SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Springboard, an online learning platform that helps prepare students for in-demand careers through mentor-guided courses and programs, has joined University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), the nation’s largest online public university, in an alliance through which UMGC students can take Springboard courses in software engineering, cyber security and data analytics, with an additional three career tracks forthcoming.
Students who complete Springboard’s six-month, non-credit courses can also receive credit toward a bachelor’s degree at UMGC.
“Springboard’s programs are highly-responsive to the changing needs of today’s labor market and bring accessible, affordable and flexible education to the masses,” said Gautam Tambay, Springboard co-founder and CEO. “UMGC has been leading the charge in innovating online education, and by bringing our human-guided approach to one of the most prestigious online universities in the country, we are confident that we can help offer new pathways to success for UMGC’s students.”
The partnership is Springboard’s largest to date and is designed to prepare students for high-tech fields in which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 13 percent growth in the current decade alone—faster than any other occupation.
“This alliance not only offers a nontraditional pathway to career success but also a credential that is relevant and closely tied to ensuring employment,” said Dr. Greg Fowler, president of UMGC. “While we are always supportive of learners who pursue degrees, this partnership is another way for us to support learners who will transform their lives with different experiences, as well as demonstrate our willingness to partner with businesses to ensure workforce readiness.”
Springboard’s curriculum is developed by industry experts, and students have access to hands-on support from industry professionals and guidance from career coaches on building a network and landing a job. UMGC students who enroll in the courses will gain real-world experience and develop unique portfolios of work.
- Software Engineering covers key aspects of front-end web development, back-end web development, databases, and data structures and algorithms throughout the software engineering curriculum and includes two capstone projects.
- Cyber Security students will participate in a 360-hour bootcamp that covers industry fundamentals, systems and network security, vulnerability assessment, and security operations, followed by a capstone project designed to showcase specialized skills to potential employers.
- Students in Data Analytics will go beyond technical skills in the bootcamp to focus on areas where employers find the biggest gaps—strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication.
Springboard students in similar programs have received job offers from companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Dell, IBM, Salesforce and more than 50 percent of the Fortune 100. The programs will be open to the public, and prospective students will not need previous industry or academic experience to enroll. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion.
Enrollment for the Software Engineering, Cyber Security and Data Analytics career tracks open today, and classes will begin on June 13, 2022.
About Springboard
Founded by Parul Gupta and Gautam Tambay in 2013, Springboard is on a mission to transform one million lives through education by 2030. Springboard believes that each student is unique and needs a learning experience designed to fit their life’s pace, supported by advisors and mentors. More than 20,000 students across 100+ countries have used Springboard to advance their careers through the platform’s comprehensive, mentor-led online learning programs. Graduates have landed jobs with employers like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Reddit, Facebook, and Boeing. Springboard has also trained corporate teams at Visa, Gusto, and The North Face. Springboard was recently named one of the 2022 GSV EdTech 150 — a list of the world’s most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Springboard is a 2020 Inc. 5000 company based in San Francisco, recently named a Top Workplace for Women by Elpha, and is backed by leading venture capital firms including Telstra Ventures, Vulcan Capital, SJF Ventures, Reach Capital, Pearson Ventures, International Finance Corp., Costanoa Ventures, Learn Capital, and Blue Fog Capital.
About University of Maryland Global Campus
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) was established in 1947 to serve adults in the workforce. Today, UMGC enrolls some 90,000 students annually, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificates in more than 90 fully online and hybrid programs and specializations.
UMGC has a long history of innovation in reaching students where they are, including as a pioneer of internet instruction, piloting its first online classes in 1994. The university has received numerous awards for its groundbreaking work in developing fully online degree programs, including in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, business, data analytics, health care and education.
In addition to education centers in Maryland and across the metropolitan Washington, DC, area, UMGC offers in-person classes or services to military personnel and their families at 175-plus locations in more than 20 countries. More than half of the university’s student body are active-duty military personnel, reservists, members of the National Guard, veterans, and dependents.
