E3C Final Report (Pdf)
May 30, 2024
Overview: Early college credit is a mechanism to broaden pathways to address the cybersecurity workforce shortage. Early college credit provides opportunities for high school students to learn about cybersecurity and launch into a cybersecurity pathway more readily and ably.
The U.S. needs to build these pathways as evidenced by CyberSupply where we find that at most 3.6% of high school students in our nation have access to a cybersecurity course while in high school. By building early college credit opportunities (dual credit and concurrent enrollment), we can expand the number of students who can access cybersecurity.
Below are two pioneering efforts to build early college cybersecurity credit.
- NCTA is the first and only effort in the U.S. aimed at credentialing teachers to teach cybersecurity through a graduate certificate.
- Models of early college cybersecurity credit are shared here so that others interested in building early college cybersecurity credit can use them as examples.
This work is supported by NCAE-C funding under grant number H98230-22-1-0310.
Definitions
Concurrent Enrollment – educational programs that enroll secondary students in postsecondary offerings for postsecondary credit.
Dual Credit – educational programs that enable secondary students to earn both secondary and postsecondary credit.
Models of Early College Cybersecurity Credit
Gretchen Bliss
Serena “Sully” Sullivan
Univ of Colorado Colorado Springs
UCCS has forged strategic partnerships across the CU system, government, academic institutions, non-profits, with key industry partners and as a leader in Colorado Springs cybersecurity to provide over 20 degrees and programs. Students can experience this cross-disciplinary education in 5 colleges across UCCS’ campus:
- College of Engineering and Applied Science
- College of Business
- College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
- School of Public Affairs
- College of Education
https://cybersecurity.uccs.edu/
1. Increase Cybersecurity program enrollment throughout all colleges at UCCS.
2. Develop a Cybersecurity pathway from local high schools to UCCS College of Engineering to use as a model.
3. Foster relationships with urban and rural Colorado High Schools to offer Cybersecurity courses.
4. Expand the model for dual credit and concurrent enrollment for Cybersecurity plans of study to all the Colleges at UCCS.
5. Create a pipeline for Cybersecurity students at UCCS to industry careers to fill the 22,000 open Cybersecurity positions in Colorado.
6. Provide assistance to current high school teachers interested in teaching concurrent enrollment Cybersecurity courses at their high schools.
CS1910 Cybersecurity for All. Explores non-technical aspects of cybersecurity to develop basic understanding of cybersecurity concepts. Topics include: Cyber Threats; Cybersecurity Planning and Management ; Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance; Security Program Management; and Security Risk Analysis. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Physical and Natural World. (3 credits) This course serves as a general elective credit for nearly all majors. It is offered at ~10 Colorado high schools. Course syllabus [opens in new tab
High School and College Credit Description
- High School Students who participate in UCCS High School Programs can earn UCCS college credit, which is documented on their official UCCS academic transcript.
- In some cases, credit for ECS 1910 can also count for high school credit depending on the high school policies. However, UCCS High School Program courses are not Financial Aid eligible and the Colorado Opportunity Fund is limited. Policies regarding the transfer of credits and the specific ways in which they apply to degree requirements vary from institution to institution.
- UCCS offers high school students options through CU Succeed, CU Succeed Platinum, Project Lead The Way, Concurrent Enrollment, MathOnline and Pre-Collegiate.
Type of College Credit
- The Compass Curriculum is the campus-wide undergraduate, general education program at UCCS. CS 1910 is used as GenEd credit for nearly all majors.
Dianne Burke
Missoula College/University of Montana and CyberMontana
CyberMontana is a statewide initiative providing cybersecurity awareness, training, and workforce development for Montana residents. The Montana State Legislature funds it. CyberMontana is housed at the Missoula College University of Montana. Faculty for all early college offerings are University of Montana employees.
https://cybermontana.org/
CyberMontana’s goal is to increase the pipeline of cybersecurity professionals and to reach students statewide.
Course Descriptions
Missoula College offers 5 courses to high school students. The first is ITS 130 Introduction to Cybersecurity, which is an introductory course. Course syllabus. (elective credit).
The next four courses are:
- ITS 150 Introduction to Networks. Course syllabus.
- ITS 212 Network OS Server. Course syllabus.
- ITS 222 Enterprise Security. Course syllabus.
- CSCI 215E Ethical and Social Issues in Computer Science. Course syllabus.
