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.

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.

See All Certifications

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!

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?

Browse AutoCAD Training

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.

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 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:

1. Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities (24%)
2. Architecture and Design (21%)
3. Implementation (25%)
4. Operations and Incident Response (16%)
5. 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.

Learn More

Questions? Contact Dr. John DeLalla at 520-626-6389 or jd@arizona.edu to learn more.

We are excited to announce that the popular Paralegal Certificate Program is now available in a new format - live lecture.

The new format is a good option for those who prefer to attend live, instructor-led class sessions on a specific schedule.

Why Live Lecture?

We know our program participants have different schedules and learning styles. That's why we offer professional development programs in a variety of formats, from completely self-paced to live instructor-led programs.

Self-paced courses can work well for those with work or family commitments that prevent them from attending scheduled classes. At the same time, we know it can be challenging to stay on track when learning at your own pace.

The new live lecture format offers a more "classroom-like" learning experience for Paralegal Certificate Program participants, with scheduled class meeting times and live instructor lectures.

How Live Lecture Paralegal Training Works

In the new live lecture format, participants will still gain the knowledge and skills they need to launch a new career as a Paralegal, just as they do in the regular fourteen-week Paralegal Certificate Program.

The key difference is: in the regular Paralegal Certificate Program, participants have weekly activities and assignments, but they don't attend scheduled class sessions. As long as they complete course activities on time, participants work at their own pace.

In the live lecture program, participants will attend live online instructor-led classes (via Zoom) twice a week. This can provide additional structure and support for those who might struggle in a more self-paced learning environment.

The first Paralegal Certificate Program Live Lecture course starts February 27, 2021.

Learn More

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), a nationwide effort to raise awareness of cybersecurity issues.

Cybersecurity affects everyone, so we've rounded up practical tips, career planning tools, and hands-on training opportunities for IT professionals and everyday technology users alike.

"If You Connect It, Protect It"

IT professionals aren't the only ones with a role to play in cybersecurity.

If you use a device that is connected to the internet, you need to worry about cybersecurity, too. That's why one of the goals of NCSAM is to remind all of us: "If you connect it, protect it."

The good news is: we can all take simple steps to protect ourselves, at home and in the workplace. Check out the helpful tip sheets from the National Cybersecurity Alliance for advice on everything from passwords to smart devices to social media. 

Explore Cybersecurity Careers

According to Cyberseek.org, employers are "struggling to fill" more than 330,000 cybersecurity job openings. This creates enormous hiring challenges for employers, but it is good news for those who already have IT security skills. 

If you are interested in entering the IT security field, Cyberseek offers a handy interactive tool to explore cybersecurity careers: the Cybersecurity Career Pathway includes common paths into cybersecurity roles, plus salary information and the skills and credentials typically needed for various roles.

Learn Cyber Defense Skills

University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education offers a variety of IT security trainings, including practical, hands-on cyber defense skills training.

The Computer Security training program is designed by University of Arizona faculty to equip participants with the real-world skills employers are looking for. The fully online course includes hands-on labs, so you can practice using a variety of cyber defense tools for network and computer monitoring, intrusion detection and prevention and more.

Get an Advanced Credential

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is one of the most sought-after IT credentials in the world.

This internationally-recognized advanced credential from (ISC)² verifies your ability to design, implement and manage information security systems. CISSP also meets the requirements of DoD Directive 8570.

If you are an experienced IT security professional, get ready to pass the difficult CISSP exam with a one-week intensive live online CISSP Exam Prep, November 16-20.

Learn More

Whether you are looking to start a career in IT, or you have years of experience and want to earn an advanced credential, we have a training program for you.

Browse IT Training