// simulated_threat_visualization
DEFEND
WHAT CONNECTS
THE WORLD.
Train for careers in cybersecurity, networking, and information technology through hands-on labs, real systems, and industry-focused instruction.
// difference
INSIDE CTE,
THIS HITS HARDEST.
Three things that separate CITE from a typical IT class.
Real systems. Not simulations.
You'll log into live hardware: routers, switches, servers, virtualized environments. Not screenshots in a textbook.
Job-ready in 1–2 years.
Stackable certificates and a fast-track AAS designed for the people who hire — and sit on our advisory committee.
Certs while enrolled.
Sec+, Net+, CCNA, and Microsoft pathways are built into the coursework — you leave with credentials, not a transcript.
// hands_on
THE WORK.
NOT THE THEORY.
Real day-to-day inside the program — concrete tasks on real systems.
- [ PCAP ]
Capture and analyze network traffic.
Wireshark and tcpdump. Follow packets request to response. Spot what shouldn't be there.
- [ HARDEN ]
Lock systems down.
Patch, configure, harden — then run controlled attacks against your own setup.
- [ NET ]
Configure routers, switches, servers.
Cisco IOS, VLANs, ACLs, OSPF. Build a network from rack to running.
- [ BREAK ]
Build and break in the lab.
Designed to fail. Find the break, fix it, and document the recovery.
- [ TOOLS ]
Use the field's tools.
Linux, packet analyzers, virtualization, scripting. The stack on every job posting.
- [ DEFEND ]
Run a SOC shift.
Triage alerts, document incidents, rotate through blue-team scenarios.
// pathway
FAST IN.
STACK UP.
Stackable credentials. Stop at any level and work — or keep going.
Get into IT, fast.
Foundational networking and IT support. The fastest entry into a help desk or junior NOC role.
Networks & systems.
Build, configure, and secure real networks. Add Microsoft and Cisco coursework with the certs aligned.
Cybersecurity-ready.
Full degree with cybersecurity track, capstone, and placement support. Direct path to analyst roles.
Every level stacks into the next. Most students start with the certificate, work in the field, and come back for the AAS.
// outcomes
WHERE YOU
LAND.
Real roles. Real ranges. What CITE graduates do — and what it pays.
Cybersecurity Analyst
- Triage alerts
- Hunt threats
- Run incident response
Range
$72k – $115k
Network Administrator
- Configure routers/switches
- Maintain uptime
- Run audits
Range
$65k – $98k
Systems Engineer
- Architect servers
- Automate deploys
- Manage virtualization
Range
$78k – $125k
IT Support Specialist
- Tier-1/2 troubleshooting
- User support
- Asset mgmt
Range
$48k – $68k
Salary ranges based on regional and national medians for entry-to-mid roles. Your mileage will vary by certs, experience, and geography.
// certifications
YOU LEAVE WITH
PROOF.
Coursework lines up with the certs employers actually filter for. Earn them while you're enrolled.
CompTIA
- Security+
- Network+
- CySA+
- A+
The baseline filter on most cybersecurity and IT job postings. Built into the first two terms.
Cisco
- CCST
- CCNA
Cisco-authorized track on real Cisco hardware. Lab time on the same gear regional networks run.
Microsoft
- MD-100/101
- AZ-900
- SC-900
Endpoint, identity, and Azure fundamentals. Stackable role-based credentials.
// national_recognition
NSA & DHS
DESIGNATED.
CITE is one of fewer than 400 programs nationwide designated under the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) — meeting the standards set by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security.
CAE-CD · DESIGNATED
Federal recognition. Audited curriculum. Verified instructors.
- Curriculum aligned to NSA / DHS standards
- Audited program quality
- Federal scholarship eligibility
// the_lab
REAL HARDWARE.
REAL ATTACKS.
Welding has sparks. We have racks, packets, and a live network you can break. Every term is hands-on time on real equipment.
- CISCORouters, switches, patch panels — same gear regional networks run on.
- SOCA working blue-team environment. Triage, IR, shift hand-offs.
- VIRTVMware and Hyper-V. Spin up, attack, contain, document.
- RACKPhysical hardware, KVM, console access. Rack-and-stack on real boxes.
// the_field
SECURITY IS
EVERYWHERE.
Every business, hospital, and government system depends on secure networks. The work doesn't go away — and demand keeps rising.
// why_nic
FASTER PATH.
CLOSER REPS.
Faster than 4-year.
AAS in two years. Working in one, if you want.
Smaller cohorts.
Real instructor time, not a 300-seat lecture hall.
Stackable credentials.
Stop at any level. Come back when you're ready.
Built for jobs.
Curriculum shaped by employers who hire CITE grads.
// join
TIME TO
MOVE.
Apply, ask questions, or come tour the labs.