Developing an Online Cybersecurity Certificate with Stackable Credentials to Increase the Number and Expertise of Cybersecurity Technicians

The world now critically depends on the security of its cyberinfrastructure. For example, our nation's critical systems depend on complex computer and telecommunications technology. This dependence includes national systems for water, banking, power (nuclear and conventional), security, and public safety. Although cybersecurity is a critical economic and national security challenge, the nation has a severe shortage of computer security specialists with the skills and knowledge needed to support cyberinfrastructure. This project aims to help meet this need by developing an Online Cybersecurity Certificate with stackable college credits to prepare cybersecurity technicians in New York City. This project is led by the Borough of Manhattan Community College, a Hispanic-serving institution in which more than 75% of the students are from communities that are not yet equitably represented in STEM or in cybersecurity fields. Thus, by providing training that can lead to high-paying, stable jobs, this project will help to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on the communities that the College serves.

The certificate program will target high school students and incumbent workers. By mapping stackable credentials, such as industry certifications or prior experiences, to credit-bearing college courses, the certificate program intends to increase timely completion. The curriculum will consist of 30 college course credits. Thus, individuals who earn the certificate will have the flexibility of entering the workforce directly or continuing their studies to earn advanced credentials including a college degree. In creating the certificate program, the project will modify current face-to-face cybersecurity courses for delivery online. By offering these courses online, the certificate program will accommodate individual schedules and travel limitations, thus enabling more individuals to participate. To help participants gain knowledge about the industry, the certificate program will include enrichment activities, such as summer bridge courses, industry certification workshops, and panel discussions with career professionals. Throughout development of the certificate program, the project team will adopt or adapt materials from ATE Cybersecurity Centers, including curricular materials and faculty development activities. In addition, by sharing the new materials developed by the project with the cybersecurity community, the project will contribute to the cybersecurity education knowledge base. The project will benefit incumbent workers who need new skills as well as high school students who want to enter information technology fields after graduation. Incumbent workers will gain valuable contacts with industry leaders through the project's Advisory Board, while the dual enrollment certificate courses will help prepare high school students for both cybersecurity careers and college. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.