Microsoft Server 2003 is one of the dominant network and enterprise platforms for commercial deployment and development on the market.  Getting people who are experienced with this product, both as a roll out process, and on day to day operations, is worth a significant amount of money to IT departments and businesses around the world.  Why?  The simple answer is time is money.  People who know how to handle this software keep your networking up and running with fewer hassles, and keep client systems running more smoothly with less downtime.  This means that they're the IT equivalent of maintenance workers…and that one who doesn't know their job can be a disaster in the making.

Fortunately, Microsoft has a program dedicated to making hiring competent techs a little easier.  It's called the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer program, or MCSE.  This certification program consists of a set of seven exams, covering the following areas.

Four exams cover core networking requirements; these are similar exams to the ones that existed when the program started in the mid 90s, but are updated to the latest technology.  These exams are Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment (Exam 70-290), Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (Exam 70-291), Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (Exam 70-293), and Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure (Exam 294).  

Like the earlier MCSE programs, the rest of the certification comes from taking optional and elective courses.  The courses fall into the following categories:  Client operating systems (including exams on Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000 Professional).  All of these are broken down into exams that cover configuration and administration.  Only one client operating system exam needs to be taken.

The third required exam set is a "Core Design" exam – there are two of them; only one is required.  The first is about Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory and Network Infrastructure.  The second is Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 network.  Depending on the type of environment you'll be working in, one or the other of these is appropriate, and if you have the money, taking both is a good basis in the fundamentals.

The last required exam is called an "elective" – one is required, and there are a wide variety of them available, covering subjects as diverse as SQL database management, systems management software and more.  

Most exams typically cost $125 each time you take them; there are discounts for retaking an exam you didn't pass the first time.