Middle Georgia State University is one of five institutions joining forces with the U.S. Army Cyber Center at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga., to help fill more than 11,000 cyber job openings around the state.
 
The University System of Georgia (USG) and the Cyber Center have signed an agreement that will give active duty military and reservists the opportunity to earn a degree for a career in cyber fields while serving in the Army at Fort Gordon.
 
In the case of Middle Georgia State (MGA), prospective students in those categories would be able to pursue bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in information technology. Of the five institutions involved, Middle Georgia State is the only university offering the master’s degree option. MGA’s master’s and bachelor’s degrees in IT are available fully online.
 
“This is a great endeavor that we are proud to be part of,” said Dr. Alex Koohang, dean of MGA’s School of Information Technology. “Middle Georgia State is in a prime position to offer undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity and critical infrastructure management education to active duty military and reservists.”
 
In addition to Middle Georgia State, Columbus State University, Kennesaw State University, the University of North Georgia and Augusta University - all designated as National Security Agency Centers of Academic Excellence - are part of the agreement.
 
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) are institutions that have met the stringent criteria set forth by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, joint sponsors of the program. The program’s aim is to reduce vulnerability in the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise in various disciplines.
 
The agreement with the five CAE-CD institutions in Georgia “enables service members stationed at Fort Gordon to pursue their degrees through select USG cybersecurity programs across the state,” said USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “It provides support to the Army and enhances the close collaboration with our military and workforce partners. I look forward to building on the success of this program as we continue to work to meet the needs of the cyber industry.”
 
The agreement was signed earlier this month during the second annual Cyber Educational Research and Training Symposium, sponsored by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.
 
“To ensure the safety and security of our nation’s networks it is imperative that strong partnerships exist across the Department of Defense, academia and industry,” said Robert Kazimer, deputy to the commanding general, U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. “The new memorandum of understanding between the U. S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and the University System of Georgia helps improve our techniques for instruction and allows our soldiers to accelerate their degree completion programs by recognizing their military work experience, education and training.”
 
“We look forward to being a part of this collaborative partnership,” said Dr. Kevin Floyd, associate dean of MGA’s School of IT and executive director of the University’s Center for Cybersecurity Education and Applied Research. “We will work closely with soldiers to award credit for prior education and military training experiences through our established prior-learning assessment process.”