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Certificate Program in UNIX/Linux Operating Systems

Looking to expand your knowledge fo computers? UNIX/Linux is one of the world's most flexible operating systems, and you can learn more about it in this six-course online certificate.

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Your Future in UNIX®/Linux® Starts Here

More than 300,000 UNIX installations worldwide support over a million users. In comparison with other existing operating systems, UNIX offers more flexibility and a greater set of comprehensive services. Its powerful features permit many users to use one system, and the multitasking capacity allows users to perform several processes at the same time. Its support of open systems architecture, and its unique multitasking features, have made UNIX one of the most popular operating systems today.

The Certificate Program in UNIX/Linux is designed for those currently in the computer industry who want to upgrade their skills, and for those with basic computer literacy who want to enter this fast-growing field. The program curriculum combines theory and practical applications. Students learn skills that are immediately applicable in the workplace as well as C Programming, the language in which most networking software is written.

Many of the courses in the UNIX/Linux certificate program may be used to satisfy requirements in the A.S. or B.S. in Information Technology.

Note: The UNIX/Linux Certificate is available in accelerated and online formats.
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Curriculum Outline

- Required Courses: 4
- Electives: 2

Required Courses (4 / 12cr)

Note: Some of these courses are also offered on campus. See our current course listings on this site.

Electives (Choose 2 / 6cr)

  • INFO.2680 C++ Programming (3cr) - Available Summer 2020!
  • INFO.3130 Linux/UNIX Internals Overview (3cr)
  • INFO.3160 UNIX System Administration (3cr)
  • INFO.3180 Advanced UNIX Internals/Tuning (3cr)
  • INFO.3190 Introduction to Linux (3cr)
  • INFO.3210 Linux/Unix System Administration (3cr)

Undergraduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in UMass Lowell certificate programs must complete all courses, generally consisting of both required courses and electives. Students are required to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better to receive the certificate. All Certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period.

Students can complete the certificate program at their own pace, enrolling in one or two courses each semester. Courses are available throughout the year, during the Fall (September-December), Spring (January-May) and Summer (May-August) semesters.

Certificate Completion

Upon successful completion of the certificate program, students must complete and submit a Certificate Petition Form. Once successful completion of the program is verified, certificates will be mailed to students. Receipt of the certificate will be noted formally on the student's transcript with an award date of October, February or June.

The Benefits of Learning Online with UMass Lowell

UMass Lowell has built a solid reputation by offering one of the largest selections of online programs available through a traditional university. Courses are taught by full-time faculty who are experts in their fields, and by adjunct faculty who, as practicing professionals, bring real-world experience to online class discussions.

We are committed to providing you with high-quality, affordable online programs that make earning your degree or certificate more convenient than ever before. Our students have access to online course technical support 24x7, and our academic advisors are here to help every step of the way.

For More Information

- For additional information on any of our programs, call Graduate, Online & Professional Studies at (978) 934-2474 or email Continuing_Education@uml.edu .
- For information on Financial Aid, call the Financial Aid Office at (978) 934-4220.

Gainful Employment Disclosure Information

Completion rates, median loan debts and program costs are outlined in the Undergraduate Certificate Gainful Employment Disclosure Information.

Course Descriptions

Introduces students to the techniques of programming in C. The language syntax, semantics, its applications, and the portable library are covered. This course is not an introductory course in programming. However, it will teach some of the basics in the first few weeks. Students should have a working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language. Students may not receive credit for both the INFO.2110/INFO.2120 sequence and INFO.2670. 3 credits. Students may not receive credit for both the INFO.2110/INFO.2120 sequence and INFO.2670
This course qualifies for free MSDNA software!
Prerequisites:

Previous programming experience

This course will cover the C++ language and show the student how to use the language. We will cover class construction, operator overloading, virtual functions, templates, and introduce the student to the IO streams. Inheritance and its use in creating extendible libraries will be presented. Object-oriented concepts will be presented in the context of the C++ language and its support for object-oriented programming. 3 credits.
This course qualifies for free MSDNA software!
Prerequisites:

P: INFO.2670 or INFO.2120; requires C++ compiler software

Addresses manipulating and maintaining files within the UNIX file system; creating and editing text files using the vi and ed editors; using pipes, redirection, and filters; using advanced text processing utilities; using electronic mail; writing and debugging shell scripts; submitting and executing processes. 3 credits.

Teaches the students the techniques of programming in the high-level programming language of the Bourne, Korn, and BASH Shells. The course covers the building blocks necessary to create portable shell scripts that can be used as new utilities for computers running either UNIX, Linux, or the Cygwin environment on Windows. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

INFO.3110, and INFO.2670 or INFO.2120

Focuses on the fundamentals of UNIX kernel architectures. Topics covered in this course are: the file system, process creation, signals, process scheduling, context switching, memory management, virtual memory device driver basics and the I/O subsystem, system boot, the init process. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

INFO.3120.

