Upcoming events

    • August 06, 2018
    • December 31, 2030
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    Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research: Fall 2018 Special Issue: 3CS Anniversary Special Issue – Five Years of Raising the Capability Maturity Bar

    The launch of the first issue, Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research -  3CS Anniversary Special Issue - Five Years of Raising the Capability Maturity Bar - coincides with the 5th Annual Community College Cyber Summit (3CS). Besides some path-breaking articles from our Innovations in Cybersecurity Education award-winners, most of the special issue is dedicated to listings of the capability-enhancing presentations that have occurred over the past five years at the 3CS.

    Table of Contents

    EXECUTIVE LETTER 

    RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

    Raising the BAR of Cybersecurity Capability Maturity

    PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES

    Meeting Industry Needs for Secure Software Development 

    Have My Smart Lightbulbs Been Weaponized?

    THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES 

    Competency is Not a Three Letter Word 

    3CS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY RESOURCE GUIDE Pathway Section: Fundamentals 

    Pathway Section: Specialty Areas

    RESOURCE GUIDE PRESENTER INDEX

    Click "Register" to request a free copy of the 3CS Anniversary Special Issue. Upon completion of the registration form a download link will be sent to your registered email address.


    • November 20, 2020
    • December 31, 2030
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    The Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research - NICE Framework Special Issue: Investigating Framework Adoption, Adaptation, or Extension - examines the usefulness, benefits, and challenges associated with the adoption, adaptation, or extension of the NICE Framework in cybersecurity practice, to improve learning, and advance the state of cybersecurity capability maturity.

    Table of Contents

    EXECUTIVE LETTER 

    PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES

    The CYBER security - Competency Health and Maturity Progression

    RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

    Exploring Non-Technical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA)

    Exploring Cognitive Processes to Develop Cybersecurity Defender Proficiency

    TEACHING PERSPECTIVES 

    Wireless Security: Examining the next NICE Framework Iteration 

    RESEARCH NOTE

    Cybersecurity Intelligence: A Novel Information Security Threat Mitigation

    TEACHING NOTE

    Does Cybersecurity Education Focus on the Right Things?

    Click "Register" to request a free copy of the NICE Special Issue. Upon completion of the registration form a download link will be sent to your registered email address.


    • April 22, 2021
    • September 16, 2033
    • Online
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    This NSF-funded research project explored the viability of cybersecurity apprenticeships for federal agency pipeline support. During the 18-month effort – which ended in December 2020 – a Working Group of 15 federal, academic, and practitioner experts developed a strong dialog and presence in the apprenticeship space. Aided by close ties to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Working Group on Apprenticeships, the project developed a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship model, and identified key ways to improve the adoption of apprenticeships.

    Primary Audience: Federal Cybersecurity human resources and hiring managers.

    Table of Contents

    1. Introduction to Apprenticeships
    2. What Do Current Apprenticeships Look Like?
    3. Current Apprenticeship Footprint
    4. Possible Barriers to Federal Adoption
    5. Available High-Level Models
    6. Engaging the Hiring Manager
    7. Aligning Academic and OJT Requirements
    8. The Value Proposition
    9. Seeding the Way: Pilot Proposals to Agencies
    10. Recommendations to NSF
    11. National CyberWatch Center Working Group Membership
    12. References
    • August 20, 2021
    • January 14, 2034
    • Online
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    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    About the 2017 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education Publication

    The deadline for application submissions was March 15, 2017. Shortly after, a panel of cybersecurity educators and National CyberWatch partners reviewed these submissions, 44 in total (far exceeding previous year's submission totals), and selected 5 for recognition. This reference document was created listing all nominations and the 5 winners.



    • September 30, 2021
    • 9:00 AM
    • September 30, 2030
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
    Register



    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    About the 2021 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education Publication

    With the forced transition to online learning across the education spectrum as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to focus on the following theme for this year’s program:


    How can we best contribute to the needs and transformations that might occur for remote/online instruction in the post-COVID-19 world?


    Given the narrow focus of this year’s theme, we are treating this year’s publication as a Special Issue, which combines the top two submissions (as ranked by a panel of judges) with the results of our National Cybersecurity Student Association COVID-19 Perceptions Survey. This year was like no other; so is this year’s Innovations program.

    • September 28, 2022
    • 9:00 AM
    • September 28, 2032
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
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    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    One of the major strengths of the National CyberWatch Center is its ability to aggregate and disseminate the capacity and creative experimentation found within our academic and workforce communities.


    The 2022 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program (now in its 6th year), was built on the premise that our members are some of the best cybersecurity educational innovators, and that through our Center, they can share their innovations, accelerate their adoption, and receive proper recognition for their work. This publication is an example of this capacity and creativity in action.

    All National CyberWatch Center members received the online nomination form via various e-Blasts, the monthly e-Newsletter (NCC Communicator), social media campaigns, and dissemination/outreach via various partners. The deadline for submissions was May 10, 2022. Shortly after, a panel of cybersecurity educators and past Innovations winners reviewed the submissions and selected those for recognition in this publication.

    • October 01, 2022
    • 12:00 PM
    • September 30, 2025
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
    Registration is closed

    National CyberWatch Center's

    Call for Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshop Proposals

    About

    Designed to develop capabilities that are essential to the effective performance of cybersecurity job roles, as well as helping to grow faculty and program capacity at 2/4-year schools. Proposals accepted on a rolling basis are evaluated in the order received.


    Compensation

    • Grant-supported advance stipend for workshop development
             - $2,500 per workshop upon acceptance of course learning materials
    • Facilitator pay for Workshop delivery  
             - $3,000 to 8,000 per full-day based on percentage of capacity sold
    • Royalties of Workshop content subscriptions after the first year
             - 10% of subscription fees for workshop content license renewals

      Differentiator

      Traditional workshops focus on exposure to new techniques, tools, and instructional materials (i.e., train-the-trainer) by conveying information about a topic. While valuable information is provided, workshop attendees don't usually have sufficient time to develop a deep understanding and to practice application of new knowledge necessary to develop skills. Assessments are often omitted or are limited to a summative test without a detailed review of errors or omissions. Workshop attendee are on their own to address any failed understanding or misapplications after the workshop ends. Consequently, traditional workshop attendees frequently fail to retain knowledge of workshop concepts and techniques or are unable to transfer the new learning to workplace/academic scenarios.

