LearnKey Blog

Unlocking Your Future: ACE College Credits and Certification Programs

In today’s fast-paced world, education is more than just a means to an end; it’s a pathway to success and personal growth. At LearnKey, we take this very seriously. As the landscape of education evolves, innovative solutions emerge to bridge the gap between real-world skills and academic achievement. ACE College Credits, a pioneering initiative, is transforming the way students approach higher education by offering a unique opportunity to gain college credits through certification programs. Let’s explore how this program can pave the way for students to accelerate their educational journey and open doors to exciting new possibilities.

The Power of Certification Programs:
Certification programs have gained immense popularity in recent years due to their practical approach to skill development. These programs, often endorsed by industry leaders, provide students with specialized expertise that can be directly applied in the workforce. From IT certifications to healthcare credentials, these programs offer a convenient and focused way to enhance one’s skill set. But what if these certifications could also contribute to your college education?

Enter ACE College Credits:
This innovative program partners with various certification providers, such as our partner Certiport, to evaluate and recommend college credit for completed certifications. Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that the hard work you put into acquiring a valuable certification not only boosts your employability but also contributes to your college journey.

Benefits:
1. **Accelerated Degree Completion**: One of the primary advantages of ACE College Credits is its potential to expedite your degree completion. By earning college credits through certification programs, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to earn a degree, saving both time and money.

2. **Enhanced Employability**: Combining academic knowledge with practical skills gained from certifications makes you a well-rounded and attractive candidate in the job market. Employers value candidates who possess both theoretical understanding and hands-on experience.

3. **Flexibility and Customization**: ACE College Credits provide flexibility, allowing you to tailor your educational journey to align with your interests and career goals. You can choose certifications that resonate with your aspirations, creating a unique blend of expertise.

4. **Transferrable Credits**: Many colleges and universities recognize the value of certifications and accept ACE-recommended credits, allowing you to seamlessly transfer your hard-earned credentials.

5. **Cost-Efficiency**: College education can be expensive, but by utilizing this program, you can potentially reduce the overall cost of your degree. With every earned credit, you inch closer to your degree without additional tuition expenses.

In a world where adaptability and skills are prized, ACE College Credits offer a bridge between the dynamic demands of the job market and the structured realm of academia. By recognizing the value of certification programs, students take charge of their education and pave the way for a brighter future. Whether you’re a recent high school graduate, a working professional, or someone seeking a career change, ACE College Credits can be your key to unlocking a world of opportunities. Embrace this innovative approach, earn credits for your certifications, and embark on a journey that’s uniquely tailored to your aspirations. Your dreams are within reach – take the first step today.

Note: The process for transferring ACE Credits to a college or university differs for each institution; the first step in the process is to get a copy of your transcript.

The next step is to find the college’s transfer credit policies and procedures. Check the college’s catalog or website for “academic policies and procedures” or “transfer credit.” Once you know the correct policies and procedures, complete the process. If you are unable to locate the policies, give the school a call.

LearnKey neither guarantees nor implies that other institutions will accept credit hours or previous training earned at the school. A student who anticipates transferring to another institution should first contact the other institution to determine whether their credit hours or previous training will transfer. Policies governing the transferability of credits vary greatly from school to school.

Understanding DoD 8140/8750 Certification Levels, Part 3

For this part of the series, we will be exploring Level III for the Baseline Certification Category Roles within the DoD 8140/8570. In the previous two parts of the series, we discussed the entry level and mid-level Baseline Certifications that would help an individual qualify for an Information Assurance Role.

There are three Level III categories, those being:

  • Information Assurance Technical/Technician (IAT) – Level III
  • Information Assurance Management (IAM) – Level III
  • Information Assurance Architecture and Engineering (IASAE) – Level III

Level III categories will be working within the Enclave Environment. Level III’s have mastered Level I’s Computing Environment and Level II’s Network Environment.

These Levels are not entry level, these roles are for those that have been in the Information Assurance workforce and have applicable experience to the next Level. To read more on the requirements for Level III, please refer to this link.

