The future of Computer Networking and Information Technology has tremendous growth and multiple career opportunities for those with the right skills and experience. UW-Stout's Computer Networking and Information Technology (CNIT) program will provide you with the strong technical, communication, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills you need to succeed.
Our IT industry-experienced faculty will challenge you with hands-on experience in our cutting-edge computer network laboratories. CNIT classes with embedded industry certification examinations will prepare you for rewarding, high paying careers as a:
- Network engineer
- Security analyst
- Network consultant
- Network and systems administrator
- IT project manager
Our local, national and international internships will provide you with real-world experience to design, implement, and administer local and wide-area networks. You will take courses in emerging fields such as:
- Cybersecurity and Cyber defense
- Enterprise Network Infrastructure Setup, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
- Server Installation, Configuration and Administration
- Network System Design
- Ethical Hacking and Network Security
- Virtualization
- Unified Communication
- Information Security
- IP Telephony
- Wireless Networking
- Linux/Unix Network Administration
As a CNIT student, you will gain real-world experience as you design, implement, and administer local and wide-area networks.
"UW-Stout offers hands-on degrees that train you for the career you want, which definitely worked out well for me. I was very interested in the small class sizes and the focus on getting started on your major right away."
-- Tanner VassB.S. Computer Networking & Information Technology
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the B.S. Computer Networking & Information Technology.
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The CNIT program follows UW-Stout's unique hands-on, active learning approach. You will take courses in emerging fields such as virtualization, unified communication, information security, IP telephony, and wireless networking.
The CNIT program focuses on:
- Cybersecurity and Cyber defense
- Enterprise Network Infrastructure Setup, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
- Server Installation, Configuration and Administration
- Network System Design
- Ethical Hacking and Network Security
- Linux Systems and Network Administration
- IP Telephony (VoIP)
- Wireless System
- Virtualization and Cloud Computing
- Unified Communication and Collaboration
The Computer Networking and Information Technology program will prepare you to:
- Communicate clearly, ethically, and responsibly, both verbally and in writing.
- Apply business and management techniques and processes.
- Evaluate emerging information technologies and their impact.
- Design, implement, administer, and analyze information technology systems.
- Integrate network security into the installation of networks, as well as business practices, policies, and user education.
- Solve business problems and enhance productivity using information technology.
CNIT Students Can Earn Certifications
Certifications are a great way to show IT industry employers that you are up to date and knowledgeable on the current topics. CNIT is a Cisco Certified Networking Academy and a Microsoft Certified IT Academy. We are an authorized Pearson VUE and Thompson Prometric Testing Center. Numerous classes are embedded with industry certification examinations. The courses are taught by CNIT faculty members holding advanced IT industry certifications. As a CNIT student, you have the opportunity to earn the following certifications:
- AWS Solution Architect Associate (AWS-SAA)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
- Microsoft Certified Solution Associate (MCSA)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate – Voice (CCNA-Voice)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate – Security (CCNA-Security)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate – Wireless (CCNA-Wireless)
- Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)
Students in the B.S. Computer Networking and Information Technology program have a dedicated high-tech lab with collaborative work spaces and video monitors. All the wiring and cables are hidden in a subfloor space. The lab includes a data center with about $1 million worth of equipment — 7-foot-tall sleek, black racks of industry-standard servers and routers.

With guidance from professionals at the companies, students are trying to help them solve networking and security issues. The collaborations involve weekly updates, a white paper report, a live demo of a solution and a final presentation.
The companies, which are free to implement students’ recommendations, are Heartland Business Systems, Marshfield Clinic, Menards, Target and Dell.
Sam Wosika, of White Bear Lake, Minn., a CNIT senior, is the program teaching assistant this year. He is helping coordinate use of the data center by the capstone class.
“To have the dedicated lab classrooms is a definite improvement,” Wosika said. “I spend a lot of time here. This is truly hands-on learning. We’re actually touching the equipment.”
Wosika likes other aspects of the CNIT program, which is largely lab-based learning, such as the internship opportunities and connections to industry. He has had two internships and will have a third one this summer with Cisco in San Jose, Calif.
The four new labs, with team work stations and other networking equipment beyond the data center, are in rooms 176, 188, 192 and 193 of Micheels Hall. They replace smaller, older labs in Fryklund Hall.
The equipment in each lab matches the lab’s level of instruction: year 1-2 students, year 2-3 students, year 3-4 students and year 4-capstone students.