      By contrast, the Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshops (CSDWs) are designed to develop mastery in skillfully applying techniques, tactics, tools, protocols, or procedures through competency-based instructional designs. These workshops focus on developing deep understanding through continual, formative assessment of knowledge development designed to identify and eradicate misunderstanding and misconception. Furthermore, CSDW participants practice applying the newly-gained knowledge under varying conditions or scenarios to facilitate transfer to the workplace/academic setting. Finally, CSDW attendees receive a year's subscription to a self-paced instructional system to continue their development after the workshop ends. Consequently, CSDWs assist in raising the capability maturity and readiness of students, faculty, practitioners, or policymakers to adopt and adapt the latest effective practices for performing cybersecurity functions and roles.

      CSDWs apply advances in:

      • Formative assessments, which are designed to detail the areas of strengths and weaknesses of the learner, as continually applied, and guide the next learning path
      • Adaptive learning systems, to ensure the achievement of mastery in understanding, applying, and adapting cybersecurity practices
      • Micro-credentialing, to recognize the level of capability maturity exhibited by the workshop participant as Proficient, Competent, or a Master of the new capability

      Workshop Formats
      Ranging from half-, one-, or two-day workshops focused on a single capability, to multi-week virtual offerings.

      CSDW Facilitator Deliverables:

      • Concept Matrix (glossary)
      • Open-sourced or developed instructional materials
      • Open-sourced or developed hands-on exercises (e.g., procedures to be executed)
      • Scenario-based exercises (e.g., the way in which you administer a system depends on the operating system)

      Proposed Workshop Domains

      Like a textbook, a traditional workshop is divided into some number of topics/domains, with domains addressing several defined concepts. In contrast, a CSDW is organized by the responsibilities to be competently performed in the workplace, which is decomposed into the tasks to be executed and the concepts and techniques required to skillfully perform a task.


      Proposals for Workshop domains might include, but are not limited to the following:

      • Analyze network traffic
      • Limit information system access to authorized users and processes
      • Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems
      • Monitor, control, and protect organizational communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems
      • Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available

      Example CSDW

      Hands-On Cryptography


      • October 21, 2022
      • 9:00 AM
      • September 01, 2025
      • 12:00 AM
      • Online
      • 5657
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      National Cybersecurity Student Association

      Are you a student or faculty member who is interested in volunteering for our advisory board? The time commitment is a minimum of 1-hr per month. If interested, complete the application to start the process and someone will reach out to you. 

      • January 01, 2023
      • September 30, 2025
      Register

      Student Chapter invoicing for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. If you have any questions, contact us. 

      You can use your credit card or mail a check to; 

      National CyberWatch Center
      Prince George Community College Foundation
      Center for Advanced Technology (CAT), Room 129C
      301 LARGO ROAD
      LARGO, MD 20774


      Gus Hinojosa Jr. 
      Director, National Cybersecurity Student Association
      ghinojosa@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • May 23, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99987
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      Download the Chapter Bylaws for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. 
      • May 23, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99977
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Memberships & Chapters Information
      • May 24, 2023
      • May 25, 2033
      • Online
      Register


      Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice & Research

      Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce Special Issue

      This special issue, published in April 2023, includes a collection of dialogues, which capture a discussion among stakeholders about dilemmas or previously insurmountable challenges related to diversifying the cybersecurity workforce, cybersecurity skill assessment, development, recruitment, or evaluation.

      CSJ Dialogues may be edited recordings of a focus group session, interviews with subject matter experts, or conversations between practitioners, scholars, or educators exploring the goals, success factors (objectives), and effective practices for successful mitigation or resolution of problems or taking full advantage of opportunities facing the cybersecurity community.

      Click the "Register" button (upper-left) to receive the link to download this  publication.

      • May 31, 2023
      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
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      2022 National CyberWatch Center's Annual Report

      This report highlights the tremendous impact that the CyberWatch Center has on increasing the readiness of workers, students, instructors, and researchers to meet the ever-growing threat to our nation’s security and prosperity. The CyberWatch Center’s many accomplishments would not be possible without the tremendous support and leadership provided by Dr. Corby Hovis, the ATE program director at the National Science Foundation, Dr. Falecia D. Williams, the president of Prince George’s Community College, our world-class program management team, and the hundreds of volunteers and dozens of alliance partners who guide and contribute their time, talent, and financial support of our programs.

      • June 14, 2023
      • February 12, 2025
      • online
      • 99960
      Register

      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Inquiry Checklist


      National Cybersecurity Student Association
      chapters@cyberstudents.org 

      • July 06, 2023
      • 2:00 PM
      • December 31, 2024
      • 11:00 PM
      • Online
      Register

      Membership Updates

      In efforts to maintain an updated membership database, please update your membership status by answering the questions and ticket type. 


      Gus Hinojosa Jr, 
      Director, National Cybersecurity Student Association. 
      info@cyberstudents,org 


      • August 01, 2023
      • September 30, 2030
      • Online
      Register

      Thank you for inquiring about the National Cybersecurity Student Association, student chapters. Please fill out the form and we will get back to you soon. Go to https://www.cyberstudents.org/student-chapter-information/ to learn more about our student chapters. 


      National Cybersecurity Student Association
      Chapter Development Team
      chapters@cyberstudents.org 

      • September 04, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99998
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Technology Use

      • September 05, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99997
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Networking Guide

      • September 06, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99996
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      • September 07, 2023
      • May 08, 2025
      • online
      • 99997
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Event Hosting Guide
      • September 08, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99994
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Meetings Guide

      • September 14, 2023
      • 12:00 PM
      • September 15, 2033
      • Online
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      State of and Trends in Cybersecurity Capability Maturity
      Call for Working Papers

      These preliminary research papers explore various aspects of the state of and trends in cybersecurity capability; that is, the level of progressive improvement to perform, or the readiness to perform, critical activities or functions.

