IT Support Professional Certificate (IBM)
First IT credential. Help desk, hardware, customer support.
Program comparison
Which program fits your goals?
Compare the time commitment, preparation, and skills behind each career path. Choose a program that fits your life and the work you want to do.
Career tracks compared
Tracks in this comparison 15
Your scheduleCompare course hours
Your backgroundCheck preparation
Your next roleResearch requirements
No cost to qualifying members WIOA & grant funded
How to use this page
Pick based on what matters most
Start with your interests and available study time. Use the published preparation notes and an advisor conversation to narrow your choices.
01
Time
Compare published course hours and delivery format with the study time you can protect each week.
02
Preparation
Check the syllabus prerequisites. An advisor can help you decide what to learn first.
03
Tech comfort
Uncomfortable with computers? Start with Digital Literacy, then stack into IT Support or another track.
04
Career research
Compare current job requirements and local pay for the occupation you want to enter.
Still unsure? Find programs to explore with the pathfinder. For pay and job requirements, use our career research guide.
Recommended starting points
Three common front doors
Explore these starting points, then compare preparation and course content before choosing a track.
Networking and Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (Net+, Sec+)
Career changers ready to enter the security field. You do not need a security background, but comfort with computers helps — members new to technology entirely should complete Digital Literacy or IT Support first.
Management Analyst & Business Intelligence Professional Certificate
Learners who want to turn business problems and data into recommendations for management.
Find your path for suggestions based on your interests, or browse all programs.
Side-by-side
Compare all 15 career tracks
Published study commitment, preparation, training providers, and roles to research — grouped by field.
| Track | Duration | Preparation | Roles to research | Training providers | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT & Cybersecurity | |||||
| IT Support Professional Certificate (IBM) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | IT Support Specialist · Help Desk Technician · Technical Support | IBM & Google via Coursera | Apply |
| CompTIA A+ Professional Certificate (CompTIA A+) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | IT Support Specialist · Help Desk Technician · Desktop Support | Microsoft & Google via Coursera | Apply |
| CompTIA Net+ Professional Certificate (CompTIA Net+) | 3-5 months, 10 hrs/week | Confirm preparation with an advisor. | Network Administrator · Network Technician · Systems Administrator | CompTIA certified | Apply |
| CompTIA Sec+ Professional Certificate (CompTIA Sec+) | 3-5 months, 10 hrs/week | Confirm preparation with an advisor. | Security Analyst · Security Administrator · Compliance Analyst | CompTIA certified | Apply |
| Networking and Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (Net+, Sec+) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | CompTIA A+ Certification (or equivalent foundational IT/hardware/OS knowledge) | Cybersecurity Analyst · SOC Analyst · Security Operations Specialist | Microsoft, Google & Google Cloud via Coursera | Apply |
| IT Automation with Python Certificate (Google) | 3-5 months, 10 hrs/week | Confirm preparation with an advisor. | IT Automation Specialist · DevOps Engineer · Systems Engineer | Google certified | Apply |
| Cloud & Data | |||||
| AWS Cloud Technology Professional Certificate (AWS) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Cloud Engineer · Solutions Architect · DevOps Engineer | Amazon Web Services via Coursera | Apply |
| Management Analyst & Business Intelligence Professional Certificate | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Management Analyst · Business Intelligence Analyst · Market Research Analyst | Google & IBM via Coursera | Apply |
| Database Administrator (DBA) Professional Certificate (IBM) | 160 hours • Online, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Database Administrator · Junior Database Administrator · Database Operations Specialist · Database Architect (adjacent path) | IBM via Coursera | Apply |
| AI & Software Dev | |||||
| AI Practitioner Professional Certificate (AWS) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | AI / ML Engineer · Software Developer · Applications Engineer | IBM, AWS, Anthropic, Packt, Politecnico di Milano, Lund, UVA Darden, Rutgers & Kennesaw State via Coursera | Apply |
| AI and Software Developer Professional Certificate (IBM) | 200 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Software Developer · Full-Stack Developer · Web Developer | IBM via Coursera | Apply |
| Business | |||||
| Project Management Professional Certificate (Microsoft) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Project Coordinator · Project Manager · Scrum Master | Microsoft & Google via Coursera | Apply |
| Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate (Google) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Digital Marketing Specialist · E-commerce Coordinator · Marketing Analyst | Google via Coursera | Apply |
| User Experience & Interface Design Professional Certificate | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | UX Designer · UI Designer · Product Designer | Google via Coursera | Apply |
| Healthcare | |||||
| Medical Billing, Coding, and Health Information Technician Certificate (MBCHIT) | 160 hours • Hybrid, Self-Paced | No recommended prerequisite listed in the syllabus; confirm fit with an advisor. | Medical Coder · Health Information Technician · Billing Specialist | MedCerts, Johns Hopkins University, AAPC & Coursera | Apply |
Program details use the current WorkforceAP catalog and supplied syllabi. A suggested role is a research direction; employers may require additional education or experience. Check occupational pay and entry requirements before deciding.
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