These four courses form a Certificate of Technical Studies. All four courses count as core classes in the associate degree at Missoula College. The Introduction to Cybersecurity course (ITS 130) is not required to participate in the CTS program.
Certificate of Technical Studies. Skills include: networking concepts, ITS system components, system admin, fundamental security design principles, cyber threats and cyber defense, cryptography, policy/legal/ethics/compliance. The CTS program prepares students to test for two Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs): CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+.
Course Delivery
Courses are offered in-person or are offered in a fully online, asynchronous format. Courses follow the Montana University System Common Course Numbering (CCN). The CCN ensures consistent curricula across institutions. Missoula C
High School and College Credit Description
- High school students earn college credit for all coursework and usually earn dual credit, i.e., high school credits as well.The CTS program can be completed in 1 to 2 years for high school juniors and seniors.
- First 2 courses are no charge and offered to high school juniors and seniors.
- Graduates receive an entry-level credential that can lead to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Information Technology or a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.
Type of College Credit
ITS 130 Intro to Cybersecurity is an elective credit.
Michael Tu
Purdue University Northwest
PNW has been involved in multiple K-12 cybersecurity education projects, such as NSF SFS Capacity building (module development), and multipe years of GenCyber summer camps for both HS students and K-12 teachers.
https://www.pnw.edu/program-finder/cybersecurity-bs/
Indiana Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS)
Cybersecurity Pathway: Principles of Computing, Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Advanced Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Capstone
Offer cybersecurity courses to HS students at PNW to be taught by PNW faculty at PNW. Develop a pipeline by engaging with high schools in region.
Course Description
Intro to Cybersecurity (ITS19900 is currently a temporary course number). 16 week course. Course syllabus.
Materials include: lecture slides, video, web browser-based games, NDG Netlab+, Lab instructions, Handbook under development.
Lecture materials from Teach Cyber, NSF SFS Capacity Building project, NSA NCAE-C RING project.
Course Delivery
In-person delivery with remote learning platform. Concurrent enrollment providing 3 credits for College of Technology and elective credit for BS CYSC/CIT.
PassportPNW (1+3 program) Computer Information Technology program
High School and College Credit Description
- Dual credit-concurrent enrollment. Course is being proposed as an official restricted elective course in BS in CIT/Cybersecurity. Capacity of 30 students per academic semester. Supported by 2 grants.
- Eligible for non CIT/CYSC PNW students only, and
- Eligible for high school students to take and earn early college credits
- Hobart High DCE (currently with IvyTech, Passport PNW)
Type of College Credit
Elective credits (3) for College of Technology programs, Elective credits (3) for BS CIT/Cybersecurity
Paul Wagner
University of Arizona
AZTransfer involves academic leaders from each of Arizona’s public postsecondary institutions to support transfer student success across the state. Known as the AZTransfer Steering Committee, this coordinating body ensures Arizona’s students have access to efficient, seamless, and simple ways to transfer from a community college to a university in Arizona. https://www.aztransfer.com/
Articulation Task Forces (ATFs) evaluate course transferability and discuss curricular alignment.
Arizona supports 14 Career & Technical Education Districts, which include many disciplines to include cybersecurity-related programs in Computer Maintenance, Network Security, Software and App Design.
AZTransfer improves transfer and degree attainment in Arizona.
The Dual Enrollment program allows students to take college classes while enrolled in high school. These classes count for both high school and college credit. High school students who complete dual enrollment may need to take fewer classes in college due to earning transferable college credits.
The 10 dual credit courses provided here are representative of a comprehensive cybersecurity program at Basha High School. Very few high schools in Arizona have the ability to offer all 10 courses. Some cannot offer even one of them. Through the Career and Technical Education Districts high school students can take the courses as concurrent enrollment, which grants them college credit. On a case by case basis high school credit might also be granted. The CYB course prefix indicates the high school course number and the CIS/CNT/BPC prefix indicates the college course number.
