University of Phoenix, a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc., and the (ISC)2® Foundation, today announced they are offering nine full-tuition scholarships. (ISC)2 Foundation is the non-profit charitable trust for (ISC)² that aims to empower students, teachers and the general public to secure their online lives with community cyber security education and awareness. The scholarships will provide education opportunities for individuals interested in entering or furthering their information security careers.
Each scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree program at University of Phoenix and will receive a voucher from (ISC)² to take either the SSCP® or CISSP® certification exam within one year of graduation.
(ISC)² and University of Phoenix are both working to advance the skills of information technology and security professionals to address the growing skills gaps in these fields. The collaboration will also be reflected in curriculum that meets the needs of today’s information security economy.
The (ISC)² sixth annual Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) revealed that the lack of skilled and qualified information security professionals is negatively affecting both companies and consumers and causing a global economic ripple effect. In fact, more than half (56 percent) of survey respondents indicated that the staffing shortage is significantly impacting their organizations. Security concerns indicated by respondents included brand damage, breaches of laws and regulations, service downtime, customer privacy violations, and customer identity and corporate intellectual property theft.
“Educating cybersecurity professionals should be one of the top global priorities,” said Julie Peeler, director, (ISC)2 Foundation. “The profound staffing and skills shortages in this industry put organizations’ reputations and customer data at risk. We are proud to collaborate with University of Phoenix to offer these scholarships and provide learning and career opportunities to the next generation of information security professionals.”
“University of Phoenix is committed to providing degree programs and curriculum that reflect real industry needs,” said Dr. Tim Welsh, senior vice president for Industry Strategy at Apollo Education Group. “There is a clear demand for information security professionals and the University is pleased to collaborate with (ISC)², a globally renowned leader in the information security field, to directly align our education programs with industry staffing needs.”
Applications for the University of Phoenix/(ISC)² Cybersecurity Scholarships are currently being accepted. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2014. Each scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree program at University of Phoenix and can choose to attend a local University of Phoenix campus or online. (ISC)² will also provide recipients with a voucher to take either the SSCP or CISSP certification exam within one year of graduation. The exam voucher will be provided to the awarded recipients upon proof of graduation in an area of study with an emphasis on cybersecurity and/or information assurance. For scholarship terms and conditions or to learn more about the scholarship, visit www.phoenix.edu/isc2scholar.
To learn more about University of Phoenix efforts to better equip the workforce through innovative corporate alliances, learning tools and educational programs, visit phoenix.edu/industry.
