College Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

St. Petersburg College continues to meet regional and national demand for a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce as it is once again designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. In fact, in SPC’s latest graduation in December, the College awarded 44 cybersecurity certificates, the fourth most awarded credential among graduates.

In 2019, SPC was the fourth state college in Florida to receive the two-year designation for the Cybersecurity associate in science degree. Since then, the College added a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity to its list of technology programs. The designation continues to recognize SPC’s rigorous degree programs in information security.

“This selection as a National Center of Excellence highlights SPC’s mission to provide a high-quality education to produce skilled IT professionals in the Tampa Bay community,” said SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams. “The workforce continues to thrive and grow because of our students and their education. SPC is proud to push the boundaries of success and provide better jobs, better lives, and better communities.”

This achievement, valid through the academic year 2029, from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), confirms the program's rigor and viability to promote higher education and develop a high-quality workforce with expertise in cyber defense. SPC’s programs seek to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and expertise in cyber defense.

“Receiving the re-designation from the NSA is quite an honor and achievement. The process of designation, and subsequent re-designation, is quite rigorous, and not every institution receives this distinguished designation,” said Jimmy Chang, SPC’s Dean of Mathematics and Acting Dean, College of Computer and Information Technology. “It recognizes the College’s contribution to meet the regional and national demand for a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce as well as SPC’s excellence in the institutional approach to cybersecurity and the excellence of the academic programs. Graduates from programs with such a designation know they are receiving a high-quality education that will more than prepare them for the professional opportunities that await them.”

The NSA is addressing the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills by highlighting the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace. According to Nucamp, a coding boot camp and industry expert, cybersecurity in the St. Petersburg area is growing, with a 28% projected growth in the job market between 2022-2026. The Tampa Bay Economic Development Council found that defense contractors represent $20 billion and 175,000 total jobs, and nine of the top 10 U.S. defense contractors are in Tampa Bay.

"SPC prepares students for cybersecurity careers through hands-on training with industry tools, aligning with the National Cyber Strategy's call to build a highly skilled workforce as a strategic national security advantage and a key to protecting America’s cyberspace,” said Laura Malave, a professor for the College of Computer & Information Technology at SPC.