- CYB120/CIS105 – Introduction to Computer Systems. Course Syllabus
- CYB130/CIS156 – Python. Course Syllabus
- CYB230A/BPC170 – Computer Hardware Configuration and Support. Course Syllabus
- CYB230B/BPC270 – Operating System Configuration and Support. Course Syllabus
- CYB240A/CNT140 – Introduction to LAN_Security Fundamentals (Cisco Networking Basics). Course Syllabus
- CYB240B/CNT150 – Introduction to LAN_Security Fundamentals (Routing and Switching Essentials). Course Syllabus
- CYB300A/CIS126DL – Linux OS. Course Syllabus
- CYB300B/CIS238DL – Advanced Linux. Course Syllabus
- CYB400A/CIS110 – Information Security. Course Syllabus
- CYB400B/CIS110 – Ethics in IT. Course Syllabus
Course Delivery: If the course is taught in a high school, then it is in person. If the course is taught by a community college, then it is offered in multiple modalities: online, face-to-face, or hybrid.
High School and College Credit Description
When the courses are taught in a high school, they are dual credit. If a student takes all 10 courses, then can earn 30 college credits and 10 high school credits. However, only 6 of the 10 high school credits can count for high school graduation credit.
In order for the courses to be taught in a high school, the high school must have teachers who are dual enrollment certified and CTE certified (courses required for a certificate, credential, or license).
Type of College Credit
Students earn credit that counts toward a major or a certificate.
Lisa Bain
Suzanne Mello-Stark
Rhode Island College
Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies opened in Nov 2023. B.S. in Cybersecurity, and Minor in Cybersecurity available. The Dept of Computer Science and Information Systems is housed in the School of Business.
https://www.ric.edu/academics/institute-cybersecurity-emerging-technologies
- Increased Awareness of and Enrollment at RIC
- More High School Students Choose to Attend RIC
Course Description
Computer Fundamentals for Cyber Security (CSCI 102). Students will learn the technical details necessary to study cyber security. Topics include binary and hexadecimal, operating systems, hardware and software, networking, memory, storage management, and databases. Course syllabus.
Course Delivery
High School and College Credit Description
- High School – Depends on High School/Guidance Counselor
- College – Depends on Institution
Type of College Credit
- Depends on institution
- RIC awards 4 credits toward Cybersecurity Major or Minor.
Jereme Monette
University of South Florida
The Tampa Bay Career Pathways Consortium maintains articulation agreements between colleges and school districts, and articulation agreements for industry certifications.
Schools submit course standards for review and must meet an 80% alignment with a college course.
The Tampa Bay Career Pathways Consortium is a partnership between post-secondary and secondary schools around the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Manatee counties. Students who completed a career or technical program in one of these counties and are interested in pursuing the next level of their education should visit CareerPathways.me for more information about participating schools and potential free college credit.
Dual enrollment is defined in Florida Statutes (F.S.) as follows: The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Career dual enrollment is a specific form of dual enrollment in which students enroll in postsecondary courses that lead to an industry certification as identified in s. 1008.44, F.S
Dual enrollment is an acceleration program that allows secondary students, including home education students and students with disabilities, to take postsecondary coursework and simultaneously earn credit toward a high school diploma, a career certificate, an industry certification, or an associate or baccalaureate degree at a Florida public or eligible private institution.
Schools are incentivized by CAPE funding. https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/cape-secondary/cape-industry-cert-funding-list-current.stml
Applied Cybersecurity Framework in FL https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/curriculum-frameworks/2021-22-frameworks/info-technology.stml
High School and College Credit Description
- Credit by articulation agreements for courses and certification exams are managed by the consortium.
- Dual credit (concurrent enrollment) with universities exists with aerospace. No cybersecurity option exists right now. Dual credit (concurrent enrollment) requires a teacher with a Master’s degree in the field.
- Students taking secondary‐level courses at postsecondary institutions are sometimes referred to as “shared enrollment” but they are not dual enrollment because the student is enrolled in a secondary course and program number and is receiving secondary credit only.
- Florida Dept of Education https://www.fldoe.org/policy/articulation/dual-enrollment-agreements.stml
Type of College Credit
Depends on agreement and institution
Montgomery College and Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery College’s innovative Early College Program (ECP) is open to Montgomery County Public School students. Students complete their 11th and 12th grade years of high school while simultaneously completing their first two years of college. Students graduate with an associate’s degree from MC and a Maryland State High School diploma. The college courses are tuition-free for MCPS students.
A second way that high school students can earn early college credit at Montgomery College is through a program called Jumpstart. Jumpstart allows high school students to take a course at Montgomery College for college credit only.
