Top IT Certifications in the Phoenix Metro Area
IT certifications show potential employers you have the knowledge and skills to get the job done. Certifications can make you stand out in the hiring process, and they may be required for employment, particularly in government IT jobs.
We crunched the numbers to see which IT certifications were most in-demand in the Phoenix Metro* area.
What Phoenix employers are looking for
In the past year, these were the top ten IT certifications in Phoenix-area job postings
- IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified A+ Technician
- SANS/GIAC Certification
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
Data Source: Burning Glass Labor Insight, last 12 months of Phoenix Metro area job postings, March 2021
* In addition to Phoenix, other cities including Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Gilbert are included in Phoenix Metro data.
Image: Jerry Ferguson / CC BY
Ready to earn an in-demand IT certification?
We offer training programs for many of these top certifications. Most programs are fully online, so you can learn from the University of Arizona wherever you are.
We can also schedule custom IT training for groups in the Phoenix Metro area.
News: UA continuing education keeps job seekers in tune with changing market
The Herald/Review recently featured our Dr. John DeLalla, discussing the changing job market and how the office of Continuing & Professional Education pivoted to meet the community's professional development needs during the pandemic.
From "UA continuing education keeps job seekers in tune with changing market" by Bill Hayes:
"Changes, changes, changes.
Pick an industry, just about any industry, and the workforce expectations are nothing like they were 20 years ago. In some cases, even five or 10 years ago.
What you had, or what you could do, doesn’t get you quite as far these days. Throw in rapid technological advances and a pandemic, and the change cavalcade only looks to be ramping up for the future.
To keep pace, many will require additional training, a return to school and books. Dr. John DeLalla wants you to know he’s here to help...
New Legal Studies Certificate Programs Now Available
Paralegal is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country, with job openings in every state and across a wide variety of industries.
That's why we're excited to launch two new noncredit Paralegal certificate programs: Paralegal Specialization in Real Property Law and the Advanced Paralegal Certificate.
Paralegal Certificate Speciliazation in Real Property Law
This noncredit professional development program includes the same Paralegal courses as our popular Paralegal Certificate program, plus specialized training in Real Property Law.
In addition to preparing to start a career as a Paralegal, you will learn about land transactions, conveyancing, mortgaging, landlord-tenant, and the documents which record the purchase, sale, and leasing of real estates.
To earn the Paralegal Certification Specialization in Real Property you will complete three seven-week online courses: Paralegal 1, Paralegal 2 and Advanced Paralegal: Real Property Law.
Advanced Paralegal Certificate
The Advanced Paralegal Certificate builds on the Paralegal Certificate program with courses in specialized facets of contemporary law.
To complete the Advanced Paralegal Certificate, you will take six Advanced Paralegal courses. Each course is offered in a seven-week online session, and you may take 1-3 topics per session, in any order.
Advanced Paralegal course topics include: Advanced Legal Research, Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation), Bankruptcy Law, Business Law, e-Discovery, Estate Planning, Family Law, Real Property Law, Victim Advocacy and more.
You can start the Paralegal Specialization or Advanced Paralegal programs in March, May, June, August or October.
Change Your Career In As Little As One Week
Wildcats are known for their "Bear Down" determination. If you have that Wildcat spirit and are ready to "Bear Down" and move up in your career, these programs can help you do it quickly.
Move up in one week
Network+ certification is the hallmark of a competent networking professional. It is also a great starting point for a career in IT. You can earn additional CompTIA credentials as you gain knowledge and experience. Class meets February 16-19, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. via Zoom.
Security+ certification designates knowledgeable professionals in the field of security. It is one of the baseline certifications required for federal government or contractor IT roles, and it is one of the top-requested certifications in Arizona IT job postings. Class meets February 22-26, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. via Zoom.
Each of these intensive week-long trainings include:
- 40 hours of live online instruction from an industry subject matter expert
- A voucher to take your CompTIA certification exam
- One year of access to self-paced online training, in case you need a refresher at any point
Have a little more time?
These programs are not quite as intensive, but they can still be completed in less than three months:
- SHRM Certification Exam Prep: certify your Human Resources expertise by earning the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential. You'll be ready to take your SHRM certification exam right in time for the SHRM Spring Exam Window that opens in May.
- Full-Time Coding Boot Camp: become a full-stack web developer in only twelve weeks.
- Paralegal Certificate: earn a Paralegal certificate this spring. Attend live online lectures on weekend mornings and complete your work on your own time the rest of the week. Live Lecture Paralegal Certificate course starts February 27.
- CISSP® Exam Prep: get ready to pass the challenging Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam in two weeks, April 5-16. Class meets Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.
CISSP is a registered certification mark of (ISC)², Inc.
Stand Out from the Crowd with a Certification
Professional certifications show potential employers that you have the knowledge and skills to get the job done. They can even increase your chances of getting hired or promoted.
Holding an up-to-date certification is a great way to demonstrate that your knowledge is current and relevant (particularly important in rapidly-evolving fields like IT). Most certification programs require you to re-certify periodically or require that you complete continuing education activities to maintain your certification.
How Do You Get a Professional Certification?
There are many different certifications out there, but most of them require you to pass a comprehensive certification exam to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and abilities.
