Frequently Asked Questions

Tuition for the California Community College system is $46 per unit. A student will need 25 units of completion for this certificate. Financial Aid, if available to the student, can cover tuition, and is available through application to the California Community Colleges California College Promise Program.

There are no costs for textbooks. The Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate program is a Zero Textbook Cost program.

Each California Community College district offers the financial aid, through the California College Promise program. If a student is eligible to apply for financial aid, the College Promise program may cover the cost of tuition. Otherwise, a student can enroll using the normal payment methods, payment in full or credit card, with the tuition basis of $46 per unit of study for the 25 unit Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate program.

This Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate is an entry-level cybersecurity certificate, which is highly in demand in the California and national job market. A potential resource for investigating entry-level jobs in cybersecurity is the Cyberseek website.

It depends. The Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate is a “stackable” certificate meaning that successful completion of these courses can be used as a foundation for advanced information communication technology (ICT) certificates. The courses in the Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate are industry recognized courses. A student can apply for a bachelor’s degree program and request the curriculum they have successfully completed for the Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate to be transferred towards a bachelor’s degree. Note that the school for which the student is applying would need to make the decision as to which courses are fully transferable. Consult with a college counselor.

If a student has completed the same course, successfully, within a designated time span, the previously completed course may be accepted, and may not need to be repeated. The decision as to whether the student can get credit, so as not to “repeat” the same course, will be determined at the time of application.

The Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate is a “stackable” certificate meaning that your successful completion of this certificate can be used to apply for advanced cybersecurity certificates.

The Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate is a “stackable” certificate meaning that your successful completion of this certificate can be used to apply for advanced cybersecurity certificates. The courses in the Collaborative Cybersecurity certificate are industry recognized courses. When the student applies for a bachelor’s degree program, the school would need to make the decision as to which courses are fully transferable. Consult with a college counselor.

The Collaborative agreement is an innovative program between three California community colleges: Cosumnes River College, Fresno City College, and Los Angeles Pierce College. The three schools have come together to offer a program to create a highly desirable certificate, which a student can take within a 35 week period. The applicant will need to choose one of these three schools as their home college. The home college will provide assistance for registration, financial assistance, counseling and other services.

Due to high demand, the interest list for this program is currently closed. Additional online certificates in cybersecurity are available through partner colleges and can be found on the CVC-OEI’s Online Certificates of Achievement web page.

The certificate is designed to deliver entry-level studies for a total of 25 units in 8 courses, over a period of 8 weeks for each sequence, with 1 week breaks in between, for a total of 35 weeks. Each cohort group of students will start and finish together.

Yes. Students are strongly encouraged to arrange and take specific industry valued certification exams. Instructors at the colleges can provide more information. The nine examinations are: CompTIA IT Fundamentals, CompTIA A+ (2 exams), CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCENT, CompTIA Security+, CCNA-CyberOPS (2 exams), CCNA Routing and Switching, and CCNA-Security.

Being successful in a fully online program takes focused skills. The Quest for Success self-paced series prepares students to be successful in fully online courses. Modules include identifying student strengths and weaknesses, an introduction to online learning, getting tech ready, and becoming an effective online learner. This series has proven to be advantageous for the students who have taken the course. The student does not earn credits for completing the Quest for Success course.

No, you can decide which, if any, national exam you want to sit for, but still successfully complete the Collaborative Cybersecurity Certificate Program.

Yes! A completed certificate in cybersecurity is in high demand. The Cyberseek website will give you some ideas of the jobs and salaries for entry-level cybersecurity jobs.