1. Provide opportunities for students to accelerate the path to degree completion.
2. Provide opportunities for students to enter the workforce.
3. Provide opportunities for students to save money on college tuition.
Cybersecurity AAS Degree. Degree Pathway
This AAS degree prepares students for entry-level positions in cybersecurity. The program emphasizes computer security and information assurance concepts augmented with current industry standard techniques. Topics cover threats and vulnerabilities, prevention at the technical (hardware and software) and human levels, detection, response, and management aspects of security.
The program prepares entry-level computer technicians with cybersecurity expertise and also offers students a transfer option to four-year institutions. The proposed program of study is designed to address the needs for increasing the number of trained workers qualified to work in cybersecurity in the homeland security industry. The program is expected to meet National Security Telecommunications and Systems Security Instruction (NSTISSI) 4011 and 4013 standards. It will also help prepare students to sit for a variety of industry certifications, including the Computing Technology Industry Association’s (CompTIA) A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications; Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification; and the Security Certified Network Professional certification.
Core Courses in the A.A.S. Cybersecurity Major are below. Course descriptions are available here. Links to syllabi for the cybersecurity classes are available below.
- CMCS 135 – Introduction to Scripting.
- CMSC 253 – UNIX/LINUS System.
- NWIT 127 – Microcomputer Essentials.
- NWIT 151 – Introduction to Networking.
- NWIT 173 – Network Security. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 230 – Introduction to Cyber Ops. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 245 – Defending the Network. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 246 – Attacker Tools and Techniques. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 247 – Introduction to Incident Response. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 252 – Cisco Networking 2.
- NWIT 263 – Introduction to Digital Forensics. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 275 – Wireless Security. Course Syllabus
- NWIT 291 – Cybersecurity Capstone Course Syllabus
ECP – High school students enrolled in the Montgomery College Early College Program (ECP) earn dual credit, i.e., high school and college credit.
Jumpstart – High school students enrolled in Montgomery College Jumpstart only earn college credit. For example, if a high school student enrolls in NWIT 173 – Network Security as a Jumpstart student, s/he will earn major credit if s/he majors in cybersecurity. If s/he majors in another computing-related field, then NWIT *might* count for elective credit.
Dakota State University
The Governor’s Cyber Academy at Dakota State University expands awareness of and access to cyber education and career pathways to students throughout the state of South Dakota and beyond through transferrable, university-level dual credit cyber coursework and K-12 enrichment opportunities.
The Cyber Academy allows high school students in South Dakota to take as many as 30 credits of university-level computer science coursework through dual credit, effectively completing the first year of a DSU bachelor’s degrees in computer science, cyber operations, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, or network security administration. The courses are taught by Dakota State faculty and supported by near peer mentors, with opportunities for co-curricular programming and summer camps to build community among the students. Given the rural population in South Dakota, the courses are offered online and at high schools with qualified teachers across the state to serve students at public, private, and tribal schools as well as those who are home-schooled.
The guiding principles for the Cyber Academy are:
- To prioritize access
- To ensure excellence and quality
- To foster a relational student experience
- To think innovatively
- To collaborate with all stakeholders
In Fall 2023, the inaugural semester of the Cyber Academy, 54 students from 31 school districts and homeschool consortiums participated. The goal is for 250 students to participate annually by 2027 representing at least half the school districts in the state. Our intention is to greatly expand the pipeline of South Dakotans prepared to work in cyber fields.
The Cyber Academy curriculum is comprised of program and general education courses from the Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. Each designated course is offered online at least one time per year. Face-to-face and synchronous online sections are offered as interest and faculty staffing allow.
The following program courses and specialized general education courses are approved by the South Dakota Board of Regents to be offered through the Cyber Academy:
Course Descriptions
- CSC 150: Computer Science I Course Description
- CSC 250: Computer Science II Course Description
- CSC 134: Introduction to Cyber Operations Course Description
- CSC 163: Hardware, Virtualization, and Data Communication Course Description
- CSC 247: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Course Description
- CSC 285: Networking I Course Description
- CSC 388: Computer Forensics Fundamentals Course Description
- CLI 101: Introduction to Cyber Leadership Course Description
- HIM 150: Introduction to Digital Health Informatics and Information Management Course Description
- MATH 201: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics Course Description
- BIOL 235/L: Introduction to Biotechnology Course Description
Students receive by high school and college credit for all courses completed through the Cyber Academy. The high school credits are primarily elective although there are pathways to apply CSC 150 to a required credit. The college credits are primarily program credits although that ultimately depends on the student’s major upon matriculation.
