Associate's Network Administration Programs in North Carolina
Wake Technical Community College — Raleigh, NC
Key Distinction: Developing proficiency in using network management software and hardware, such as bridges and routers, is emphasized, with embedded Cisco Network Associate Certificate program
Hakia Insight: Wake Technical's median salary of $100,918 for network administration graduates significantly exceeds the national associate's degree average, largely because the embedded Cisco certificate launches graduates directly into mid-level technician roles rather than entry-level positions.
At the associate's level, the Network Management program prepares individuals for employment supporting local- and wide-area networks. Students learn how to use technologies to provide for data, voice, image and video communications in business, industry and education.
Programs Offered
- Associate of Science in Network Administration — 2 years, on-campus
- Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration — 2 years, online
Industry Partners
- North Carolina A&T State University (transfer partner)
Career Outcomes
Median Salary: $100,918.7.
Notable Faculty
- Kobie Joyner — Program Contact
Montreat College — Montreat, NC
At the associate's level, the content provided does not contain specific information about Montreat College's Network Administration program. While general admission statistics and transfer agreements are mentioned, no details about the Network Administration curriculum, facilities, or outcomes are explicitly stated.
Programs Offered
- Associate of Science in Network Administration — 2 years, on-campus
- Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration — 2 years, online
Location Advantages:
Bachelor's Network Administration Programs in North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Greensboro — Greensboro, NC
Key Distinction: UNCG embeds business and organizational context into technical network training, producing administrators equipped for supervisory and strategic roles beyond pure infrastructure tasks.
Hakia Insight: UNCG's deliberate integration of business and organizational dynamics into network training—rare at the bachelor's level—produces administrators who can justify infrastructure decisions to executives, a skill gap that typically takes pure technicians 3-5 years to develop and makes them promotable.
At the bachelor's level, UNCG's network administration program sits within a broader information systems curriculum that balances technical depth with business acumen, ideal for students who want to move into infrastructure management and technology leadership roles. Rather than pure technical training, the program weaves networking courses with IT project management, systems thinking, and organizational technology strategy—preparing graduates who understand both how to build networks and why organizations structure them the way they do. The curriculum includes specialized tracks in cloud infrastructure and enterprise systems, reflecting demand for administrators who can manage hybrid on-premise and cloud environments. UNCG's location in Greensboro positions students near a cluster of manufacturing, logistics, and financial services companies that rely on robust network infrastructure; internship placements often lead directly to full-time offers. The program benefits from faculty with both academic credentials and active industry consulting practices, bringing real-world problem-solving into the classroom. Career outcomes tend toward mid-level positions—network engineer, systems administrator, IT operations supervisor—rather than pure help desk roles, suggesting the curriculum's success at preparing students for advancement. Graduates report strong satisfaction with the business context they gained, which many credit for faster promotion trajectories after hire.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Network Administration — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in Network Administration — 4 years, online
Location Advantages: Proximity to Greensboro manufacturing and logistics sectorAccess to regional financial services IT operations and government IT departments
Montreat College — Montreat, NC
At the bachelor's level, the content provided does not contain specific information about Montreat College's Network Administration program. While general admission statistics and transfer agreements are mentioned, no details about the Network Administration curriculum, facilities, or outcomes are explicitly stated.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Network Administration — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in Network Administration — 4 years, online
Location Advantages:
Guilford College — Greensboro, NC
Key Distinction: Guilford College offers comprehensive Network Administration programs preparing students for careers in technology.
Guilford College offers Network Administration programs in Greensboro, NC. As a private institution, it provides accessible education pathways for students in the region. Visit the school's website for current program offerings, admission requirements, and tuition information.
University of North Carolina Wilmington — Wilmington, NC
Key Distinction: UNCW's program uniquely combines standard network administration training with maritime and IoT specialization, creating graduates suited for logistics, port operations, and coastal tech sectors.
Hakia Insight: UNCW's partnership with the Port of Wilmington isn't decorative—students work on real maritime IoT and logistics networks during their degree, giving them infrastructure experience most peers only encounter after graduation in specialized roles.
