The University of Warwick has entered an agreement with information security professional body (ISC)2 to support the entry of its cyber security masters graduates into the workforce.
Students will be able to complete a compact Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) course to become Associate members of (ISC)2 and network with the organisation's 4,000-strong UK professional IT security community.
The organisation is one of the world's largest cyber security professional networks with 87,000 members in more than 135 countries.
The agreement is part an (ISC)2 academic affiliate programme aimed at working with academia to address the cyber security skills crisis.
"This allows our students to gain a certification that provides a breadth of requisite underpinnings in the cyber security domain," said Harjinder Singh Lallie, senior teaching fellow of cyber security at Warwick University.
He said the goal of Warwick's WMG department for research, education and knowledge transfer in engineering, manufacturing and technology is to be recognised nationally and internationally for offering one of the top cyber security courses available and one that expressly meets the needs of industry.
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"We consider the CISSP certification to be the most highly sought-after in cyber security. It carries international recognition and significance and provides our students with an excellent advantage when seeking employment in this domain," said Harjinder Singh Lallie.
WMG is one of the largest MSc departments in the UK, with close to 700 enrolled students. The MSc in Cyber Security and Management programme is split between undergraduate students wanting to pursue a Master's course in the discipline and working students with experience who are looking for career advancement in the profession.
WMG reviewed several industry certifications prior to selecting the (ISC)2 CISSP three-day instructor-led compact course.
The course was developed as part of (ISC)2's commitment to work with academia to attract and develop the next generation of professionals and improve security standards through education.
"It is heartening to see that WMG is committed to supporting its graduates as they move into the working world, and in particular to helping young people discover a career in the growing field of information security," said John Colley, managing director for (ISC)2 in Europe.
"Young people - even young IT students - are largely unaware of the potential for a career in the field, which is restricting the entry of new talent and contributing to a rising skills gap as the existing workforce ages," Colley said.
Through WMG, the University of Warwick becomes the second university in the UK to support its MSc programme graduates with an (ISC)2 certification programme, after Royal Holloway College at the University of London.
On graduation, students have both academic credentials and Associate of (ISC)2 status. The CISSP credential serves as evidence to employers of students' knowledge across 10 information security domains covering critical topics including cloud computing, mobile security, application security and risk management.
Typically, information security professionals sit for the CISSP certification exam after gaining a minimum of five years of working experience.