      Want to disseminate progress made in grant-funded work, presentations of research findings at conferences, or other systematic investigations? If so, consider publishing working papers of your own.

      Click the Register button in the middle-left of this window to get started.

      • September 30, 2023
      • May 08, 2025
      • online
      • 99993
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Overview PowerPoint
      • December 13, 2023
      • September 30, 2025
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      SUBMIT A BLOG POST

      Student and chapter members. Interested in free marketing and branding? Submit your blog today and we will post it on our website, include it in our marketing email and and place it in the National CyberWatch bi-monthly newsletter, the Communicator. 

      The minimum word count is 500 words and the maximum word count is 1200. Please list all references cited to avoid plagiarism. If you have any further questions, please email info@cyberstudents.org.

      • December 30, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99999
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      • December 30, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99996
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Programs & Resource Links

      • January 01, 2024
      • December 29, 2025
      • Eastern Time
      Register

      CyberWatch Digital Press Call for Peer Reviewers!

      The Cybersecurity Skills Journal (CSJ) and the associated Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) are seeking members of the broader cybersecurity stakeholder community--including graduate students, educators, researchers, tech innovators, and practitioners from government and industry--to join our growing community of peer reviewers and mentors for proposers of conference sessions and journal manuscripts. Peer reviewers are essential to publishing research that integrates and expands the methods, processes, and evidence of effective practices for skillful performance of cybersecurity job functions and roles. 

      For the 2024-25 academic year, after completing at least two reviews, Peer Reviewers are eligible to apply for a travel stipend up to $650 to attend regional 3CS events and up to $2,100 to attend the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. All reviewers who complete at least one review are recognized as a Fellow of the Cyber Ready G-Force -- the generating force raising cybersecurity capabilities and career readiness. Cyber Ready G-Force Fellows are eligible for free registration to the 3CS events for which they reviewed submissions.

      The CSJ Overview Briefing describes the types of manuscripts published in the Cybersecurity Skills Journal and our iterative manuscript development process. The 3CS Overview is especially valuable for students, faculty, or professionals who do have substantial experience presenting at conferences or publishing articles.  

      We periodically conduct a one-hour workshop to help prospective peer reviewers understand our mission and the details of the iterative peer review process before making a commitment to become a peer reviewer. If you are interested in learning more or becoming a peer reviewer, please click the Register button. Your confirmation email will provide a link to a page where you can select the date to attend a Peer Reviewer Workshop.

      • January 01, 2024
      • 12:00 PM
      • January 28, 2025
      • 11:59 PM
      • Various locations
      Register


      The National CyberWatch Center is seeking 2023-24 Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia proposals. Please watch this page for additional announcements of the 3CS regions accepting proposals. You may submit a proposal for a region that is not listed below, and your proposal will be considered an early-bird submission that is eligible for stipends and registration discounts. Each 3CS begins with an invitation-only event for session organizers. The first 3CS session Proposal Development Workshop (PDW) for a 3CS event will be followed by the public event four to six months later.

      COMING SOON
      • Region 3: Mid-Atlantic (March 2025)
      • Region 1 & 2: Northeast (April 2025)
      • Region 4: Southeast (May 2025)
      • Region 7 & 8: Midwest
      • Region 10: Northwest

      Proposers of sessions for upcoming regional or national 3CS are encouraged to submit a brief abstract of their session idea. The lead author of an accepted session proposal will receive a $200 participation stipend and a travel stipend of up to $650 for regional 3CS events and up to  $2,100 for the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. 

      The session leader for accepted proposals will be invited to attend a 3CS Session Proposal Development Workshop. Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) sessions explore or document innovative ideas, evidence-based practices, and demonstration of techniques and technologies for raising the capability maturity of the cybersecurity workforce.  Please refer to the Call for Session Proposals for further details on the dates, times, and locations.

      Session leaders receive guidance from experienced session presenters and facilitators during a one-day 3CS Session Proposal Development Workshop. Workshop mentors receive a travel stipend up to $650 for regional events and up to $2,100 for the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. All workshop mentors are recognized as a Fellow of the Cyber Ready G-Force -- the generating force raising cybersecurity capabilities and career readiness.

      OBSERVERS WELCOME: Want to learn how to develop a successful conference, grant, or publication proposal?  If you do not have a session idea ready to present, you can attend the workshop as an observer for only $25.

      SESSION TYPES

      Dialogues (Focus Groups): A Dialogue is an exchange of ideas between experts and stakeholders, facilitated by the session moderator, highlighting different points of view, experiences, and expertise on a problem or area related to cybersecurity practices, including designing, developing, evaluating, learning, teaching, or performing cybersecurity roles and functions. The goal of a Dialogue is to discover common themes and ideas for a future systematic study that will provide evidence related to the opinions expressed by a contributor to the Dialogue. These proposals should discuss specific challenges and persistent problems related to cybersecurity education and issues of raising the capability maturity in the cybersecurity workforce. The proposal for a Dialogue session must include a list of questions the moderator will pose to the attendees.

