PirateQ 
Pensacola State College President Ed Meadows, right, and Northwest Florida State College President Devin Stephenson shake hands after signing an articulation agreement that will give some NWFSC graduates an expedited path into PSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity.
NWFSC grads can receive expedited admission into Pensacola State BAS in cybersecurity program
Pensacola State College and Northwest Florida State College have agreed to provide some NWFSC graduates an expedited path into PSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity.
The 2 + 2 Associate in Science in Computer Information Technology at NWFSC to Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity at PSC agreement articulates a special admissions process for NWFSC graduates into the BAS in Cybersecurity at Pensacola State.
Northwest Florida State graduates who have completed the AS program will receive admission, general education, and 21 additional hours of program-specific articulated prerequisite credit for Pensacola State’s BAS degree in cybersecurity, said Erin Spicer, PSC Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.
Pensacola State will offer BAS coursework on Northwest Florida State’s Niceville campus for students enrolled in the program.
The articulation agreement was signed Thursday, June 22, by PSC President Ed Meadows and NWFSC President Devin Stephenson in the Usry Board Room on the PSC Pensacola campus. The articulation agreement will take effect this summer.
“Northwest Florida State and Pensacola State colleges have a longstanding history of collaboration to improve and increase higher education accessibility in the region,” Meadows said. “With this new 2+ 2 articulation agreement, Northwest Florida State students will have the opportunity to earn this advanced degree near their jobs and homes. These students also will receive advising and support from Pensacola State College.”
More than 160 students have earned BAS degrees in cybersecurity since Pensacola State first offered the degree in 2016.
“Our cybersecurity programs are among the College’s most popular programs,” Meadows added. “Degrees in cybersecurity offer fulfilling careers with competitive pay and a secure future in both the private and government sectors.”
Stephenson said he is looking forward to the partnership as well.
“I look forward to Northwest Florida State College and Pensacola State College Cybersecurity students utilizing this seamless, cyber-based pathway,” Stephenson said.
“Not only will this partnership benefit students at both PSC and NWFSC, but it will contribute to filling the vast number of open positions existing in the Cybersecurity Sector.”
PSC Dean of Baccalaureate Studies and Academic Support Kirk Bradley is excited about the new articulation agreement.
“PSC is here to prepare students for the workforce in the growing field of cybersecurity,” he said. “Through this collaboration, our goal is to provide NWFSC students with a high-quality cybersecurity education and increase the number of students entering the cybersecurity job market ready to work.”
The field is one of the fastest growing in the United States, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 35 percent increase in cybersecurity jobs from 2021 to 2031. The 2021 median pay for information security analysts – the type of job cybersecurity students can fill – was $102,600 per year or $49.33 per hour.
Pensacola State BAS degree program graduates can earn up to 17 industry-standard certifications ─ nine at the associate degree level and eight at the baccalaureate level. The cybersecurity program teaches students about security network technologies and operating systems, security management, databases, risk management, ethics, security testing, and more.
The curriculum, including the Associate in Science in Cybersecurity, includes 84 credit hours of cybersecurity coursework (42 credit hours at the associate level and 42 credit hours at the baccalaureate level) and the 36 credit hour general education curriculum.
Articulation agreement full video URL: https://youtu.be/QkdTPtgPhCc