Forge Institute And University Of Arkansas Little Rock Expand Partnership To Grow Skilled Cybersecurity Workforce
Key Facts:
UA Little Rock to provide academic credit for certain Forge Institute professional development courses
Collaboration bolsters UA Little Rock undergraduate Computer Science and Cybersecurity Bachelor's Degree programs
Partnership will expand the State’s cybersecurity talent pipeline and further develop Arkansas into a nationally competitive environment for cybersecurity
LITTLE ROCK, AR, January 26, 2021. The Forge Institute and the University of Arkansas Little Rock (UA Little Rock) announce they have executed a Teaching Articulation Agreement to further strengthen the cybersecurity talent pipeline in Arkansas.
UA Little Rock will recognize certain Forge Institute professional development courses and provide academic credit hours towards a Computer Science and Cybersecurity Bachelor's degrees at UA Little Rock for those who successfully complete the training. Each institution has thoroughly reviewed curriculum and mapped academic requirements to corresponding aspects of Forge Institute’s professional development program.
The first Forge Institute course that will be eligible for UA Little Rock course credit will be IT/Cyber Fundamentals. Those participants who successfully complete the Forge Institute course may elect to transfer those professional development courses to UA Little Rock and receive three credit hours in the Computer Science CSEC 1310 Intro to Cybersecurity course.
“We are excited to further expand our partnership with Professor Philip Huff, Dr. Al Baker, Dr. Erin Finzer and the team at UA Little Rock,” said Lee Watson, Chairman and CEO of Forge Institute. This rather unique relationship will further cement Arkansas as a leader in cybersecurity and help provide the skilled talent pipeline required by the private and public sector employers.”
“This is truly an exciting and innovative opportunity for the IT workforce in Arkansas,” said Dr. Al Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at UA Little Rock.I thank Forge Institute for providing invaluable advice as we have built our programs and curricula in cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science. This partnership is strong and growing.”
“This is an exciting collaboration for us as we begin a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity in the fall,” said Philip Huff, professor of cybersecurity at UA Little Rock.The overwhelming demand for cybersecurity professionals requires us to reimagine how we in higher ed design our programs. The partnership between UA Little Rock and Forge Institute creates a two-way path between cybersecurity professionals and our cybersecurity degree programs. We are working together to prepare students for an exciting and challenging profession.”
UA Little Rock is designated a National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Academic Center of Excellence.
Those who successfully completed Forge Institute’s IT/Cyber Fundamentals course last week will be the first ones eligible to transfer professional development hours to UA Little Rock for official course credit.
Those wishing to receive more information should visit: https://www.forge.institute/academic-partnerships
About Forge Institute
Forge Institute provides a number of workforce development courses and other offerings that empower our partners with cutting-edge technologies and capabilities to advance cyber operational objectives and enhance our national security posture. For more information, visit the Forge Institute at: https://www.forge.institute.
About UA Little Rock
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a metropolitan research university that provides an accessible, quality education through flexible learning and unparalleled internship opportunities. At UA Little Rock, we prepare our almost 9,000 students to be innovators and responsible leaders in their fields. Committed to its metropolitan research university mission, UA Little Rock is a driving force in Little Rock’s thriving cultural community and a major component of the city and state’s growing profile as a regional leader in research, technology transfer, economic development, and job creation.