      Evidence-Based Practices: Refers to methods or interventions that data shows to be effective or ineffective in achieving a specific outcome. The goal is to improve outcomes by using interventions that have been proven to be effective through rigorous research and avoid those that evidence suggests are ineffective, rather than relying on intuition or tradition. Example proposals could include:

      • How the project/program impacts individual competence development or organizational effectiveness.
      • Evidence that teaching or the cybersecurity practices included in a curriculum actually work.
      The Evidence-Based Practice Session proposal should list which of the following types of evidence will be presented:
      • Theory or Essay: Make claims and supporting statements without conducting a study
      • Expert opinion or (selective) qualitative literature review: A narrative listing/evaluation of information (opinion or publication) backing a claim.
      • Case study or uncontrolled observation: A narrative description of evidence to back a claim from a detailed study in one setting.
      • Case comparison or meta-synthesis (systematic review): A narrative synthesis of evidence from multiple settings that backs a claim.
      • Retrospective (cross-sectional) cohort study: One-time measure of others’ opinions using a survey or other observation to obtain correlations.
      • Prospective (longitudinal) cohort study: Repeated measure of others’ opinions using a survey or other observation to obtain correlations.
      • Quasi- or non-randomized experiment: Selectively sampled measure of predictive relationships in a natural setting using statistical controls to obtain direct and indirect effects from a model comparison.
      • Randomized controlled experimental study: Randomly sampled measure of predictive relationships in a controlled experimental setting to obtain difference scores.
      • Meta-analysis: A quantitative synthesis of evidence to produce corrected correlations (p) of predicted relationships.
      • Demonstrations: Technical demonstrations are events or activities where a product, technology, technique, or system is demonstrated to the Symposia attendees. These demonstrations are usually used to showcase the capabilities and features of the technology or technique, and to provide a hands-on experience for the audience.

      Demonstrations: Technical demonstrations are events or activities where a product, technology, technique, or system is demonstrated to the Symposia attendees. These demonstrations are usually used to showcase the capabilities and features of the technology or technique, and to provide a hands-on experience for the audience.

      Talent Fair Booth: Students or transitioning workers who wish to participate in the Talent Fair may submit a rough draft or outline of the materials they would like to present to employers in a Talent Fair booth. During a 3CS Talent Fair, job candidates are provided a trifold poster board where they display artifacts that demonstrate their job readiness. One of these artifacts is the results of the Raise the BAR assessment that the student will complete at the 3CS event. 

      Have questions? Contact us at info@nationalcyberwatch.org.

      • March 30, 2024
      • September 01, 2025
      • Online
      Register

      CYBER ARCADE INTEREST

      Student and chapter members. Do you like puzzles and games? Fill out this form to get notified when we host our Cyber Arcade games. If you have a student chapter, we can host a few games for your chapter members and/or go head to head with other student chapters. For more information, contact us at info@cyberstudents.org 

      • April 03, 2024
      • December 03, 2025
      • online
      • 99991
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Membership Flyer
      • April 03, 2024
      • December 03, 2025
      • online
      • 99990
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Flyer
      • June 04, 2024
      • February 03, 2026
      • online
      • 100000
      Register
      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association PGCC student flyer with student membership promo code. 
      • June 04, 2024
      • February 03, 2026
      • online
      • 99996
      Download the Southwest 3CS Symposium Fall 2024 Student Chapter Flyer. 
      • June 17, 2024
      • September 30, 2026
      • online
      • 99997
      Download the Southwest 3CS Symposium Fall 2024 Student Chapter Flyer for discounted registration. 
      • June 25, 2024
      • September 30, 2025
      Register

       Raise the BAR Mastery Badge Program: A Formative Credentialing of Cybersecurity Capability Maturity

      The BAR acronym stands for Behaviorally Anchored Rating. Much evidence shows that when BAR scales, based on the tasks that must be performed to excel in a career position, are used to evaluate capability maturity, the results are less biased and more accurate predictors of future job performance. The previous Raise the BAR assessments have been used by companies, such as IBM, to identify the most qualified candidates for open positions. This year’s program will also include the Core Concept Readiness Inventories which assess your stock of knowledge in four fundamental domains of information security:

      1) C-I-A Triad

      2) Controls, Threats & Attacks

      3) Cryptography

      4) Security Testing, Engineering, and Operations

      The Information Security Fundamentals Readiness Assessment will provide a proficiency profile and opportunity to earn badges in recognition for demonstration of conceptual understanding of the prerequisite knowledge for a career in information security and readiness to fully benefit from an information security fundamentals course. The Information Security Fundamentals Readiness Assessment is therefore ideal for a student who is in the beginning or middle of their educational program but can be of value to any student who wishes to demonstrate to prospective employers that they possess the knowledge required to apply information security concepts in information technology and networking job roles that are the feeders into cybersecurity specialist jobs. The complete Information Security Readiness Assessment takes about 30 minutes to complete.

      The Core Concept Readiness Inventories will provide a proficiency profile and opportunity to earn badges in recognition for demonstration of conceptual understanding of the core concepts of information security within the four domains listed above. These assessments are most appropriate for students who have completed a course in information security fundamentals. These concepts must be mastered to meet the requirements for jobs in Systems Engineering or an entry-level cybersecurity job as a Cybersecurity Technician or Specialist. Each of the four Core Concept Readiness Assessments will require about 15-30 minutes to fully complete.

      Question(s): Email us at info@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • June 26, 2024
      • 9:00 AM
      • June 11, 2025
      • 11:59 PM
      • Online
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      Call for Curriculum Standards Panel Members

      Are you interested in serving the cybersecurity education community? Consider becoming a subject-matter expert serving on a Curriculum Standards Panel (CSP). 

      Before registering, if you have not already done so previously, please obtain (and save for future use) your anonymized Participant ID and complete the qualifications surveys at:

      REGISTER HERE

      CSP History and Role

      In 2017, the Curriculum Standards Course Panel (CSCP) for Information Security Fundamentals was established. Funded initially by a grant from the National Security Agency (NSA), ISF CSCP applied psychometrically-valid, Competency-Based Mastery Learning (CBML) instructional design techniques to develop a domain taxonomy, assessment items, instructional content, and the sequencing plan for that content necessary to overcome constraints to developing mastery of the fundamentals of Information Security. The design models guide standardization of cybersecurity curricula.

      During the 2024-25 academic year, the CSCP will be working with a team developing a new accreditation model to assert success in student mastery in understanding and competent application of security concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures. Members of the CSCP will follow the innovative CBML curricula design method to develop, prototype, and disseminate adaptive, accelerated learning modules that can substantially improve cybersecurity workforce capability maturity. These learning modules can be mixed and matched based on learner readiness, institutional goals, and career requirements.