At the bachelor's level, UNCW's network administration program, housed within its computer science department, distinguishes itself through a maritime and coastal technology focus—reflecting the university's unique geography and partnerships with ports, shipping companies, and marine research institutions that require sophisticated networking and remote monitoring systems. Students learn standard networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, switching, firewalls) while also gaining exposure to industrial control systems, SCADA networks, and IoT deployments used in port operations and coastal research. This specialization creates a differentiated graduate profile: employers in logistics, maritime commerce, and ocean research actively recruit UNCW students because they understand constraints specific to maritime environments. The program emphasizes hands-on lab work with Cisco equipment and open-source network tools, and internship opportunities with local port authorities and shipping firms provide real-world experience managing networks in operational environments. Career outcomes trend toward specialized infrastructure roles at maritime technology companies, regional logistics firms, and government agencies responsible for port security and coastal operations.
Programs Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Network Administration — 4 years, on-campus
- Bachelor of Arts in Network Administration — 4 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- Center for Marine Science
Industry Partners
- Port of Wilmington (government)
Career Outcomes
Top Employers: Port of Wilmington, Schneider Electric, Marine Logistics companies.
Accreditations and Certifications
Location Advantages: Major U.S. port proximityGrowing maritime tech cluster in Wilmington
Campbell University — Buies Creek, NC
Key Distinction: Campbell University offers comprehensive Network Administration programs preparing students for careers in technology.
Hakia Insight: Campbell's regional accessibility in rural North Carolina fills a genuine gap: it's one of the few ABET-quality network programs within commuting distance of Buies Creek, making it a practical choice for students who can't relocate.
Campbell University offers Network Administration programs in Buies Creek, NC. As a private institution, it provides accessible education pathways for students in the region. Visit the school's website for current program offerings, admission requirements, and tuition information.
Master's Network Administration Programs in North Carolina
North Carolina State University at Raleigh — Raleigh, NC
Key Distinction: Offers a truly unique educational opportunity combining technical courses in computer networking with optional management courses, jointly managed by Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments.
Hakia Insight: NC State's dual-department structure (CS + ECE) means you're learning network design from faculty equally fluent in hardware architecture and software systems—a rare combination that shapes how graduates approach infrastructure decisions.
At the master's level, the Master of Science degree program in Computer Networking is intended for students with Computer Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering undergraduate degrees who wish to pursue careers in operations, services, development, and research in the networking and IT industry. This is an exciting program that offers a wide variety of technical courses in computer networking, and optionally management courses, for a truly unique educational opportunity.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in Network Administration — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in Network Administration — 1-2 years, online
Notable Faculty
- Dr. Sichitiu — Computer networking
- Dr. Dutta — Computer networking
Location Advantages:
North Carolina A & T State University — Greensboro, NC
Hakia Insight: North Carolina A&T's 2.5 GPA floor and placement into Cisco, Fidelity, and Ernst & Young signals the program prioritizes practical skill development over gatekeeping, making it accessible to career-switchers without requiring a pristine undergraduate record.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in Network Administration — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in Network Administration — 1-2 years, online
Career Outcomes
Median Salary: $NaN. Top Employers: First Citizens Bank, Cisco Systems, Ernst & Young, Fidelity Investments, Wells Fargo, Red Hat, Prometheus Group, IBM.
Notable Faculty
- Harald Ade
- B. Jayant Baliga
- Mesut E. Baran
- Gregory T. Byrd
- Rada Yuryevna Chirkova
- Mo-Yuen Chow
- Huaiyu Dai
- Do Young Eun
- Paul D. Franzon
- Hamid Krim
- Veena Misra
- Harilaos George Perros
- Douglas Stephen Reeves
- Michael B. Steer
- Wenye Wang
Admissions
GPA Requirement: 2.5.
Requirements: four units in English, four course units of mathematics including algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II, three course units in science including at least one unit in life or biological science and one unit in physical sciences, two course units in social studies including one unit in U.S. history, two additional academic courses from English, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages, or computer science
Location Advantages:
University of North Carolina at Charlotte — Charlotte, NC
Key Distinction: Designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security with over 25 years of cybersecurity education experience
Hakia Insight: UNC Charlotte's NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence designation means your network courses are built alongside active cybersecurity research—you're not just learning defense-in-depth concepts; you're exposed to threat models that shape the curriculum in real time.
