Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 | CIS-1350-VO01 - Operating Systems

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Tyler Whitney
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Deb Grant

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course explores the core concepts of operating systems, including how they manage hardware, memory, storage, and processes across platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. Students learn about operating systems in virtualized environments while gaining hands-on experience with file systems, permissions, and security configurations. Topics include process management, scheduling, I/O systems, virtualization, and security fundamentals aligned with related CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ objectives. Recommended prior or concurrent learning: Introduction to Computer Science or equivalent skills.

Essential Objectives

1. Explain technology terms and acronyms using plain language, including fundamental operating system concepts such as processes, threads, memory management, and file systems.
2. Identify the purposes, characteristics, and architectural differences between Windows, Linux, and macOS, including open-source and proprietary models.
3. Demonstrate the ability to install, configure, and navigate operating systems using both graphical and command-line interfaces, including package managers and system utilities.
4. Apply concepts for managing disks, directories, processes, and virtual memory, including optimization techniques and troubleshooting methods.
5. Evaluate the boot process, system recovery options, and the role of virtualization in modern computing environments.
6. Apply procedures to maintain a secure computing environment using permissions, encryption, updates, and firewalls, and explain their role in system hardening and isolation.
7. Explain how operating systems manage networking, device drivers, and connectivity in both physical and virtual/cloud-based systems.
8. Examine how modern operating systems integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and support automation.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

Textbook Information will be posted here by May 18.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.