      The role of the Curriculum Standards Panels is to continually verify, validate, and enhance assessments, instructional materials, hands-on tutorials, and interactive challengesPanelists may contribute to one or more Topic Area Working Groups (TAWGs) based on their expertise in teaching, designing, or having relevant work experience in the focal topic area. Panelists may also apply to become a TAWG chair or vice-chair. Panel chairs and vice-chairs become members of the editorial board of the Open Educational Resource (OER) course materials library.

      Panel Member Commitment and Stipend

      Periodically, the Curriculum Standards Program receives support from federal agencies or corporate sponsors to develop instructional materials. These funds are used to provide stipends to panel members that have been regular contributors to the public resource library of evaluated instructional materials and can increase their time commitment to develop new instructional materials.

      The 2024-25 CSP members are expected to contribute three to four hours per month as expert reviewers and evaluators of existing instructional materials. The work of the panel will be divided into four phases, each phase lasting approximately two months. Therefore, each CSP member must agree to commit a minimum of 24 hours during the 2024-25 academic year. Thanks to our sponsors, each CSP member will receive a stipend of $2,000 divided into four $500 stipends issued upon completion of each development phase.

      All panelists who complete all four development phases will be listed in the Creative Commons License documentation for the coursePanelists participating in at least three-quarters of all panel activities will receive a certificate and registered achievement badge. The CSP badge may be applied towards Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements.

      Join the Panel

      To apply to become a member of the Curriculum Standards Panel (or confirm if previously completed) please click the link below, or any other registration button or link on this page.

      REGISTER HERE

      Please remember before registering, if you have not already done so previously, obtain (and save for future use) your anonymized Participant ID and complete the qualifications surveys at:

      • June 28, 2024
      • February 27, 2026
      • online
      • 99968
      Register
      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Membership Programs Flyer
      • July 12, 2024
      • September 11, 2031
      • Online
      Register

      Beginning in Fall 2024, National CyberWatch Center is launching a Premium Membership for faculty with institutional chapters. Premium members receive 50% off coupons for program fees and are eligible to receive travel stipends to CyberWatch events. Please complete the inquiry form to indicate your interest in applying for premium individual or chapter membership.

      One of our membership coordinators will be in touch soon!

      National CyberWatch Center
      Chapter Development Team
      chapters@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • July 29, 2024
      • July 28, 2025
      Register

      You will receive a Webcast link of the recording upon completing the form via email.

       

      3CS Symposia Overview – Registration, Proposals, Committees, and Voluteer Opportunities

      How Students Can Benefit and Get Involved

      Description:

      If you missed the webcast from July 29th, where we learned about the National CyberWatch Center’s 3CS Symposia across the nation, you can check it out by clicking the link below. 

      Question(s): Email us at info@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • July 29, 2024
      • September 29, 2025
      • Online
      Register
      After filling out the form, you will be contacted by our marketing department.

      Interested in Some Free Marketing & Branding? 

      We are looking to promote students in the National CyberWatch Center's Communicator, websites, emails, and our social media platforms. Do you have a story to share, academic work or just want to provide a shout out (text or video) on how the student association has helped you?

      "The Student Association has a ton of resources in their member portal to help me stay ahead of the curve."

            - Ysael Caban - Hillsborough Community College. A.S. Digital Forensics.                                 Tampa, FL. 

        
      • July 30, 2024
      • July 29, 2025
      Register

      Free & Available Only for: NCSA Premium Members, NCSA Participating Members*, CyberWatch Premium Members, CyberWatch Institutional Members, and CyberWatch Participating Members*

      You will receive a Webcast link of the recording upon completing the form via email.

       

      Game On: Developing Cybersecurity informed Science focused eSports for Elementary Education Ecosystems

      Recorded on: July 30, 2024

      Presented by: Terrance R. Campbell, MAEd, MSISM, A+, Net+, Sec+ CySA+

      Terrance is a published Health Informatics and Information Systems Security Practitioner-Scholar that has: (a) 40+ years of senior-level IT management experience across several business sectors and 5 countries; and (b) two master’s degrees (information systems management and adult & distance education). During this time, Terrance has also obtained 25+ years of classroom and administration experience assisting 3rd grade – graduate student ecosystems build the capacity to using serious games (board, card and digital games) as tools for IT and Cybersecurity career readiness. Currently, Terrance is an Asst. Computer Science and IT professor that is pursuing an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership focusing on Cybersecurity Co-Curricular Development. He also serves as a(n): (a) the Games, Simulations and Competitions Symposia Co-Chair and Researcher for the National CyberWatch Center; (b) the senior co-chair of the NIST/NICE Cybersecurity K – 12 Education Community of Interest – December 2024; (c) Science Olympiad Board Member for the states of IN and TN; and (d) member of the Education Law Association Community Engagement Committee Leadership Team.

      DescriptionThe NCSA hosted a webcast on July 30th about using the National Cyber League Lab Kit and Microsoft’s Excel eSport 2023 Competition as the framework, designing a new cybersecurity informed science-focused eSports competition that can be used as a co-curricular for 3rd – 5th graders.

      Question(s): Email us at info@nationalcyberwatch.org


      *Participating Members may opt-out of future notifications at any time by accessing their account to change their preferences.

      • August 18, 2024
      • September 30, 2025
      Register

      Thank you for your interesting in volunteering for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. Please fill out the form and somebody will get back to you. 

      • September 18, 2024
      • November 19, 2025
      • Online
      Register

      Teams from institutions conferring associate degrees are eligible to qualify for the national championship in May. Qualifiers receive travel stipends for a faculty coach and five team members to attend the championship. There is no limit on the number of teams from any school, college, or university. Anyone, regardless of age or institute, may participate as an observer to hone skills in cyber defense.


      Download the 2CDC flyer HERE. 

      Questions: 2cdc@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • September 18, 2024
      • May 20, 2026
      • online
      • 99993
      Register
      Download the 2CDC Flyer
      • September 18, 2024
      • September 30, 2026
      • Online
      Register

      Sign-up for Student Chapter Activities

      Do you have a National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter? Are you interested in participating in a 1-hr activity for your chapter? If so, please fill out the application and someone will get back to you. The activities are listed in the application. Note: These activities are only available for Unites States chapters only at this time. 

