Cybersecurity Work Role Pathways
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About the program
The Digital Transformation Center presents the Cybersecurity Work Role Pathways, a career-focused program built around real-world cybersecurity job roles.
Designed to support participants on their path to employment, this virtual and asynchronous initiative combines self-paced learning through Cybersecurity Workforce modules, preparation for at least one industry-recognized IT Certification (CompTIA), and dedicated placement coaching. Each pathway aligns with the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF), allowing participants to choose a desired work role and follow a targeted roadmap to gain the skills, credentials, and career support needed to secure a job in the field.
Scholarships available
Work Role Pathways are priced at $1,500, and eligible applicants may receive scholarships covering up to 80% of the cost. Each pathway includes role-focused cybersecurity training, preparation for one CompTIA certification, and personalized placement services designed to help you advance your career. Scholarships are awarded through a competitive application process and are intended for one work role pathway per participant, ensuring focused preparation for a specific career outcome.
How it works
Participants begin by choosing a cybersecurity work role they want to pursue. Work roles are aligned with the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF).
If you’re still exploring your options, scroll down to find a tool that can help you identify the cybersecurity work role that best fits you.
Participants complete online, self-paced learning modules to build the technical skills needed for the selected work role.
Each pathway includes access to at least one IT certification opportunity (such as CompTIA Security+, AI Essentials, Network+, etc). Certifications are optional, but strongly recommended to strengthen job readiness.
Participants receive placement coaching and career support to pursue job opportunities as closely aligned as possible to their selected work role and pathway.
Start now!
Curious which Cybersecurity role fits you best?
ExploreCyber helps you discover cybersecurity careers that align with how you prefer to think, learn, and work. This external career guidance tool (not affiliated with DTC or UofL) is designed to support current and prospective cybersecurity participants in exploring work roles and pathways that match their strengths, interests, and long-term career goals.
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Visit the ExploreCyber site
Go to ExploreCyber about2
Take the free personality assessment
Go to ExploreCyber about3
Use your results to explore career options mapped to frameworks like:
- The NICE Framework, which organizes cybersecurity work into 5 Categories and 41 Work Roles tied to key Tasks and KSAs
- The DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF), which defines 74 work roles across 7 Elements supporting career development in defense, government, and industry
Work-role based pathways
7 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles & Foundations
- Network Foundations
- Information Security
- Network Security
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Risk Analysis
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
CompTIA Security+
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
8 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles & Foundations
- Network Foundations
- Information Security
- Network Security
- Cloud Foundations
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Risk Analysis
CompTIA Network+
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
8 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles & Foundations
- Network Foundations
- Information Security
- Network Security
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Digital Forensics
- Risk Analysis
CompTIA Security+
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
10 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles & Foundations
- Network Foundations
- Database Management
- Information Security
- Network Security
- Cloud Foundations
- Database Security
- Cloud Security
- Risk Analysis
CompTIA Security+
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
5 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cognitive Computing
- Risk Analysis
- LLM Security (New)
CompTIA AI Essentials
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
5 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles
- Network Foundations
- Risk Analysis
- AI Privacy Compliance (New)
One CompTIA Certification TBD (AI Essentials or AI Security+)
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
7 modules
- IT Basics
- Security Principles
- Network Foundations
- Information Security
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Risk Analysis
- ITIL (New)
CompTIA A+
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
9 modules
- Privacy Legal Foundations and Ethics
- Security Principles
- Coding
- Network Foundations
- Database Management
- Cloud Foundations
- Data Mining
- Risk Analysis
- Data (New)
One CompTIA Certification
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
8 modules
- Security Principles
- Coding
- Network Foundations
- Network Security
- Cloud Foundations
- Cloud Security
- Risk Analysis
- Advanced Cloud (New)
CompTIA Cloud+
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $1,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
23 modules
- IT Basics
- Privacy Legal Ethic
- Security Principles
- Coding
- Network Foundations
- Database Management
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cryptography
- Blockchain
- Information Security
- Network Security
- Cloud Foundations
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Digital Forensics
- Data Mining
- Cognitive Computing
- Database Security
- Cloud Security
- Risk Analysis
- Internet of Things
- Robotic Process Automation Analysis
- Post Quantum Cryptography
- Capstone
- AI/ML (New)
One CompTIA Certification TBD
Micro-Credentials from tech vendors (Microsoft, IBM, Google..)
Placement support
Cost of the program: $3,500
Scholarship (not refundable): 80%
Ready to start?
Built on the success of the Cybersecurity Workforce Program
students enrolled
modules completed
industry micro-credentials earned