This is your path to a career in IT. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills that will have you job-ready in less than 6 months. No degree or experience required.

4.6

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31 ratings

Google Career Certificates

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Google IT Support Professional CertificateGoogle

What you will learn

Gain skills required to succeed in an entry-level IT job
Learn to perform day-to-day IT support tasks including computer assembly, wireless networking, installing programs, and customer service
Learn how to provide end-to-end customer support, ranging from identifying problems to troubleshooting and debugging
Learn to use systems including Linux, Domain Name Systems, Command-Line Interface, and Binary Code

Skills you will gain

About this Professional Certificate

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Prepare for a career in the high-growth field of IT, no experience or degree required. Get professional training designed by Google and get on the fast-track to a competitively paid job. There are over 520,000 open jobs in IT support with a median entry-level salary of $57,000.¹ Upon completion, you can directly apply for jobs with Google and over 150 U.S. employers, including Deloitte, Target, Verizon, and of course, Google. 75% of Google Career Certificate Graduates in the United States report an improvement in their career trajectory (e.g. new job or career, promotion or raise) within 6 months of certificate completion² This program also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams, the industry standard certification for IT—you’ll earn a dual credential when you complete both. This program is ACE® approved—when you complete, you can earn up to 15 college credits, the equivalent of 5 college courses at bachelor’s degree level. If you’re interested in building on your IT foundations, check out the Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate. Check out all Google Career Certificates here. ¹Lightcast™ US Job Postings (2022: Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2022). ²Based on program graduate survey, United States 2022

Applied Learning Project

This program includes over 100 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based assessments, which will help you simulate real-world IT support scenarios that are critical for success in the workplace.

The content is highly interactive and exclusively developed by Google employees with decades of experience in IT.

Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll be introduced to troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, and security — foundational IT skills required for an entry-level job.

Your skills will include: Network protocols, cloud computing, Windows operating system, Linux command line, systems administration, encryption algorithms and techniques, and more.

Learn concrete skills that top employers are hiring for right now.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 6 months to complete

Suggested pace of 10 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 6 months to complete

Suggested pace of 10 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

What is a Professional Certificate?

Build the Skills to Get Job Ready

Whether you’re looking to start a new career, or change your current one, Professional Certificates on Coursera help you become job ready. Learn at your own pace, whenever and wherever it’s most convenient for you. Enroll today and explore a new career path with a 7 day free trial. You can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time.

Hands-On Projects

Apply your skills with hands-on projects and build a portfolio that showcases your job readiness to potential employers. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to earn your Certificate.

Earn a Career Credential

When you complete all of the courses in the program, you'll earn a Certificate to share with your professional network as well as unlock access to career support resources to help you kickstart your new career. Many Professional Certificates have hiring partners that recognize the Professional Certificate credential and others can help prepare you for a certification exam. You can find more information on individual Professional Certificate pages where it applies.

There are 5 Courses in this Professional Certificate

Course1

Course 1

Technical Support Fundamentals

4.8

stars

135,085 ratings

This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT. You’ll learn about the different facets of Information Technology, like computer hardware, the Internet, computer software, troubleshooting, and customer service. This course covers a wide variety of topics in IT that are designed to give you an overview of what’s to come in this certificate program.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: ● understand how the binary system works ● assemble a computer from scratch ● choose and install an operating system on a computer ● understand what the Internet is, how it works, and the impact it has in the modern world ● learn how applications are created and how they work under the hood of a computer ● utilize common problem-solving methodologies and soft skills in an Information Technology setting

Course2

Course 2

The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking

4.7

stars

43,214 ratings

This course is designed to provide a full overview of computer networking. We’ll cover everything from the fundamentals of modern networking technologies and protocols to an overview of the cloud to practical applications and network troubleshooting.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: ● describe computer networks in terms of a five-layer model ● understand all of the standard protocols involved with TCP/IP communications ● grasp powerful network troubleshooting tools and techniques ● learn network services like DNS and DHCP that help make computer networks run ● understand cloud computing, everything as a service, and cloud storage

Course3

Course 3

Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User

4.7

stars

24,780 ratings

In this course -- through a combination of video lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice -- you’ll learn about the main components of an operating system and how to perform critical tasks like managing software and users, and configuring hardware.

By the end of this course you’ll be able to: ● navigate the Windows and Linux filesystems using a graphical user interface and command line interpreter ● set up users, groups, and permissions for account access ● install, configure, and remove software on the Windows and Linux operating systems ● configure disk partitions and filesystems ● understand how system processes work and how to manage them ● work with system logs and remote connection tools ● utilize operating system knowledge to troubleshoot common issues in an IT Support Specialist role

Course4

Course 4

System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services

4.7

stars

21,890 ratings

This course will transition you from working on a single computer to an entire fleet. Systems administration is the field of IT that’s responsible for maintaining reliable computers systems in a multi-user environment. In this course, you’ll learn about the infrastructure services that keep all organizations, big and small, up and running. We’ll deep dive on cloud so that you’ll understand everything from typical cloud infrastructure setups to how to manage cloud resources. You'll also learn how to manage and configure servers and how to use industry tools to manage computers, user information, and user productivity. Finally, you’ll learn how to recover your organization’s IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster.

