First programs at SCI’s Professional Institute to focus on cybersecurity

The Pitt School of Computing and Information this week launched a Professional Institute designed to steer early- and mid-career professionals into high pay, high-demand tech industry careers. 

The first two programs, which will begin Aug. 26, will focus on helping working professionals gain skills and competencies to take on cybersecurity jobs.

The two programs — a graduate certificate program in Cybersecurity, Policy and Law and a non-degreed Cybersecurity Professional Education program — are currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply for the graduate certificate is August 1. The professional education program will accept students on an ongoing basis for its short courses as space becomes available.  

“The cybersecurity workforce is a key factor in securing the nation’s digital assets — from financial and health records to systems that control critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, that workforce is one of the most understaffed and undertrained in the nation,” said SCI Dean Paul Cohen in a news release. “It is our goal to help working professionals gain the skills and industry knowledge necessary to step into these essential roles and make an immediate impact.”

Founding Director Leona Mitchell said the institute will address a need for a high demand skill set that industry leaders are scrambling to add to their workforces. 

The programs are geared toward flexibility, with a mix of on-site and online classwork for both programs. The professional education program consists of short courses with boot camps that can range between 20 to 40 hours per course, while the Certificate of Advanced Study requires 15 credit hours. Both programs are taught by leading industry professionals and faculty from the School of LawGraduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security

For more details, go to @Pitt.