Cybersecurity Courses to be Offered For Professional Development

NJIT will offer an extensive cybersecurity program starting this summer through its Professional Development and Executive Education department in partnership with HackerU, a digital skills and cybersecurity training specialist based in Israel.

“The program will give adult learners 400 hours of training to complement students' existing education and real-world experience in the information technology field. It is available exclusively through NJIT to students in northern New Jersey,” said Ryan Mass, Director of Professional Development and Executive Education.

"There is a major need for cybersecurity training in the state. HackerU is one of the leading worldwide certificate-based training organizations and we are excited about this new partnership," said Simon Nynens, chief executive officer of NJIT's New Jersey Innovation Institute.

The curriculum is reviewed by experts from the Ying Wu College of Computing. The course teaches programming with the Python language; game theory strategy as applied to security; operating systems security for Linux and Microsoft Windows; network security; infrastructure; an introduction to ethical hacking; and incident response and threat hunting. In addition to learning immediately useful skills, students will finish the program prepared to pass common industry certification tests from companies including Amazon and Cisco Systems. They'll also be prepared for tests from industry organizations include CompTIA, Linux Professional Institute and the non-profit ISC2 security organization.

“HackerU is an ideal partner to complement our academic degree programs in cybersecurity, both in our computer science tracks and our information technology tracks," said Craig Gotsman, dean of the Ying Wu College of Computing. "Combining our deep technology offerings with the more applied expertise of HackerU will give excellent coverage of the entire spectrum of skills needed in this increasingly important field.”

Students will receive job placement assistance. There were more than 11,000 open jobs for computer security professionals in the state from October 2018 - September 2019, according to data evaluated by Burning Glass Technologies, of Boston, and posted at the U.S. government website Cyberseek.org.

“HackerU also offers a comprehensive program in ethical hacking along with risk management and assessment. NJIT may offer those at a later date,” Mass said. HackerU is also developing courses in digital marketing, data science, interface design, and online advertising, said Dan Vigdor, chairman of the company's Coral Gables, Fla.-based HackerUSA division.

Cybersecurity training will change as the methods used by hackers and defenders evolve. The company operates its own research and development laboratory so that developers can keep the lessons up-to-date.

Tuition for the program, which typically takes 10-11 months to complete, is $18,000. Many students receive tuition reimbursement from their employers, and NJIT can work with students who have hardships.

Students who prefer a traditional collegiate experience, whether in person or online, can also earn a master of science degree in cybersecurity and privacy or a master of science in information technology administration and security through the Ying Wu College of Computing. Even deeper research opportunities are available through the college's Cybersecurity Research Center.