      National Cybersecurity Student Association
      info@cyberstudents.org 

      • October 01, 2024
      • December 31, 2024
      Register

      Call for Interns

      Are you interested in serving the cybersecurity education community? Do you desire to develop research skills? Consider applying for the National CyberWatch Center Research Internship program.

      What is this about?

      The Research and Assessments division of the National CyberWatch Center is seeking individuals interested in assisting with research projects to include, but not limited to:

      • Managing relationships with research participants 
      • Managing project plans and schedules 
      • Collecting and analyzing data 
      • Preparing draft reports 
      Depending on the level of your participation you may also be listed as a co-author on related publications or credentials produced from the research.

      What does NCC Research do?

      The National CyberWatch Center Research efforts focus on promoting, sponsoring, and conducting research on cybersecurity education and workforce development. Our studies are designed to:

      • Identify current evidence-based practices that raise capability maturity and improve the security posture of organizations 
      • Encourage the development of evidence-based cybersecurity education and workforce development strategies 
      • Document the results of sponsored research projects to inform cybersecurity education and practice effectiveness 
      • Act as a clearinghouse for non-National CyberWatch conducted and sponsored research 
      • Support the development of independent, objective, sustainable, and scalable models 

      What will I be working on? 

      You can express an interest in working on one of the ongoing research and development projects. As an intern, you will be assigned a Senior Researcher mentor who will work closely with you on each assigned project. The following projects are currently in need of interns:

      • Competency-based Instruction Design Pilots: Developing and testing the effectiveness of methods for designing competency-based mastery learning curriculum. 
      • Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshops: Working with the nation's leading practitioners and educators to produce short-duration (1-3 day) workshops that provide instructional content which adds digital assets to the CyberWatch Curriculum Standards instructional libraries. 
      • Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Working with the nation's leading practitioners and researchers to promote, rigorously review, and publish seminal publications that advance human capabilities to effectively perform cybersecurity practice and instruction. The CSJ conducts Paper Development Workshops (PDWs) and Peer Reviewer Workshops in addition to co-hosting the Virtual Brown Bag Lunch series. 
      • Curriculum Standards Panel Program: Engaging leaders from industry, government, and academia in cataloging, designing, and validating competency-based mastery learning instructional materials, including assessments, conceptual instruction. procedural guides, case exercises, lab exercises, and challenge scenarios. 
      • Master Tutor Program: Developing the technology support, procedural guides, and assessment models needed to provide a nationwide network of subject matter experts who can advise, consult, and instruct learners who have been unable to pass through a learning threshold that is constraining their raising of capability maturity. 
      • Raise the BAR Mastery Badge Program: Designing, administering, and managing a national formative credentialing program to assist with assessing workforce and learner readiness, personal development planning, capability maturity benchmarking, and unbiased personnel recruitment, selection, and promotion that increases the workers possessing cybersecurity capability. 
      • Capability Maturity Benchmarking System: Designing, developing, administering, and managing a national comparative database of capability maturity for educators, students, and practitioners that can assist in capacity evaluation, planning, and development. 

      What type of person are we seeking?

      • Motivated students who like to learn, design, build, document, and/or evaluate processes and practices. 
      • Proactive students who enjoy exploring and figuring out directions on their own and taking the initiative to define and expand planned tasks as needed to achieve the project vision and mission. 
      • Strong finishers and systematizers who constantly seek to find or improve the use of productivity tools to better manage projects and tasks. 
      • Students proficient in the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including having performed well in courses in Network Fundamentals, Linux Fundamentals, Windows Server Fundamentals, Scripting Fundamentals, and Information Security Fundamentals is not a requirement but is strongly recommended. 

      Can a graduate student apply?

      Yes, but your advisor should be supportive of the idea. With the approval of your advisor and the NCC Research Project Lead, the project you work on could be designed as a graduate thesis or dissertation.

      Why should I do this?

      • Because you’ll be working on really innovative and exciting research 
      • Because you’ll gain valuable experience as a key contributor in the design or deployment of projects with a national scope and impact 
      • Because you’ll learn research methods and gain a hands-on research experience 
      • Because you’ll have a chance to interact and network with leaders of industry, government, and academia 

      Okay, I’m sold. What are the conditions?

      • Internship Duration: Our research interns come from a wide variety of institutions worldwide with their own semester/quarter schedule. Consequently, start and end dates can be adjusted to meet your schedule. However, we only accept interns who can commit to at least 24 or more weeks with preference given to applications for an annual commitment. 
      • Preference will be given to students who are interested in extending the internship into the following year. Extension is not a requirement, however. At the end of the initial term, we'll discuss the possibility of extending the internship. The decision will depend on your progress, your fit with the research team, and your level of interest and commitment, among other things. 
      • Working hours are flexible but you should plan to spend 5-10 hours per week
      • This is an unpaid internship. Selected interns will be given first priority for inclusion in sponsored research projects that offer compensation to research team members. 

      How can I apply?

      Please apply by clicking the “Register” button on this web page. Your application should include the following:

      • Select the project(s) you want to work on from the list provided. 
      • Attach a Qualifications Statement about why it interests you and what you plan to contribute. If you selected more than one project, provide a statement for each. Each qualification statement should be approximately one-page in length. 
      • Link your resume, CV, or public LinkedIn page that includes your technical skillset and any research experience.
      • November 01, 2024
      • August 01, 2027
      Register

      Student Chapter invoicing for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. If you have any questions, contact us. 

      You can use your credit card or mail a check to; 

      National CyberWatch Center
      Prince George Community College Foundation
      Center for Advanced Technology (CAT), Room 129C
      301 LARGO ROAD
      LARGO, MD 20774


      Gus Hinojosa Jr. 
      Director, National Cybersecurity Student Association
      ghinojosa@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • November 01, 2024
      • 9:00 AM
      • September 30, 2025
      • 5:00 PM
      Register

      Get Introduced to Employers
      Get a Personal Coach
      Get the Skills you need to Succeed

      The National CyberWatch Center and Accenture have partnered to bring you the Cyber Ready Professionals Skills to Succeed Coaching Program. 

