Ready to Achieve Your 2020 Career Goals?
If you're ready to get a head start on your 2020 career goals, check out these classes starting in early 2020!
- Food Safety Training Program
- Paralegal Certificate Program
- Network Security Training Program
- Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Prep
- School Psychology Professional Development Workshops
- Environmental Science for Society Certificate Program
- Human Resources (SHRM) Certification Exam Prep
- Training for New Managers and Supervisors
Don't see what you're looking for? Browse the full catalog.
Here's What You Wanted to Learn in 2019
If you're wondering which skills people want to add to their resumes, check out our ten most popular continuing and professional education programs from 2019.
Didn't get a chance to register this year? Lucky for you, all of these programs will be offered again in 2020!
10. Environmental Science for Society Certificate Program
The Environmental Science for Society Certificate Program is designed to help researchers, practitioners, political leaders, and educators actively confront society's most complex environmental challenges. It is a three-course, fully online program for anyone interested in the intersection between science and environmental decision making.
9. Food Safety Certificate Program
The Food Safety Training Program includes basic and advanced Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training and Preventive Controls for Human Food training. These in-person classes meet at the University of Arizona Food Product & Safety Lab.
8. Project Management Training
Project management is one of the top-requested certifications in job postings nation-wide. It's no surprise that Project Management Professional (PMP) training was one of this year's top programs. We offer online and in-person training options.
7. Microsoft Excel Essentials
Microsoft Excel is another highly in-demand job skill. Our half-day hands-on Microsoft Excel Essentials training equips you with the basic skills you need to take control of your data.
6. Human Resources Certification (SHRM)
A certification from the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) shows employers that you know your HR stuff. Our Human Resources Certification Exam Prep class prepares you to take the SHRM Certified Professional (CP) or Senior Certified Professional (SCP) exam. The online class format lets you learn at your convenience.
5. School Psychology Workshops
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has outlined Domains of Professional Practice in its Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services. Our School Psychology Workshops systematically address these Domains and offer participants the chance to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits. Workshops meet at the University of Arizona at Chandler.
4. Spanish-English Translation Certificate Program
The Spanish-English Translation Certificate Program is a 3-course fully online program designed to train entry-level translators to meet the needs of doctors' offices, hospitals, courts, law offices, schools and other settings.
3. Paralegal Certificate Program
Paralegal is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. The online Paralegal Certificate Program prepares you for a career in this fast-growing field in just 14 weeks.
2. Data Analytics Boot Camp
Workers in almost every industry can benefit from adding data analysis skills to their resumes. In fact, by 2021, workers with data analysis skills will be twice as likely to get a job. Data Analytics Boot Camp is an immersive six-month classroom experience, where you will learn in-demand technologies like Excel, Python, JavaScript, SQL Databases, Tableau, and more. Classes meet evenings and weekends, and new Boot Camps start quarterly in Phoenix.
1. Coding Boot Camp
The University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education Coding Boot Camp gives you the knowledge and skills to build dynamic end-to-end web applications and become a full stack web developer. Part-time (six month) and full-time (three month) options are available.
Office of Continuing & Professional Education Holiday Hours
The University of Arizona and the office of Continuing & Professional Education will be closed for the holidays on the following dates: December 21 - January 1.
But don't let the holidays slow down your career development. Registration is still open for all classes during the holiday closure. Feel free to browse the catalog to find the next opportunity to advance your career!
We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season!
Want to Get Certified? Here's What You Need to Know
If you are an experienced professional, earning an industry certification can help you move up in your current career. If you're looking to change careers, an entry-level certification can open the door to starting a new career.
Industry certifications are awarded by a certification body (such as an industry association, trade group or a corporation), usually after successfully completing a certification exam. Most certifications are targeted to a specific skill and experience level, so there may be work experience or education requirements that you must meet prior to taking a certification exam.
Certification Exam Process and Requirements
You can learn more about the examination process and certification requirements for popular industry certifications here:
- American Translators Association (ATA) Certification
- AutoCAD Certified User
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®)
- Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
- Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®)
- Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA)
- Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
- CompTIA CyberSecurity Analyst (CySA+)
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)
- Intuit QuickBooks Certified User
- Project Management Professional (PMP®)
- SHRM Certified Professional or Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP)
The Certified Association in Project Management (CAPM) and the Project Management Professional (PMP) are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. CISSP is a registered certification mark of (ISC)², Inc.
Ready to Get Certified?
If you're ready to get certified, a certification exam prep class can help you get ready to take your certification exam.
Spotlight on Paralegal and Legal Assistant Careers
Paralegals and legal assistants are in high demand nationwide, with rapid growth projected for the next ten years. If you're interested in starting a career in this growing field, here's what you need to know.
What They Do
Paralegals and legal assistants support the work of lawyers by conducting legal research, drafting documents, and organizing files and other materials.
The specific job duties will often vary depending on the size of the company or organization you work for, as well as the area of law.
