Cisco Offers a Variety of Certification Opportunities to Enhance Your Career

Cisco Systems offers network installation and support and network engineering and design certification to networking professionals at the associate, professional, and expert levels. Associate level certification (CCNA and CCNA Wan Switching) teaches how to install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial-up service for small networks, and CCDA teaches students to design those networks.

The professional level Cisco certification is similar but for larger networks and earns the designation of CCNP and CCNP Wan Switching. Candidates who wish to design these larger networks can study for the CCDP or CCDP LAN Switching certification.

Finally, Cisco expert certification trains you to work on highly complex networks with specific protocols, including CCIE Routing and Switching, CCIE SNA/IP Integration, CCIE ISP Dial, CCIE WAN Switching, and CCIE Design. Generally Cisco CCNA certifications afford significantly higher salaries to those who obtain them. Because the Cisco certifications are offered online, they are convenient for nontraditional students who have job or family obligations that require more flexibility.