For the second year in a row, WGU Missouri and its parent university Western Governors University have been recognized by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) as the Academia Partner of the Year. The award is presented annually by the EC-Council to one of its more than 1,000 academic partners and is the highest designation bestowed by the organization.
WGU was recognized for its commitment to educating and making a difference in the cybersecurity workforce. This was based on successful post-class evaluation reports, student engagement and interaction and the university’s successful ratio of students that moved on to successfully pass EC-Council certifications and continuous program development. WGU Missouri students can earn EC-Council certifications, in addition to a degree, through the competency-based university’s M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance and B.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance.
“WGU has continued to make strides toward excellence in Cybersecurity education across the most widely recognized areas in today’s workforce, including ethical hacking, digital forensics, incident response, encryption and more,” said Wesley Alvarez, Director of Academics for the U.S. division at EC-Council. “Their hands-on approach develops seasoned, ready-to-work professionals creating a long-lasting impact for their graduates and organizations across the U.S.”
EC-Council’s Academia Awards recognize institutions that impact others through their commitment to educating and making a difference in the cybersecurity workforce. EC-Council Academia Award recipients are first selected based on a specific award qualification category and criteria. EC-Council’s Executive Committee reviews each nominee’s impact, assessing their faculty, student experiences, industry exposure and more, prior to voting on an award recipient.
“WGU Missouri continues to be committed to serving students by developing and providing relevant cybersecurity and information assurance degrees that are credible to both academic institutions and employers in our state, “said WGU Missouri Chancellor Dr. Angie Besendorfer. “The overwhelmingly positive student feedback that these programs receive are proof that WGU’s College of IT programs are setting an example for the industry. We are honored to be recognized for the second year in a row by the EC-Council for our efforts.”
WGU Missouri’s College of IT, which currently has 434 students enrolled across the state, is a member of the Microsoft IT Academy, the National Cybersecurity Watch, and STEMconnector. WGU Missouri’s competency-based approach to education allows students to study and learn on their schedules and advance as soon as they have mastered course materials. Students have 24/7 access to their course materials, and faculty members provide one-on-one support. Terms are six months long, and students are charged a low, flat-rate tuition per term, regardless of the number of courses completed.
About EC-Council
EC-Council is the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body, operating in 145 countries and providing the training and certification for more than 200,000 information security professionals across the globe. EC-Council is the owner and developer of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (C|HFI), Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), and License Penetration Testing (Practical) programs, among others.
About WGU Missouri
WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members provide one-on-one guidance, support, and instruction.
Established through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,000 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*).
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For more information, contact:
Pamela Powell
(314) 436-9090
pam@hausergrouppr.com