Addresses the fundamentals necessary to set up/adjust a UNIX system to produce an efficient and secure operating system environment. System starting and shutdown, file system partitioning and maintenance, user and group administration, backup and recovery, setting up terminals, printers and communications devices are topics which will be discussed. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

INFO.3120

This course provides an overview of performance and tuning principles and tools in the UNIX operating system. The course covers principles of performance analysis and usage of performance measurement tools, such as sar, iostat, and nfsstat. Coverage is given on how to identify memory, I/O, and CPU bottlenecks, and it tives recommended solutions. Since knowledge of several of the major OS kernel subsystems is required to understand the information provided by the performance monitoring tools, the course provides an in- depth view of the operating system's major kernel subsystems. These include virtual memory system, process lifetime cycles and scheduling and the UNIX file system. The course will describe the kernel subsystems of a typical UNIX operating system and as needed, add the differences between the different flavors of UNIX, such as BSD and SYSTEM V. The course will also include some simple rules of thumb to guide the tuning process. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

INFO.3130

Course addresses management of the Linux file system and utilities; file editing; file permissions; pipes, redirection, and filters; text handling utilities; mail facility; BASH shell, variables, and basic scripts; process management; and shell programming basics. Course content mirrors 90.311 but focuses on usage of Linux as an alternative UNIX-based operating system. Students will be exposed to Linux principles through hands-on labwork utilizing a Linux server. 3 credits.

The course will start by exploring the booting and setting up stand-alone system. Students will learn how to set up and manage user accounts, how to manage other resources such as disk space, CPU usage and user access to shared resources with maximization of security in mind. Since virtually all systems are networked today we will proceed to learn about e-mail (POP and SMTP protocols), Web servers and networking services. The course will present the following Internet services: DNS, FTP, telnet, HTTP (Apache Web Server), SSH. The intranet topics will be discussed including Network File System (NFS), Network Information Services (NIS) and interoperability with Windows system via Samba. At the conclusion of the course students will explore topics in networking: network configuration, security and interoperability. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Shell Scripting experience; required software with tex

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of data structures such as stacks, queues, linear and linked lists, trees, graphs, hashing, etc., using the C programming language. Algorithms for manipulating these structures, such as sorting and searching techniques, will also be covered. 3 credits.
This course qualifies for free MSDNA software!
Prerequisites:

INFO.2670 or INFO.2120, and INFO.3640

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for UMass Lowell Online & Continuing Education students is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Summer 2020 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Undergraduate Face-to-Face Courses and Audit $340.00
Undergraduate Online Courses and Audit (except Manning School of Business* Undergraduate Online Courses and Audit) $380.00
Manning School of Business* Undergraduate Online Courses and Audit $385.00
Registration includes access to parking after 3 pm and access to Blackboard.

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business
**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term (nonrefundable) $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00

Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.
Learn More »
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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

Transfer Policy

With the program coordinator's approval, one course may be transferred from another accredited institution to satisfy undergraduate certificate program requirements. The course should be equivalent to UMass Lowell instruction, applicable to the intended program, and the student must have received a grade equivalent to a C- (1.70 on a 4.00 scale) or better.

Academic Advising

Program Coordinators and Faculty and Student Support Specialists are available by appointment to help students determine appropriate course loads, discuss admission requirements, and review the transferability of courses. For online advising, email us at Continuing_Education@uml.edu. To schedule an appointment with a Program Coordinator or Faculty and Student Support Specialist, please call Graduate, Online & Professional Studies at (978) 934-2474. General academic advising is also available at the Faculty and Student Support Center on a drop-in basis, located in Southwick Hall, Room 203 on UMass Lowell North. Call (978) 934-2474 or stop by the office Monday through Thursday between 8:30am-8:00pm and on Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations, and procedures for the University as set forth in our Academic Policies & Procedures and on the main UMass Lowell website.

Applying into an Undergraduate Certificate Program

Apply to an undergraduate certificate program using the Online Application Form or by printing and completing the Undergraduate Certificate Application Form in .pdf file format. Applicants will be required to have either their official high school transcript, HiSET®, GED® or their most recent college transcript if applicable, sent to Graduate, Online & Professional Studies at the address below. Applications, transcripts, and other correspondence should be sent to:

University of Massachusetts Lowell
Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies
GPS Admissions - Southwick Hall, Rm 203
1 University Avenue
Lowell, MA, 01854

Undergraduate certificate applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and there is no fee to apply. Upon acceptance, notification will be sent to students.

Apply Online

Questions Regarding Your Undergraduate Application?

Email OCE_Admissions@uml.edu or call (978) 934-2474.

For General Assistance:

Call the Advising Center at (978) 934-2474 or (800) 480-3190. Our academic advisors are here to help!

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