By the end of this course you’ll be able to: ● utilize best practices for choosing hardware, vendors, and services for your organization ● understand how the most common infrastructure services that keep an organization running work, and how to manage infrastructure servers ● understand how to make the most of the cloud for your organization ● manage an organization’s computers and users using the directory services, Active Directory, and OpenLDAP ● choose and manage the tools that your organization will use ● backup your organization’s data and know how to recover your IT infrastructure in the case of a disaster ● utilize systems administration knowledge to plan and improve processes for IT environments

Instructor

Google Career Certificates
Top Instructor

6,018,744 Learners

247 Courses

Offered by

Google

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Certificate, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Certificate. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
What is IT support?
Businesses, nonprofits, school systems, and government organizations all rely on technology. Computers break, systems fail, phones die—when that happens, we need experts to fix them. IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving, and providing great customer service along the way. This includes setting up computers for users within an organization, overseeing computer systems, and debugging whenever a problem arises. A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries.
Why start a career in IT?
With entry-level jobs in IT fetching an average salary of $50,800 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for growth. In the U.S., there were over 86,500 open entry-level IT support roles in 2020, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 8% between 2019 and 2029—faster than the average of all other occupations. Basic IT skills will position you to secure an introductory-level role, and from then on, the opportunities are endless. The stackability of these skills means that after gaining a baseline level of knowledge through the Google IT Support program, it is easy to pick up more advanced skills.
What background knowledge is necessary?
None! Whether you’re completely new to the job field or have had some exposure, a Google Career Certificate is the right program for you.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
We highly recommend taking the courses in the order presented, as the content builds on information from earlier lessons.
Which jobs does this program prepare for?
The jobs available for this particular skill set include help desk technician, systems analyst, support specialist, database administrator, IT technician, computer user specialist, and many more.
What kind of companies hire IT Support professionals?
Nearly every company whose employees use computers has a need for IT Support professionals. The majority of IT support positions do not require a college degree, but they do require prior experience. This certificate will give learners the training and experience they need to get a job in tech.
What will I be able to do upon completing the professional certificate?
Google Career Certificates are designed to prepare you for an entry-level role in job fields like data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, IT support, project management, and UX design. Upon completion of a Google Career Certificate, like this one, certificate graduates in the U.S. will have the option to share their information with top U.S. employers that are hiring entry-level professionals, like HCL, World Wide Technology, Infosys, AT&T, Wells Fargo and of course, Google. Employer consortiums are currently available in the U.S., Canada, India, Singapore, Indonesia and are coming to more countries soon. The employers included will vary by country.
What resources will be available to help with the job search process?
In addition to expert-led training and hands-on projects designed to prepare you for a job, you'll get access to an interview practice tool, mock interviews and resume building workshops, career coaching sessions and more. You'll also be able to connect with over 150 U.S. employers who are searching for candidates who have completed a Google Career Certificate.
Why did Google create this program?
Google had long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with: We had open IT support roles, but not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So we built and tested a training program to provide pathways to jobs in technical support at Google for people with no college degree or experience. In 2018, Google launched the IT Support Certificate so that this training could be available to everyone. Since then, thousands of people have completed the program. In the United States, 75% of Google Career Certificate graduates report a positive impact on their career within six months, such as finding a new job or getting a raise.¹
When we saw the positive impact this program was having on people all over the world, we expanded into additional fast-growing, high-paying career fields: cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, project management and UX design. Built and taught by Google, these certificates prepare people from all backgrounds for jobs in fields with great demand for qualified candidates. No degree or previous experience is required. Graduates get the chance to connect directly with over 150 U.S. employers who are accepting Google Career Certificates for open jobs.
¹Based on program graduate survey responses, United States, 2021.
Can I get college credit for taking the Google IT Support Certificate?
Those planning to attend a degree program can utilize ACE®️ recommendations, the industry standard for translating workplace learning to college credit. Learners can earn a recommendation of 12 college credits for completing the IT Support Certificate, the equivalent of 4 college courses at bachelor’s degree level. This aims to help open up additional pathways to learners who are interested in higher education, and prepare them for entry-level jobs.
To share proof of completion with schools, certificate graduates will receive an email prompting them to claim their Credly badge, which contains the ACE®️ credit recommendation. Once claimed, they will receive a competency-based transcript that signifies the credit recommendation, which can be shared directly with a school from the Credly platform. Please note that the decision to accept specific credit recommendations is up to each institution and is not guaranteed.
Certificate graduates who also pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams will earn a dual credential from CompTIA and Google.
Will completing the certificate prepare me for the CompTIA A+ exams?
The Google IT Support Professional Certificate program aligns with the objectives covered by the newly updated CompTIA A+ certification. This Certificate program contains content that prepares you to take the CompTIA A+ exam. Upon completion of the certificate program, you can download the CompTIA A+ exam objectives to ensure that you’ve studied everything before taking the exams.
If you complete the certificate and pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams, you’ll have access to a new dual credential from CompTIA and Google: a badge that can be posted on LinkedIn to catch the attention of potential employers. Learn more here.
Is this program offered in other languages?
This certificate is currently available globally in English. You can also find Google Career Certificates available globally in the following languages: Turkish, German, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and Indonesian Bahasa. We are working on adding more languages soon. Please continue to check back here for updates.
Is the Google IT Support Professional Certificate licensed?
Yes, the content in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How much does this certificate cost?
In the U.S. and Canada, Coursera charges $39/month after the initial 7 day free trial period. The certificate can be completed in less than 6 months of part time study, meaning most learners complete for under $300 USD. In other countries where the IT Support Certificate is available, your cost may be lower.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Google IT Support Professional Certificate

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Professional Certificate

Applied Learning Project