      Accenture's Skills to Succeed (S2S) Academy is a free online employability training program developed by Accenture. Created specifically to meet the needs of jobseekers, the Skills to Succeed Academy offers bitesize, interactive online training modules to prepare Learners for the entire journey of choosing the right career, finding a job and succeeding in the workplace.

      The training is interactive, features relatable characters and focuses on teaching people how to do things for themselves, building skills and confidence, and empowering them to take ownership for their career development and job search. Innovative simulations provide a safe environment where jobseekers can practice for real life situations, such as a job interview, instantly seeing the consequences of their decisions.

      The National CyberWatch Center certified ICF coach's, will guide you along your path to success. Watch this video HERE to learn more about the program. . S2S participating students will have the unique opportunity to experience having a personal coach, just like many corporate CEOs that you hear about in the news. Want something life-changing? This is it! 

      You MUST be a member of the National Cybersecurity Student Association and be planning to attend the Mid-Atlantic Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia Talent Fair on March 21, 2025. In order to be paired with a coach, you must currently reside in the United States. 

      Click HERE to receive program updates. 

      • December 31, 2024
      Register

      2024 Partnership, Sponsorship, and Collaborator Program


      The CyberWatch Center mission is to create and commercialize cutting-edge education, information, and training delivery programs, systems, and content that increase the readiness of students and professionals to learn, become certified, and masterly perform cybersecurity functions and roles to produce a more diverse pool of talent with skills needed to protect organizations and improve national security.

      We seek partners, sponsors, and collaborators that seek to close the Readiness Gap

      The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that just over 62% of students entering postsecondary education can complete their degree in six years. Excluding the most selective universities whose students complete their degree programs at much higher rates than all other institutions of higher learning, the national degree completion rate declines to below 50%. Community colleges fare much worse, with only 28% of students completing a degree within four years. In other words, between one-third and nearly three-quarters of entering students fail to be added to the prospective resource pool. Furthermore, some estimate that only about 20% of those sitting for a professional certification exam are eventually able to pass it. Thus, depending on whose statistics are used, only about 3-12% of entering postsecondary students can expect to be ready to fill cybersecurity jobs upon graduation. If the failure rates in the education system were evaluated using the industry quality metric of Six Sigma, the education process quality would be rated between a -0.38 and 0.33 sigma, likely the worst among major industries.

      Our Partnership, Sponsorship, and Collaborator Program enables organizations to join in this mission by supporting multiple or individual programs to close the readiness gap . 

      • December 31, 2024
      • 9:00 AM
      • Eastern Time
      Register


      Peer Reviewer Workshop

      Held Bi-Weekly (select your preferred dates)

      REGISTER TO ATTEND A PEER REVIEWER WORKSHOP 

      As a peer reviewer, you will be contributing to generating the future workforce of the nation's cybersecurity capabilities to improve the readiness of cyber professionals to meet the growing and diversifying threats. Accordingly, those who conduct at least two reviews become CyberWatch G-Force Fellows who are eligible to receive travel stipends to attend all 3CS conferences leading up to and including the National 3CS in May 2025. 

      Reviews for CyberWatch are not a single, one-time review of an author’s submission provided by a small group of critical reviewers. Instead, CyberWatch Review Panels include up to 10 peer reviewers, representing different stakeholder communities and areas of expertise, that evaluate a proposal with the objective of improving it to meet the requirements for leading a 3CS session or publishing a CSJ article. Thus, panel members provide collegial and constructive feedback as the author(s) iteratively develops a structured abstract and then the completed session proposal or draft manuscript.  

      This one-hour workshop will help prospective peer reviewers understand our mission and the details of the iterative peer review process before making a commitment to become CyberWatch Peer Reviewer. 

      If you are interested in learning more or becoming a peer reviewer, please sign up for a Peer Reviewer Workshop using the Register button to the left or clicking below.

      Please note that you must register by December 31st to become a reviewer for the 2024-25 academic year. You will receive an email listing the date and time that you requested. A reminder email with the calendar invite will be sent at the beginning of the week in which your selected workshop will be conducted.

      REGISTER TO ATTEND A PEER REVIEWER WORKSHOP

      • January 18, 2025
      • 4:00 PM
      • March 22, 2025
      • 5:30 PM
      • Largo, MD
      Register

      REGIONAL TEAM REGISTRATION PAYMENT 

      Welcome to the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC) Team Registration Site.  A detailed schedule of events will be issued in December.

      Virtual Qualifier: January 18, 2025

      Regional Finals: March 21-22, 2025

      Thank you for registering to participate in this year's competition. Once your team registration is paid through this payment processing page, all your team members, alternate team members, and coaches are automatically registered for and receive free general admission to the Mid-Atlantic Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (MA3CS) that occurs on the same dates as the regional finals.

      The free 3CS admission is provided regardless of whether your team qualifies for the MACCDC finals. The 3CS Games, Simulations, and Competitions Symposium will provide further opportunities for those not competing in MACCDC to test and demonstrate their capabilities in both individual challenges and a team competition.

      As an added bonus for being a regional finalist, all team members and alternate members are provided exclusive, early admission to the Job Fair and have the option for a free booth in the Talent Fair.  The Job Fair contains booths from regional and national employers that are looking for future employees. The Talent Fair is where students can have a booth to meet with employers interested in interviewing on-site. Students planning a Talent Fair booth are eligible to receive personalized career and booth preparation guidance from a professional coach certified by the International Coaching Federation.

      Please click the REGISTER button to process your team registration payment. If a team faculty coach is a Premium Academic Member, your team receives a $100 discount on the registration fee. The coach must be a CyberWatch Academic Premium Member ($125 annual fee) or has purchased a premium membership before team registration to be eligible for the $100 discount. No discounts are offered after team registration has been submitted.

      Payments may be made on this page with a credit card only.