UW-Stout Graduates Get Great Jobs
Graduates of UW-Stout’s Computer Networking and Information Technology program are currently employed at leading companies nationwide with job titles such as:
- Network Engineer
- Network Architect
- Network Administrator
- Network Consultant
- Systems Administrator
- Systems Analyst
- Information Security Analyst
- Information Technology Manager
Employers Seek UW-Stout Graduates
The employers who hire ITM graduates include:
- Cisco
- Netflix
- Dell
- Lockheed Martin
- 3M
- AT&T
- Menards
- Sentry Insurance
- Target
- Marshfield Clinic
- Wisconsin Independent Network
- 3KeyLogic
- Spanlink
- Enventis
- CDW
- Heartland
- And many others
CNIT Advisory Committee
Sara | Anger | UW-Stout | |
Brenda | Bjerke | Senior Director, Information Risk Management | Target |
Brice | Blankenship | Infrastructure Engineer | Cigna |
Jeff | Bodsberg | Business Information Security Officer | Cigna |
Greg | Brodt | Instructor | Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College |
Brandon | Cross | High Touch Delivery Developer | Cisco |
Steve | Ebben | Department Chair for Networking and Security | Fox Valley Technical College |
Nate | Edin | Senior Manager | Deluxe Corporation |
Curt | Fawcett | I/O Devices Integration Manager | Cray Inc. |
Tricia | Foxwell | Senior Consulting IT Auditor | Securian Financial |
Renee | Gunderson | Senior Lecturer | UW-Stout |
Justin | Haefner | Senior Principal IT Technologist | Medtronic |
Jason | Hotujec | ||
Tom | Kenton | UW-Stout | |
Andrea | Kittelson | Cybersecurity Training Lead | Rockwell Automation |
Justin | Krutza | Network Engineer | Target |
Joshua | Lushine | Network Administrator | Target |
Sue | May | Director of Business Development | Heartland Technology Group |
Jacob | Medford | Dell EMC | |
Son Nam | Nguyen | Assistant Professor | UW-Stout |
Lukas | Schiller | Network Engineer | Target |
Wei | Shi | Professor-Engineering & Technology | UW-Stout |
John | Stafford | network engineer | Heartland Technology Group |
Jeff | Strande | Principal Engineer Connectivity | Target |
Jordan | Sussman | Network Engineer | Cargill |
Troy | Tobin | Operations Support Manager | 3RT Networks |
Tom | Ugoretz | Heartland Technology Group | |
Andy | Wagner | Solution Domain Manager | CDW |
Joe | Wetzel | IT Department Chair | Fox Valley Technical College |
Samuel | Wosika | Sales Engineer | Cisco Meraki |
Justin | Yarrington | Network Administrator | Menards |
2019 USICC Collegiate Conference
At the U.S. Information Technology Collegiate Conference held April 4-6, 2019 in Galveston, Texas, the team of Luke Bednar and Karl Carey won the network design competition, topping 33 other teams. UW-Stout also took third place in network design, with the team of Nikki Ruf and Derek Muck.
Faculty & Student Achievement
- 2017 AITP Collegiate
- 2016 AITP Collegiate
- 2015 AITP Collegiate
- 2014 AITP Collegiate
As Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, UW-Stout works closely with business, industry and other educational institutions to benefit students and grow the economy. Read more about the CNIT program partners below:
Capstone Sponsors
Dell | Compellent
Dell has sponsored the following capstone projects:
- A Disaster Recovery Plan for Planned and Unplanned Outages
- SAN-Server iSCSI Performance Testing
- Enterprise Manager 6.3 LDAP Integration
- SMI-S Provider Exploration
- IO Latency Testing
- PY-IP Skimmer
- Migration from Windows to open-source networking and Linux
- Deploying and Optimizing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Using VMWare Horizons
- Automated Deployment of Virtualized Environments
- Software-Defined Data Center with VMWare NSX
Visit them at: http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/dell-compellent
Wisconsin Independent Networks
Wisconsin Independent Networks has sponsored the following capstone projects:
- Log Analysis for Wisconsin Independent Network
- Metro Ethernet SLA Compliance, Monitoring, and Reporting
- Software Defined Networking
- Layer 2 Internet Service Provider WAN Implementation
- Software Defined Networking on a Carrier Ethernet Network
Visit them at: http://www.wins.net
Enventis
Enventis has sponsored the following capstone projects:
- Wisconsin Mall “Next Generation Shopping Today”
- Bring Your Own Device
Visit them at: https://www.consolidated.com
Heartland Business Systems
Heartland has sponsored the following capstone projects:
- Cisco Voice and Video Collaboration Solution for AB Construction
Visit them at: http://www.hbs.net/home
Menards
- Application Centric Segmentation with Cisco ACI and Fortinet
- Migrating and Implementing Cisco Virtual Switching System
Visit them at www.menards.com
Cisco Meraki
Cisco Meraki has sponsored the following capstone projects:
- Evaluating and Evolving a Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solution
- Deployment & Management of IT Infrastructure for ACME with Cloud Computing
Visit them at: https://meraki.cisco.com
Target
- Implementing an Open Source Software-Based Network Infrastructure
- Developing and Evaluating DevOps Automation Tools
Visit them at www.target.com
Heartland Business Systems
- Deploying and Managing Cisco Collaboration and Microsoft Cloud Systems
- Take Your Business to New Heights with Amazon Web Services
Marshfield Clinic Health System Information Services
- Implementing a HIPAA Compliant Network for Stark-Dental Clinic’s Remote Site
- Building a HIPAA Compliant Network for Marshfield Clinic
Visit them at: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/mcis
UW-Stout
- Protecting Our Students: Expanding Stout Surveillance
WWT
WWT has sponsored the following capstone project:
- Substation Connected GRID Design
Visit them at: https://www2.wwt.com
Harris
Harris sponsored the following capstone projects:
- Data Center Infrastructure Management
- Identity Management
Visit them at: http://harris.com
Spanlink
Spanlink has sponsored the following capstone project:
- ACME Anvil Company UC and UCCX Deployment
Visit them at: http://convergeone.com
Jamf Software
Jamf has sponsored the following capstone project:
- “An Apple A Day”--Apple Device Administration with the JAMF Casper Suite
- Building a Secure JamfPro Experience
Visit them at: http://www.jamfsoftware.com