cecil-college-magazine-spring-2025 - Flipbook - Page 12
the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam
and to practice safely and professionally in
healthcare settings. The program blends
classroom instruction with hands-on
experience through clinical externships.
With this ongoing accreditation, students
can be confident that they will graduate
with the skills necessary to excel in a
growing healthcare field.
The College’s Physical Therapist Assistant
(PTA) program achieved a milestone in
2024, receiving a ten-year re-accreditation
from the Commission on Accreditation in
Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This
accomplishment is even more impressive
given that the program had no citations
or requests for additional information—
something relatively rare for new programs.
Launched in 2015, the PTA program
quickly gained national attention, with
100 percent of its graduates passing the
National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for
five consecutive years. This achievement
exceeds national and local averages and
highlights the strength of the program’s
curriculum, faculty, clinical partnerships,
and dedicated students. Notably, the
CAPTE accreditation report emphasized the
collaboration between the PTA program
and other healthcare programs at the
College, which enhances students’ exposure
to diverse aspects of healthcare. With this
10-year accreditation, the PTA program is
poised to continue its legacy of excellence,
with a focus on producing highly skilled
graduates ready to make a significant
impact in the field.
COMING: APRIL 2025! CYBER RANGE AT CECIL COLLEGE
Governor Wes Moore has announced a significant investment in Maryland’s cybersecurity
workforce, allocating $1.8 million to create cyber ranges at 16 community colleges across
the state. The Maryland Association of Community Colleges is also playing a key role in
supporting this initiative through the creation of the Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA).
The CWA will oversee the coordination of these cyber ranges, ensuring they align with the
state’s broader goals of developing a skilled and diverse cybersecurity workforce.
Our new Range will feature the BCR Cyber Series 3000 training system, which simulates
cyber-attacks and introduces students to critical cybersecurity concepts and operations.
This system will provide students with the opportunity to engage in realistic, interactive
training that mirrors the challenges they may face in real-world cybersecurity
environments.
This investment represents a significant step toward strengthening Maryland’s
cybersecurity infrastructure while providing valuable career opportunities for the next
generation of professionals in the field.
CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity is vital to the protection of
sensitive data. Cecil College is proud to note
that its Cybersecurity degree program has
been re-designated as a Center of Academic
Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by
the National Security Agency (NSA) and the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a
distinction it first earned in 2019.
This recognition underscores the program’s
commitment to providing rigorous and
relevant education in this competitive field.
The CAE-CD designation is awarded to
10 | CECIL COLLEGE MAGAZINE
programs that meet the high academic and
institutional standards set by the NSA and
DHS and is effective through October 2029.
As cybersecurity threats continue
to escalate, the demand for skilled
professionals in the field is vital. The
College’s CAE-CD designation ensures
that students are learning from top-tier
faculty in a program that meets national
standards and provides access to enhanced
career opportunities. Students can engage
in national cybersecurity competitions,
internships, and collaborative research
projects, all of which significantly improve
their job prospects upon graduation.
Each of these programs demonstrates
Cecil College’s unwavering commitment
to providing high-quality education that
prepares students for the demands of
today’s competitive job markets.
