Take courses online, on your schedule to prepare for a new career in a technology field or brush up on your digital literacy skills
Howard County Library System and Cisco Networking Academy have partnered to offer a series of IT skill and career development classes. Take courses online, on your schedule!
The Cisco Networking Academy learning experience incorporates online class modules, interactive games and simulations, learning assessments, and other learning techniques. Prepare for a new career in a technology field or brush up on your digital literacy skills.
- Read the class descriptions below.
- Click on the class title link of your choice and then enter your email to enroll in one or more of these free, self-paced online courses.
- You will receive an email with instructions on how to create a Cisco Networking Academy account and access your course.
- Once you receive your account information, log in on the course’s information page (links included in description below) to find system requirements and additional information specific to each course.
Online Self-Paced Courses Feb 25, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
AI Fundamentals with IBM SkillsBuild : Learn the basics of machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision as you try out IBM Watson Studio. You’ll begin by exploring AI’s history, then discover how it can change the world around you. As you progress, you will delve into how AI understands language, interprets images, and learns using neural networks modeled after the human brain. You’ll complete a series of simulations to build and test a machine learning model using IBM Watson Studio, then you’ll learn about AI ethics and finish with tips on how to navigate the fast growing AI job market. (Duration: 10 hours)
Create Digital Content, Communicate and Collaborate Online : Learn to create digital documents and practice using collaborative tools to work effectively in hybrid and remote settings. You’ll begin by exploring the fundamentals of digital content creation, learning how to work with various types of audio, image, text, and video, and understanding their formats. As you progress, you’ll create, edit, and manage digital documents, gaining skills in text editing, formatting and layout design. (Duration: 6 hours)
Creating Compelling Reports : Learn how to tell a great story and communicate important information to flourish in your professional career. Creating Compelling Reports will teach you the business value of reports, how to craft persuasive messages, and making authoring decisions that resonate. This course covers different types of reports such as emails, oral reports, and written reports. (Duration: 4 hours)
Digital Awareness : Learn practical digital skills you can apply at home, school, or work, and how to stay safe online. Learn tips and tricks for searching the internet, creating strong passwords and tackling pesky technical problems such as slow performance and Wi-Fi or connectivity issues. You will also learn how to manage your personal data and protect yourself from online threats, like phishing scams and malware. (Duration: 6 hours)
Engaging Stakeholders for Success : In this course, learners gain the insights and tools to identify, prioritize, and engage with stakeholders for success. Stakeholders play a critical role in every project. Learning to effectively engage them is a core skill for you to develop in any workplace. This is a Professional Skills course that teaches learners essential personal and social skills in the context of actual work scenarios. (Duration: 3 hours)
English for IT 1 : A course that teaches the English language in a specific IT context at the “B2” proficiency level which is a basic requirement for employment use. The course focuses on terminology and phrases used in the industry, covering grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening exercises to equip you with the English language skills valued in IT. Developed in collaboration with OpenEDG, the English for IT series is targeted for learners with at least B1-level English proficiency (lower intermediate) and is built to take you up to B2 proficiency. By completing the courses, you will develop B2-level English proficiency. You can then prepare for the English for IT B2/GSE 59-75 certification exam. (Duration: 50 hours)
Introduction to IoT and Digital Transformation : The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-growing area of technology, with new companies, products, and job opportunities springing up all over the world. Discover how IoT, along with emerging technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, are digitally transforming industries and expanding career opportunities. Invest in learning IoT skills and you can transform any business in any industry, from manufacturing to environmental conservation. (Duration: 6 hours)
Introduction to Modern AI : Learn to use AI in your daily life, craft effective prompt chatbots, and use computer vision and machine translation. Introduction to Modern AI is a beginner-friendly course designed to help you learn key AI concepts and get hands-on practice with AI-enabled apps. You will start with an overview of AI. Then you’ll explore computer vision using a photo app and machine translation with an online translation tool. Finally, take a deep-dive into chatbots–full of tips for writing better prompts and hands-on practice with 10+ popular chatbots and AI tools, including ChatGPT, Meta AI, Gemini, Google Translate, Claude, Hugging Chat, NotebookLM and more. (Duration: 6 hours)
JavaScript Essentials 1 : Design, develop, and improve JavaScript programs. Boost your programming skills to start your career in technology. If you’re interested in a career in front-end programming, JavaScript is essential to learn. JavaScript is a widely used programming language that makes it possible to embed videos and search boxes in your favourite website and even refresh your social media feed.
Learn how interactive web and mobile applications are created with this text-based programming language. Then learn to program your own applications! This course is great to start learning programming – no prior knowledge required. This course is aligned to the JSE – Certified Entry-Level JavaScript Programmer Certification. This course is developed in collaboration with JS Institute. (Duration: 40 hours)
JavaScript Essentials 2 : The second in a 2-course series. Gain a strong JavaScript foundation and prepare for JSA – Certified Associate JavaScript Programmer Certification. Building on the foundations laid in JavaScript Essentials 1, you’ll learn how to analyze and model real-world problems using object-oriented programming and explore more intricate aspects of JavaScript such as asynchronous programming and functions.
After completing this course, you’ll be prepared to take the JSA – Certified Associate JavaScript Programmer certification exam. Earning this certification showcases your skills and competence in JavaScript, including knowing how to design, develop, deploy, refactor, and maintain JavaScript programs and applications. This course is developed in collaboration with JS Institute. (Duration: 50 hours)
Linux Unhatched : A quick introduction to the popular operating system, Linux. Linux is an open-source operating system used by organizations worldwide, and it is the driving force behind technological progress in supercomputers, cloud computing, and much more.
In as little as eight hours, you can learn the essentials of Linux while being guided step-by-step through a series of hands-on virtual machine activities. After completing this course, you are already on your way to getting certified. Continue on to the Linux Essentials or Linux 1 courses to keep learning and prepare for a Linux certification. (Duration: 8 hours)
Network Support and Security : Develop your network troubleshooting and user access control skills to begin your career in technology. If you’re interested in a career in IT, a support help desk role is a common starting point for entry-level network technicians. In this course, you will learn the basics of network and user support, which are essential for a successful career in networking.
You’ll start with learning how to support endpoints, networks, and users by diagnosing problems and documenting them. Then, you’ll move on to working as a part of a help desk team and troubleshooting networks and endpoints. Finally, you’ll learn how to remotely support users and access networks. (Duration: 12 hours)
For the full catalogue of classes and to access the CISCO NetAcad website: https://www.netacad.com/
Howard County Library System partners with Cisco Networking Academy to offer use of this service to all HCLS customers. Cisco Networking Academy is a third party vendor. HCLS encourages customers to read the Cisco Networking Academy Terms of Use and Privacy Policy when registering for a class.
