Professional Development Courses Announced

The AFCEA Professional Development Center (PDC) course schedule for January 2013 to January 2014 has been mailed and is available for viewing and download. Many PDC courses qualify for continuing education units (CEUs) in support of CompTIA certifications: A+, Security+, Network+ and CompTIA Advanced Security Professional. The list is available as a PDF, and registration for courses is available online.

Experts in homeland security, information security, networking and a host of other topics relevant to global security professionals today teach the PDC courses. With the help of these specialists and input from hundreds of students, the PDC continues to respond to the changing needs of its students. In addition to online courses, the format of some in-classroom offerings have changed. For example, building on its successful course, “Department of Homeland Security: Who Does What, With What, For What?” the PDC has divided the course into two parts. Part one covers the background, organizations and challenges of government agencies working in homeland security. Part two covers business development in support of homeland security. Please check out these courses, which have truly high-caliber speakers participating.

Another course that the PDC has divided into two parts is “Cyber Ops.” The two shorter courses are Cyber Security Operations and Cyber Security Defenses. These courses are fully online, and students can participate during the time the instructor is presenting or download the transcript later for viewing if they cannot participate during the scheduled class time. Join the classes led by Dr. Paul Strassmann, distinguished professor at George Mason University and researcher at the International Data Corporation, to learn more about this timely topic. The education and training the PDC offers does not stop at AFCEA headquarters and online. In addition to PDC courses, many portions of AFCEA events now qualify for CompTIA CEUs; specific information is available on each event website. The PDC plans to expand its CEU program to support other certifications and continuing education requirements. To offer suggestions, please contact the PDC director, Sheila McCoy.

The PDC also has agreements with some esteemed educational providers who offer education and training discounts to AFCEA members. For more information about the preferred providers, including the specific discounts each offers, check this list.