Starting with the Information Assurance Technical/Technicians, to qualify for a role as a Level III IAT, LearnKey provides the certifications that will meet the Baseline Requirements:

Next, the Information Assurance Manager Level III has the following Baseline Certifications that LearnKey provides to help you gain the knowledge and certifications:

The last of the Level III’s that we are going to touch on are the Information Assurance System Architecture and Engineering, which this is the only category that LearnKey does not currently have a certification pathway to meet the minimum Baseline Requirements.

The levels are meant to be consecutive, which means mastery of the prior level. However, depending on your experience in Information Assurance and the different environments, you could potentially qualify for a higher level without achieving the level prior. If you are starting out, please be aware as some certifications have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed in the Baseline Certification Road Map, which will alter how you navigate your certifications.

Understanding DoD 8140/8750 Certification Levels, Part 2

For this part of the series, we will be exploring up-skilling into Level II for the Baseline Certification Category Roles within the DoD 8140/8570. In the first part of the series, we discussed the entry level Baseline Certifications that would help an individual qualify for an Information Assurance Role.

There are three Level II categories, those being:

  • Information Assurance Technical/Technician (IAT) – Level II
  • Information Assurance Management (IAM) – Level II
  • Information Assurance Architecture and Engineering (IASAE) – Level II

Level II categories will be working within the Network Environment (NE), focusing on managing network equipment and supporting architecture. Level II’s have mastered Level I’s Computing Environment.

These Levels are not entry level, these roles are for those that have been in the Information Assurance workforce and have applicable experience to the next Level. To read more on the requirements for Level II, please refer to this link.

Starting with the Information Assurance Technical/Technicians, to qualify for a role as a Level II IAT, LearnKey provides the certifications that will meet the Baseline Requirements:

Next, the Information Assurance Manager Level II has the following Baseline Certifications that LearnKey provides to help you gain the knowledge and certifications:

The last of the Level II’s that we are going to touch on are the Information Assurance System Architecture and Engineering, which to help you meet the Baseline Requirements, LearnKey offers the following certification:

The levels are meant to be consecutive, which means mastery of the prior level. However, depending on your experience in Information Assurance and the different environments, you could potentially qualify for a higher level without achieving the level prior. If you are starting out, please be aware as some certifications have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed in the Baseline Certification Road Map, which will alter how you navigate your certifications.

Understanding DoD 8140/8750 Certification Levels, Part 1

Welcome to the first part of the DOD 8140/8570 series. The purpose of this series is to provide information for individuals to help them understand the certifications and how to skill-up.

For this part, we are going to be discussing the Entry Level categories within the Approved Baseline Certifications list. A quick background on the DoD 8140/8570; these are used as guidelines that highlight the requirements and expectations such as training, certifications, and the management of those who perform DoD Information Assurance functions. The Baseline Certification List is broken down by Category or Specialty and Levels. These certifications align with specific Information Assurance (Cybersecurity) Roles.

There are three Entry Level categories, those being:

  • Information Assurance Technical/Technician (IAT) – Level I
  • Information Assurance Management (IAM) – Level I
  • Information Assurance Architecture and Engineering (IASAE) – Level I

These three categories have minimum requirements allowing for individuals or companies to get their compliance started with the 8570 Baseline Certifications. There are three levels to each of these, starting with Level one which is primarily in the computing environment (CE), or in simpler terms, system/PC assets.

If you are hands on, and enjoy working within the environment, maintaining, and fixing compliance issues, the Technician category would be a great fit for you. We offer the following certifications that align with the 8570 IAT Level I category:

Potential job roles could be Junior Software Engineer, Cyber security Analyst, Network Engineer, System Administrator.

If managing people is in your skill set, or you’ve wanted to explore it, the Management category would be a great fit for you. We offer the following certifications that align with the 8570 IAM Level I category:

Potential job roles could be Cybersecurity Analyst, Information Assurance Manager, Information Security Specialist.

Last, if you enjoy designing and setting up secure information architecture systems, the Architecture and Engineering category is a great fit for you. We offer the following certification that aligns with the 8570 IASAE Level I Category:

Potential job roles could be IT Systems Engineer, Network or Systems Engineer, Data Architect.

Depending on your area of interest, LearnKey has you covered to help you become compliant for an Information Assurance role. To review more information regarding the Baseline Certification List, please refer to the link here. You can also use this resource to familiarize yourself with the additional requirements outside of the baseline certification.

In the next part of the series, we will be discussing up-skilling to Level II and III.