Offered by Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada, Diploma in Computer Systems Technician (Accelerated) is a diploma in Information Systems & Technology programme. The programme runs for 3 semesters, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 9,161 per semester (CAD 1,851 per semester for local students).
Delivered over an accelerated three-semester format, this diploma prepares students for a career in network and systems administration, teaching them to set up, configure and maintain the components that make up a working network, including hardware, operating systems, virtualisation technologies, security tools and task automation. Problem-solving and troubleshooting run through the program alongside communication and customer-support skills relevant to IT workplaces.
Students train on current hardware and both Microsoft and open-source operating systems, working toward recognised industry certifications, and successful graduates can transfer credit into the first two years of a related three-year advanced diploma in systems security. Career paths include network and systems administration, IT infrastructure installation and support, technical and customer service roles, and computer training or consulting work across government, private and public sector organisations.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature-student status (19 or older without a diploma), subject to Algonquin's own assessment. Program eligibility on this page adds Grade 12 English (ENG4C or equivalent) and Grade 12 Mathematics (MAP4C or equivalent). English: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band under 5.5; TOEFL iBT 80 overall with 20 in each of reading, listening, speaking and writing for tests sat before 21 January 2026, or 4 overall with 4 in every component for tests sat after that date; or a Duolingo English Test score of 110 overall with 110 in Literacy and nothing under 95. If applications exceed the seats available, Algonquin selects on proficiency in English and mathematics rather than a fixed cutoff. Applicants are encouraged to have basic computer skills, including keyboarding and office software, before starting.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for September 2027 entry the application portal opens 26 September 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027, and offers must be accepted by 1 May 2027, while later applications are still assessed as space allows; Algonquin publishes no separate equal-consideration date for the January 2027 intake. International applicants apply directly via Algonquin's own International Application Portal, not ontariocolleges.ca; instead of one fixed date the college posts a program-by-program closing-date list shortly before each term starts - for Fall 2026 most programs closed 16 September 2026, technology programs by 9-10 September; no Winter 2027 or Fall 2027 international list has been posted yet, so admission remains effectively rolling until each list is published and fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