Some certifying organizations may have additional requirements, such as work experience and/or education.
Many certifications are also "stackable," so you can earn more advanced credentials as your knowledge and experience increase.
Popular Certification Programs
Here are some of the popular certification programs offered by Continuing & Professional Education.
Information Technology
IT certifications not only help you stand out in a crowd of other applications, they are actually required by many employers, particularly for government IT jobs.
Our CompTIA certification programs are particularly popular. CompTIA offers an internationally recognized vendor-neutral certification program for IT professionals.
The core certifications are CompTIA Network+ and Security+. From there, you can earn more advanced CompTIA credentials to continue to advance your IT career. Browse all CompTIA training or all IT certification training.
Not sure which certification is right for you? Check out the top IT certifications in Arizona and in the U.S.
Human Resources
Experienced Human Resources professionals who want to demonstrate their HR expertise can earn the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Certified Professional or Senior Certified Professional. The Human Resources (SHRM) Certification Exam Prep course combines expert instruction from a SHRM-SCP with the proven SHRM Learning System to get you ready to pass your exam.
Learn more about SHRM certification, or register for SHRM certification exam prep.
Project Management
Project management is one of the most in-demand skills nation-wide. And the Project Management Professional (PMP) is the gold standard of project management certifications. It is so valuable, that certified PMPs report earning 26% more than those without certification. Learn more about project management certifications or browse all project management certification training options.
Engineering
Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam is the first step towards becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Prep is taught by a licensed PE and will get you ready to take the Civil Engineering or "Other Disciplines" FE Exam.
More Certification Programs
These are just a few of the in-demand certifications you can earn through Continuing & Professional Education programs.
Winter Holiday Hours
The University of Arizona and the office of Continuing & Professional Education will be closed for the holidays on the following dates: December 24 - January 3.
We may be out of the office, but registration is still open for all classes during the holiday closure. Feel free to browse the catalog to get a head start on your 2021 career goals.
We hope you have a healthy, safe and happy holiday season!
New! More AutoCAD Training Options
Computer Aided Drafting/Design (CAD) software allow engineers, architects, interior designers, manufacturers and many other professionals to create precise 2D and 3D drawings, of everything from buildings to bridges to product prototypes. And AutoCAD is the premier CAD tool.
To meet demand for AutoCAD skills, we're expanding our AutoCAD training offerings beyond the popular AutoCAD Fundamentals Certificate program.
You can now take AutoCAD 1 - Basic 2D, AutoCAD 2 - Advanced 2D and AutoCAD 3 - Basic 3D Modeling as individual courses.
Each course costs $917, and includes:
- Three months of access to course materials
- Video lectures and demonstrations
- Manuals
- Online suppport via discussion groups and email
- A free copy of AutoCAD from Autodesk
Ready to add CAD to your skill set?
Save $100 on Legal Studies classes
Note: this discount offer has now ended.
CLS by BARBRI is offering a $100 registration discount on legal studies classes through July 31, 2021.
Save on These Classes
This discount can be used for many* CLS classes, including the popular Paralegal Certificate Program.
Other CLS by BARBRI classes include:
- Advanced Paralegal Certificate
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Employment Law
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Legal Secretary Training
- Paralegal Certificate Program
- Victim Advocacy Training
How to Get the Discount
Just enter code: JULY100 at checkout to save $100.
* $995 minimum purchase. Offer expires July 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Spring 2021 Classes Open for Registration
2020 has been a long and challenging year. Plan ahead for a better career in 2021, with one of these classes starting in January and February:
- Spanish-English Translation Program Legal Translation course starts in January
- Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam Prep starts in January
- Environmental Science for Society: Practicing Collaborative Research starts in January
- Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Prep starts in January
- CompTIA Security+ starts in February
- Manager Training: Leading from Your Strengths starts in February
- Human Resources (SHRM) Certification Exam Prep starts in February
- Choose from the online Paralegal Certificate course starting in January or Live Lecture Format Paralegal Certificate starting in February
- Coding Boot Camp starts in February
All these classes are fully online, so you can learn in-demand skills from anywhere.
CompTIA Releases New Security+ Exam
CompTIA Security+ is one of the top IT certifications nationwide. It demonstrates that you have the real-world security skills employers need to confront an ever-growing number of security threats.
CompTIA refreshes its exams every few years to ensure that credential holders have the most up-to-date and in-demand skills. The new Security+ SY0-601 exam launched on November 12.
What Is On the New Security+ Exam?
According to CompTIA, the new exam covers five domains:
- Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities (24%)
- Architecture and Design (21%)
- Implementation (25%)
- Operations and Incident Response (16%)
- Governance, Risk and Compliance (14%)
If you've been studying for the old SY0-501, don't worry. You can still take the Security+ SY0-501 exam until July 31, 2021.
Get Ready to Pass the New Exam
Our intensive IT certification exam prep courses are continually refreshed to reflect exam changes and rapidly-evolving technology.
If you want to get the latest-and-greatest Security+ certification, register for a live intensive Security+ training course.
Questions? Contact Dr. John DeLalla at 520-626-6389 or jd@arizona.edu to learn more.