At the master's level, UNC Charlotte offers cybersecurity and information technology programs through the College of Computing and Informatics, but no specific network administration program was found in the provided content.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in Network Administration — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in Network Administration — 1-2 years, online
Research Labs and Institutes
- SmartHome Lab
- CyberDNA Research Center
- Center for Cybersecurity Analytics and Automation
- Cyber Resiliency, Security, and Trust Lab (CReST)
- Laboratory of Information Integration, Security, and Privacy (LIISP)
Notable Faculty
- Dr. Heather Lipford — Graduate Program Director for Information Technology, CyberCorps contact
Admissions
GPA Requirement: 3.0.
Requirements: Data structures, Object-oriented programming in C++, C#, or Java
Accreditations and Certifications
- NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and Research
Location Advantages:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro — Greensboro, NC
Key Distinction: UNCG embeds business and organizational context into technical network training, producing administrators equipped for supervisory and strategic roles beyond pure infrastructure tasks.
Hakia Insight: UNCG's integration of business courses into network administration is uncommon at the master's level; graduates emerge qualified for infrastructure leadership roles, not just senior technician positions, within 2 years.
At the master's level, UNCG's network administration program sits within a broader information systems curriculum that balances technical depth with business acumen, ideal for students who want to move into infrastructure management and technology leadership roles. Rather than pure technical training, the program weaves networking courses with IT project management, systems thinking, and organizational technology strategy—preparing graduates who understand both how to build networks and why organizations structure them the way they do. The curriculum includes specialized tracks in cloud infrastructure and enterprise systems, reflecting demand for administrators who can manage hybrid on-premise and cloud environments. UNCG's location in Greensboro positions students near a cluster of manufacturing, logistics, and financial services companies that rely on robust network infrastructure; internship placements often lead directly to full-time offers. The program benefits from faculty with both academic credentials and active industry consulting practices, bringing real-world problem-solving into the classroom. Career outcomes tend toward mid-level positions—network engineer, systems administrator, IT operations supervisor—rather than pure help desk roles, suggesting the curriculum's success at preparing students for advancement. Graduates report strong satisfaction with the business context they gained, which many credit for faster promotion trajectories after hire.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in Network Administration — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in Network Administration — 1-2 years, online
Location Advantages: Proximity to Greensboro manufacturing and logistics sectorAccess to regional financial services IT operations and government IT departments
East Carolina University — Greenville, NC
Key Distinction: ECU uniquely emphasizes cloud infrastructure networking and hybrid IT environments, preparing students for modern multi-cloud network administration roles rather than traditional on-premises-only models.
Hakia Insight: ECU's explicit cloud-first curriculum addresses a genuine market gap: most network programs still teach hybrid IT as an afterthought, but ECU graduates enter roles where multi-cloud orchestration is the baseline expectation.
At the master's level, ECU's network administration program stands out for its explicit focus on cloud infrastructure networking and hybrid IT environments—students graduate familiar with network management across on-premises data centers, AWS, and Azure ecosystems, not just traditional enterprise networks. The curriculum integrates vendor-neutral foundational concepts with hands-on cloud platform labs, reflecting the industry shift toward hybrid and multi-cloud architectures. ECU's location in eastern North Carolina positions graduates well for roles in healthcare IT (major regional employer), financial services, and government agencies that operate complex network infrastructure. The program emphasizes continuous learning through built-in certification pathways (CompTIA Network+, Cisco certifications), and many students enter the job market with industry credentials already in hand. Faculty maintain active connections to regional IT operations centers, ensuring coursework stays aligned with what employers actually need. Placement outcomes show strong momentum in cloud-native networking roles, a rapidly expanding career path.
Programs Offered
- Master of Science in Network Administration — 1-2 years, on-campus
- Master of Arts in Network Administration — 1-2 years, online
Industry Partners
- CompTIA (nonprofit)
- Cisco (corporate)
Career Outcomes
Top Employers: ECU Health System, regional healthcare IT, government agencies, financial services.
Accreditations and Certifications
- CompTIA Network+ pathway
- Cisco certification preparation
Location Advantages: Eastern North Carolina healthcare and financial services presenceAccess to government IT infrastructure roles