Here is a link to the dual enrollment guidelines in South Dakota: https://ourdakotadreams.com/high-school/dual-credit/
University of Arkansas Little Rock
Since 2015, Arkansas has made significant progress in computer science education, recognized nationally for its high percentage of high schools offering CS courses. This success is attributed to political support, clear teacher certification paths, and integrating CS into graduation requirements.
Building on this foundation, cybersecurity education in Arkansas has grown significantly since 2021. In December 2021, the Consortium for Cyber Innovation (CCI) was announced to promote Arkansas as a national hub in emergent cyber technologies through workforce education, applied research, and innovation initiatives.
CyberLearn, a consortium among seven UA System campuses, was created out of this partnership to address urgent workforce education needs in cybersecurity and build upon collaborative efforts to modernize the educational ecosystem. The Cyber Learning Network aims to expand and diversify workforce education in emergent cyber technologies throughout Arkansas and beyond.
Arkansas aims to enhance its concurrent credit system with several strategic goals, including:
Strengthening coordination at the state level for concurrent enrollment.
Setting and communicating clear access goals to ensure equitable participation.
Ensuring the integrity of programs and ease of credit transfer for students.
Expanding course access and availability to all students statewide.
Through the NCTA graduate certificate, UALR is preparing high school teachers to teach these foundations. The Early College Cybersecurity credit program at UALR will center on these foundational principles for a broad credit transfer into UALR programs.
Course Description
CSEC 1310 – Intro to Cybersecurity. Course Description
High School and College Credit Description
Students receive dual credit in the high school that articulates to AR ommunity colleges and then UALR.
Type of College Credit
CSEC 1310 is a required core course in the:
- B.S. in Cybersecurity
- Advanced Cybersecurity Technical Certificate
- Cybersecurity Fundamental Certificate of Proficiency
CTE Credit MN
Tabitha Senty, Instructor
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan ISD 196
CTECreditMN, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Independent School District (ISD)196 work collaboratively to offer students an opportunity to explore careers, earn college credit, and complete a career and technical program before graduating from high school. This collaboration saves students time and money.
ISD 196 seeks to provide the following opportunities:
- Accelerate student pathways by providing articulated college credit to local community colleges, helping them progress faster toward cybersecurity degrees or certifications, reducing the time and cost required for post-secondary education.
- Promote Workforce Readiness by introducing students to college-level cybersecurity skills, allowing them to gain practical knowledge and foundational skills, increasing their readiness for the cybersecurity workforce.
- Articulated credit in our high schools foster educational continuity, strengthening the connection between high school and community college cybersecurity programs, encouraging students to pursue local studies and easing the transition to higher education.
- Increase access to advanced learning opportunities by providing students with access to college-level curriculum and resources, allowing them to explore advanced cybersecurity concepts, tools, and career options that may otherwise be unavailable in a high school setting.
The Career Development and Enrichment Opportunities Program at ISD 196 offers one course in Networking and Cybersecurity.
Course syllabus:
Syllabus_Networking_Cyber_Security_24-25
High School and College Credit Description
Students earn transfer credit(s) converted to transcripted credit when they enroll and complete one semester of college in the corresponding CTE pathway.
Assessment is determined cooperatively and reviewed annually or biennially (e.g. B or better in the course + complete skills checklist / pass college course exam / oral presentation review by college faculty) through a curriculum review between the college and high school. (https://ctecreditmn.com/
Type of College Credit
Networking and Cybersecurity articulates to 3 institutions:
- Anoka- Ramsey CNET 1105 Introduction to Cybersecurity 1 Credit ;
- Hennepin Technical College ITEC 1005 Computer Security Awareness 3 Credit;
- Dakota County Technical College ISTC – 1061: Introduction to IT Security .
Note on Processes for Establishing Dual Credit or Concurrent Enrollment
- Requires collaboration among higher education and K-12 schools.
- State policy(ies) often influence what can and cannot be accomplished wrt dual credit and concurrent enrollment. A piece of this is funding, some states incentivize dual credit and concurrent enrollment through mechanisms such as tuition coverage, teacher support, etc.
Challenges for Implementing Dual Credit or Concurrent Enrollment
- Recruitment, scheduling and transportation can be challenges for high schools.
- Higher education challenges include faculty load, curriculum approval, and incentives.
- Dual credit challenges include teacher credentials, lab support, IT infrastructure, curriculum, and low enrollment (especially at smaller schools).