SALT LAKE CITY — For the second year in a row, Western Governors University (WGU) received the Academia Partner of the Year award from the International Council of E-commerce Consultants (EC-Council). WGU was recognized for its commitment to educating and making a difference for cybersecurity professionals, successful evaluation reports post-class, and cybersecurity student engagement and interaction. In addition, EC-Council cited the university’s successful ratio of online students that moved on to successfully pass EC-Council cybersecurity certifications and continuous program development.

"WGU has continued to make strides toward excellence in 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 cybersecurity 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 industry. 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, cybersecurity industry exposure, and more, prior to voting on an award recipient.

"As indicated by this recognition received for the second year in a row, WGU continues to be committed to serving students by developing and providing relevant information assurance and cybersecurity degrees that are credible to both academic institutions and employers," said Carlo Sapijaszko, WGU's IT Curriculum Program Manager. "The overwhelmingly positive student feedback that these programs receive prove that they are setting an example for the industry."

WGU’s College of IT, which currently has more than 14,000 students enrolled in all 50 states, is a member of the Microsoft IT Academy, the National Cybersecurity Watch, and STEMconnector. WGU’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

Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 106,000 students nationwide and has more than 121,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 21 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.