Teaming up to create opportunities: Capitol signs agreement with NSA’s National Cryptologic School



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A school within the National Security Agency that provides training in information assurance and other specialized areas has teamed up with Capitol Technology University to open up new educational opportunities for NSA employees.

Under an agreement signed this month, employees who have completed courses sponsored by the agency’s National Cryptologic School(NCS) will be able to apply a substantial amount of that coursework towards bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees at Capitol.

The agreement reflects the “complementary nature of the NSA and Capitol programs,” according to an official document. 

 “We’re very excited about building a relationship with the NCS and its students, both civilian and military,” says Dr. Helen G. Barker, Capitol’s vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer. “Capitol has a long track record of educating students to meet the demand of federal agencies for specialized technology skills, including cybersecurity, and this agreement builds on that tradition.”

“What this agreement does is provide NSA employees with further opportunities to complete a degree – whether because of personal aspirations, or to advance on their career paths,” Barker said. “We’re accomplishing this by offering significant transfer options, not only into our undergraduate programs, but also our master’s and doctorates. In other words, we’re offering degree completion for all levels of individuals.

Programs of particular interest to NCS student, according to Barker, include Capitol’s bachelor degree program in cyber and information technology, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in cyber analytics, master of science in cyber and information security, technical master of business administration in cybersecurity, and doctorates in business analytics and decision sciences, cybersecurity, and technology.

Providing more avenues for building cybersecurity skills is a high priority across many federal agencies, given increased concern about protecting sensitive information, assets, and infrastructure,” Barker noted.

“There are tremendous opportunities right now in cyber, both within and outside the federal government, and also in analytics,” she said. “Data is a critical asset, and more and more organizations recognize that securing it is absolutely essential.”

Capitol was among the first universities in the world to offer degree programs in cyber and information security, and the first to launch a doctorate in the field. The quality of its programs has been recognized with repeat designations by the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence. The university is based in Laurel, Maryland, between the NSA and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Are you an NSA employee interested in learning more about transferring NCS credits to Capitol? Want more information about Capitol’s programs? Contact the Admissions Team at Capitol Tech .