dc> How applicable is UNIX system administration to
  dc> Linux? I'm thinking that bash programming is
  dc> close to %100 applicable to Linux.

bash is bash, so programming it would be identical on
any system. The differences depend on the nature of the
programs being written, i.e., the tasks they are
designed to accomplish.

Though I haven't seen an outline for the course at
hand, my guess would be that it's reasonably safe to
assume that any sysadmin programming instruction one
would receive in a community college would likely carry
over well to most flavors of Unix, including Linux,
particularly if the course is taught by a
Linux-knowledgeable person, which seems to be case
here.

When I taught Unix/Linux at UAT, it was mostly about
Linux, because that's what was on the one measly system
in the building that was loaded with any form of Unix
and available to students.

-- 
Lynn David Newton
Phoenix, AZ