The convenience and accessibility of VirtAc professional development noncredit courses, programs and certifications enable George Mason University to provide a global learning platform and continuing education opportunities in a high-demand, ever-changing field.
College students, private industry and government workers, and armed forces members will be attracted to the first training academy at George Mason that offers all of its courses via asynchronous and synchronous distance education modes. Certifications can expire every two or three years, so VirtAc will help them keep their skills and qualifications updated.
"Industry-recognized certifications have become more valuable than before," says VirTac director and founder Khondkar Islam, an assistant professor in Applied Information Technology. "This is because employers are seeking candidates with hands-on skills to hit the ground running once hired. Companies also want their employees to be current with the array of technologies that are rapidly changing and evolving.
"A college degree that is supplemented with a few certifications can help the job seeker to be a more marketable candidate in the high-tech industry."
The first class this spring was for Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Future classes include CCNA, CCNA Security, and CompTIA A+, Security+ and Network+. The course duration ranges from six to eight weeks. Mason students and alumni receive a 10-percent discount.
In addition to Cisco and CompTIA, the VirtAc program will offer preparatory courses for industry-recognized certifications from Microsoft, Oracle, EC-Council and others. Enrollees who score 75 percent or better in the CCNA and CCNA Security preparatory courses receive a 60 percent discount voucher to apply toward their certification exam fee. Students also will receive a certificate of participation from Mason.
"You can change your career, change your track," says Amit Katti, a graduate teaching assistant under Islam. "Say you're working as an IT help desk assistant somewhere. You can devote a couple hours every day to the CCNA certification training course. If you become certified, you may be placed as an entry-level network professional.
"You don't have to go anywhere for the training. The courses are fully online."
For information, email virtual@gmu.edu or call 703-993-3565.
A version of this story by Preston Williams appeared on the News Desk on May 5, 2014.