What this course is about

IT Support Foundations introduces you to the core concepts behind how computers, networks, and systems work — and the skills needed to support them in real-world environments.

You’ll learn the history of computing, explore essential components like hardware, software, operating systems, and networks, and build a strong understanding of system security and troubleshooting.

Then, through guided simulations, you’ll practice diagnosing and fixing a customer’s network issue using a remote connectivity tool — giving you hands-on experience that mirrors real IT support work. The course concludes with career resources to help you explore IT support roles and next steps.

As you complete the course, you’ll earn certificates and digital credentials that you can add to your resume, LinkedIn profile, and Credly account to showcase your IT support foundations.

You’ll learn how to

• Understand how computers and networks work
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, and connectivity issues
• Apply structured methods to diagnose customer problems
• Explore IT support career paths and skills

What you will learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to

• Understand foundational IT concepts
• Identify hardware, software, operating systems, and network components
• Understand how computers, devices, and networks communicate
• Recognize common system issues and basic troubleshooting steps
• Explore network structures and security
• Identify personal, local, and wide-area networks

Understand network security basics, network addresses, and how communication flows across networks

• Troubleshoot systems effectively
• Apply techniques for debugging hardware, networking, and software issues
• Understand how to gather system information and form a troubleshooting theory
• Understand cloud vs. local computing
• Recognize the differences between on-device and cloud computing
• Understand the importance of user identity, permissions, and system security
• Get hands-on support experience
• Collect information from a customer to diagnose a problem
• Use a remote connectivity tool to troubleshoot and fix network issues
• Practice skills used by real IT support technicians
• Explore IT support careers
• Understand responsibilities and skill sets of IT support professionals
• Identify learning paths and resources for continued growth

Showcase your learning

• Earn certificates and digital credentials
• Add them to your resume, LinkedIn, and Credly profile to highlight your IT support skills