For example, a corporate paralegal may help prepare employee contracts and stay up-to-date on regulations that affect their industry. A litigation paralegal may focus on helping lawyers prepare for trial by gathering and summarizing case facts, scheduling witness interviews, and researching relevant laws and regulations.
Where They Work
There are paralegal job openings in every state and in a wide variety of industries, making paralegal skills highly transferable. While many paralegals and legal assistants work in law firms, those aren't the only places they work.
Government agencies, corporations, hospitals, the court system and many other employers hire paralegals and legal assistants. In fact, the largest employer of legal support professionals (based on number of job openings) is the U.S. government. Every large company has a legal department, and a legal department needs paralegals and legal assistants.
How to Become a Paralegal
Legal support professional jobs include legal secretary, legal assistant and paralegal.
The specific job requirements vary depending on the employer, but in general these jobs fall on a spectrum: legal secretaries perform more administrative and secretarial duties, and legal secretary jobs generally require less formal education. Paralegals perform more legal duties (such as research), and paralegal job postings tend to require more formal education. Legal assistant jobs tend to fall somewhere in between the other two.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most paralegals and legal assistants have at least an associate's degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. Some states, including California and New Mexico, have additional education requirements for paralegals.
Ready to start your paralegal or legal assistant career? Check out the University of Arizona Paralegal Certificate Program.
Tucson Named a Top Up-and-Coming Tech Market
If you’re interested in a career in tech, Tucson is a great place to be. The high demand for tech talent in places like the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle is prompting companies to expand into smaller markets, according to a new report from global commercial real estate services and investment company CBRE.
In its 2019 Scoring Tech Talent report, CBRE ranked Tucson at the top of these “Next 25 Markets” where companies are looking to find new opportunities and tech talent.
According to the report, Tucson tech jobs have grown 90% over the last five years and tech wages grew 29% in that same timeframe.
Top Tucson Tech Jobs
If you're wondering what Tucson employers are looking for, these are the top tech jobs in the Tucson metro area in the last 12 months.
Three Paths to In-Demand Tech Jobs
1. Computer User Support Specialist
Computer user support specialists provide technical assistance to computer hardware and software users.
In entry-level IT help desk jobs like these, 1 in 5 job postings require the CompTIA A+ certification. The CompTIA A+ exams are a globally recognized, vendor-neutral qualifying credential for tech support and IT operations roles. A+ is an entry-level certification designed for those who are looking to start a tech career.
Like many other IT certifications, CompTIA certifications are "stackable," so you can earn additional certifications as you gain skills and experience.
2. Network/Systems Administrator
A Network or Systems Administrator manages the day-to-day operations of an organization's computer networks, including installing, organizating and supporting the hardware and software of these systems. These roles typically require 3-5+ years of experience and often include certification requirements.
Iif you are interested in pursuing a Network/Systems Administrator career, you might explore a CompTIA Security+ certification. This is the most often-requested certification in Network/Systems Administrator job postings. This intermediate-level certification "establishes the core knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs," according to CompTIA.
3. Web Developer
The University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education Coding Boot Camp gives you the knowledge and skills to build dynamic end-to-end web applications and become a full stack web developer. New classes start quarterly in the Phoenix Metro area and Tucson.
Learn More
- Check out the top tech certifications in Arizona job postings
- See all IT professional development classes
Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap: New Security Training Program
Cybersecurity professionals help safeguard our most important information - from sensitive government and military data to corporate intellectual property to our individual personal, health and financial data.
But there is a huge gap between the need for cybersecurity professionals and the number of people who have the skills to fill those roles, according to the (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study:
(ISC)2 estimates that there is an unmet need for almost half a million cybersecurity professionals in North America alone. The study also found that almost two-thirds of organizations reported a shortage of cybersecurity staff.
A team from the University of Arizona College of Electrical and Computer Engineering launched a new program to help close this cybersecurity skills gap: the all-new fully online University of Arizona Network Security Training.
Hands-On Practical Security Training
Network Security Training is designed by Dr. Salim Hariri and a team from the NSF Cloud and Autonomic Computing Center at the University of Arizona. Dr. Hariri is a world renowned researcher in the area of cybersecurity, distributed computing, and autonomic computing.
While the program is fully online, Dr. Hariri and his team wanted to make sure that participants who complete the program would be ready to apply and use what they learned. That's why the courses provide hands-on practical experience in using network and computer monitoring tools, intrusion detection and prevention tools, and other cybersecurity tools, in addition to teaching the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
The skills taught in the program map directly to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, a collaborative effort between the private sector, government and academia designed to improve cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.
The Network Security course will launch in January 2020. Additional courses will be launched in later months.
This noncredit professional development program is open to technical professionals in any location. You do not need to an admitted and enrolled University of Arizona student to participate. You will need to submit a short form through the office of Continuing & Professional Education describing your technical background and knowledge before registering for the course.