      • April 11, 2025
      • April 12, 2025
      • Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA
      Register


      • October 30, 2025
      • 11:59 PM
      • Online
      Registration is closed


      Call for Participation in the

      Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) Committees 


      Includes the Community College Cyber Summit, Cyber-Ready Skills Arcade that include regional and national competitions


      Membership in 3CS Committees are renewed annually in October of each year

      Over its nine-year history, the Community College Cyber Summit (3CS) has grown nearly every year to become "the signal event for cybersecurity education," as stated by a program director at the National Science Foundation. In the past, we have had to turn away many prospective attendees because the venue capacity was limited. Consequently, to better serve our nation's needs, 3CS will be considerably expanded in 2023 and beyond.

      We are expanding the 3CS program to host regional events throughout the year that will lead up to the next annual conference in Orlando in 2024. Attendance at each regional event is expected to equal or exceed the average attendance at our former annual events (between 300-450 attendees). The national conference venues will now support a much larger attendance of over 1,500 attendees. Each 3CS, regional and national, will combine programs for all stakeholder groups in cybersecurity education under one roof: Secondary and post-secondary education, workforce development, and recruiting and career services.

      3CS is produced by the member institutions of the National CyberWatch Center. A compendium celebrating the first five years of the conference was published in 2018 and is available here if further information about the conference is desired prior to making your decision to participate.

      As a guiding principle, we believe that the leadership of 3CS as a critical national resource demands the involvement of a diverse set of stakeholder groups, including educators, students, administrators, employers, policy-makers, and vendors, especially those from underrepresented populations. We embrace inclusivity by encouraging contributions from any and every cybersecurity community member who wants to have a voice.

      Click the Register Button (upper left-hand side of this page) to Volunteer for a Committee

      3CS succeeds because "it takes a village" to build a conference community. The long history of deep collaboration among NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects, centers, host institutions, and the many faculty and student volunteers from across the nation will support extending the 3CS community across the education pathway, from K-12 awareness and interest in a cybersecurity career to successful career exploration and employment of college and university graduates. 

      We will be conducting information sessions with members who register for the 3CS committees to learn of their ideas and interest in becoming a member or leader. We look forward to receiving your registration of interest in joining us to make this and future year's conference the best yet. 

      3CS needs your insights and leadership

      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
      Register




      National CyberWatch Center’s Cybersecurity Curriculum Guide: A Complete Solution for Higher Education Institutions v3

      This guide, now in its third iteration, provides a complete curriculum solution for higher education institutions looking to create new cybersecurity programs and courses, and/or update existing ones.

      The Guide is the culmination of input from the National CyberWatch Curriculum Standards Panels, industry partners, labor market demand research, and over 20 years of content development experience.

      In addition to complete degrees and certificate templates, the technical courses have been mapped to effective instructional design practices, cyber range labs, the National Security Agency/Dept. of Homeland Security National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Knowledge Units (KUs), the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NIST Special Publication 800-181), and industry competency and capability maturity models.

      DOWNLOAD your copy today !!

      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
      Register


      Working Paper: Mitigating Machine Learning Risks within a Vulnerable SIEM to Prevent Biased SOC Decisions

      In this working paper, authors Landmesser and Vommi explore weaknesses in machine learning systems used by a SIEM that present a technical issue, which can also negatively influence decisions made by SOC personnel. Incorrect ML classifications from APT attacks result in incorrect security decisions based on SIEM output, causing an even more damaging impact on required incident response.

      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
      Register



      Working Paper: The Two-Sigma Solution: Why competency-based mastery learning is more effective in readying students to succeed in college and a career

      In the 21st century, good teachers are being asked to use the supercharged version of a curriculum-driven instructional model that treats [students] as if they were learning on an assembly line. Covering way too much content at an unreasonable rate, with rigid pacing guides that make it impossible to find time to shape instruction to meet the individual needs of students, the system is breaking down. In spite of teaching to the test, our children are not doing better on international comparisons or compared to previous decades.
      -- Bob Sornson (Over-tested and under-prepared, 2015)

      This guide explains why competency-based mastery learning (CBML) is more aligned with student and employer needs. We review how the four main CBML features noted above are disrupting institutions, deepening understanding, and accelerating the development of expertise.

      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
      Register



      Competence-Based Mastery Learning (CBML): A brief guide to what’s different about it and the effects on students and faculty

      Competency-Based Mastery Learning (CBML) is an evidence-based instructional design method that combines two techniques developed from research conducted by Benjamin Bloom. His research sought to overturn fundamental assumptions of the modern education system which originated in the early 20th century1. The Outcome-Based Education (OBE) model sought to select those worthy of advancement and career employment by conferring a learning outcome—a degree or certificate. OBE replaced an apprenticeship system of education that was not scalable. OBE was designed to make education available to the masses while ensuring efficient utilization of educational institution resources. Bloom believed that this instructional model was failing to meet the needs of most students and employers. The goal of education should not simply be graduation, but instead the development of proficient understanding as a foundation for developing competent performance in career-related learning objectives.

      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
      Register



      Hire Harford First: Designing and evaluating the effectiveness of adapting courses in an Information Assurance and Cybersecurity degree program to a Competency-Based Mastery Learning curriculum

      This Advanced Technological Education (ATE) project, entitled Hire Harford First, sought to “develop curriculum and educational materials that are based on ATE-funded CyberWatch Center's practices, and to disseminate curricula, course materials, and best practices to the ATE and broader educational community, including insights whether competency-based learning produces graduates who are better capable of making immediate positive contributions upon entering the workplace.” HHF was a three-year study in the design, development, and implementation of innovative curriculum designed to foster Competency-Based Mastery Learning (CBML). The results showed “the strong potential to…produce more graduates, since it will reduce attrition, encourage persistence, and attract more participants based on its reputation of success.” When fully-implemented, CBML instructional design and associated instructional methods that “flip the classroom” whereby faculty become success coaches rather than instructors for students produced proficiency improvement, on average, of 1.94 sigma. Additionally, this research revealed important constraints to fully achieving the benefits of CBML instructional designs.