, VA benefits, WIOA and Department of Rehabilitation funding. To be considered for Federal Financial Aid, a student must complete the FAFSA; ACI’s federal school code is 042089. Note: If you’re attending a non-college degree (NCD) school, in most cases your VA education benefits won’t cover independent study and online training.

Our graduates will be prepared for success in positions that include PC Support Technician, PC Technician, Computer Repair & Maintenance Technician, Customer Service/Support Representative, Help Desk Support Technician, Network Administrator, Network Support Technician, Cloud Computing Service Providers, etc.

IT graduates typically start in entry-level roles such as help desk technician, IT support specialist, or junior network administrator, depending on which certifications they complete during training. The job placement team helps IT Professional Training graduates build a resume around their certifications, prepare for technical interviews, and identify which job titles match their skill set.

Distance Education Classes are available to students in California with access to our innovative web-based virtual classroom, in which students enter their online lessons from anywhere there is internet access. Included in our online LMS are electronic books, access to all class surveys, quizzes, tests, email, a dropbox in order to upload assignments, training videos, and a variety of other learning resources, including the e-reference library.

Distance Education students have 24/7 access to e-reference resources, which may include electronic books, reference materials, academic databases, instructional media, and other digital learning resources included as part of their technology licensing fee. It is the school’s policy that evaluations of written material will be sent no later than 7 calendar days after receipt.