Wake Forest University Cyber Bootcamp
Get the Skills You Need to Join the Fight Against Cybercrime
Gain the tools to qualify as a cybersecurity professional in one of the world's fastest-growing industries—all in 12-26 weeks.
Interested? Learn more:
Program at a Glance
12-26
Weeks
06/20
Apply By
06/26
Next Start Date
$2,000
Potential Scholarships
Why Learn Cybersecurity
As a cybersecurity professional, your primary objective is to defend digital assets–guarding an organization’s systems and sensitive information from online attacks. The cybersecurity field offers robust career and financial opportunities and plenty of available jobs.
With instances of cybercrime slated to grow and evolve, the need for adaptable, solution-focused professionals to fight it is higher than ever. If this sounds like you, consider a career in cybersecurity to maximize your earning potential, job satisfaction, and critical defense skills.
The Demand for Cyber Talent
As of late 2022, there were more than 700,000 cyber jobs available in the U.S., according to CyberSeek, with nearly 30,000 of them designated for entry-level professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analyst positions will grow 33% in the next 10 years.
Nationally, there are over half a million cyber jobs that employers are looking to fill. Businesses of all industries are actively seeking cybersecurity specialists, including local high-tech employers like Bank of America, Northrup, Allstate, and Citrix.
These companies are hiring for roles like Cyber Analyst, Network Security Analyst, and Security Tester. Graduates of the Wake Forest Cyber Bootcamp have the skills to qualify for these roles and more.
Bootcamp Application and Start Dates
Fullstack Academy is a top-ranked immersive school for technology career training. Fullstack Academy offers comprehensive live online training opportunities across the U.S. and prepares students with the in-demand skills they need to launch fulfilling tech careers.
Fullstack Academy brings its learning method, reputation, and community in facilitating the Wake Forest Cyber Bootcamp to make tech career training more accessible to individuals outside of traditional tech hubs.
How the Wake Forest University Cyber Bootcamp Works
The Wake Forest University Cyber Bootcamp is designed for students to pursue high-quality tech education while continuing to balance work or other commitments. Our program provides you with the flexibility to fit career development into your life.
Part-time and full-time bootcamp programs are available.
Bootcamp classes combine live online instruction taught by industry-experienced professionals with independent learning assignments.
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Select one class schedule and time from the options below when you apply.
Tuesday and Thursday Classes (With an Optional Lab on Wednesdays)
9:30am-12:30pm ET
6:30pm-9:30pm ET
Monday and Wednesday Classes (With an Optional Lab on Tuesdays)
8:30pm-11:30pm ET
Labs correspond with the start time of your regular classes. Participation in the weekly lab is optional, but strongly encouraged.
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All classes are held Monday-Friday.
10:30am-3:00pm ET
In addition to classroom lessons, part-time students can anticipate spending 6-8 hours studying and working on outside assignments each week. Full-time students can expect to spend 12-15 hours each week on outside assignments.
Class time options vary by month and are subject to change. To see available class times for your cohort of choice, complete your application or schedule a call with a student advisor.
Tuition
There are many ways to pay for your bootcamp experience including self-pay, employer-pay, local/state government assistance, scholarships and personal loans. Learn more about payment options.
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Wake Forest University Bootcamps is committed to making tech education more accessible, so we’re reducing the enrollment deposit to $99* (normally $1,000) for a limited time. Get started on your journey before the deposit increases!
Enrollment Deposit -$1,000$99*
Tuition During Program - $13,396
Total Tuition - $13,495***Offer eligibility: Upon admittance into the program, pay the non-refundable $99 deposit in full prior to the enrollment date.
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$1,000 Founder’s Scholarship
To celebrate the Cyber Bootcamp launch, the Founder’s Scholarship will be given to all students enrolled in the inaugural cohort in April 2023.
$500 Community Scholarship
For Wake Forest University alumni, current students, and employees.
$2,000 Military Scholarship**
For active-duty service members and military veterans (for the inaugural cohort only).
$1,000 Military Scholarship**
For active-duty service members and military veterans (for subsequent cohorts).
**Valid ID required.
Cybersecurity Roles and Salaries
In the field of cybersecurity, there are many career paths to follow based on your skills and experience. When you opt into comprehensive career coaching, you’ll receive the guidance you need to navigate the industry.
With cybersecurity professionals in high demand, the cybersecurity industry offers a multitude of career and financial opportunities after you enter the field. Companies across the nation are hiring for roles like IT Help Desk Specialist, Systems Support Specialist, and Cybersecurity Analyst.
| Role | Average Entry-Level Salary in North Carolina* |
|---|---|
| IT Help Desk Specialist/Computer Support Specialist | $42,407 |
| Network/Systems Support Specialist | $53,227 |
| System Administrator/Network Administrator | $58,323 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $67,679 |
| Network Engineer/Solutions Architect | $99,483 |
*North Carolina Cybersecurity Salary Data via Lightcast™ . 2022 | |
What You Will Learn
Students learn cybersecurity fundamentals and the in-demand skills to fight cybercrime including:
Asset and inventory management like networking basics, Linux command line, and bash scripting;
Red Team (Offense) for fighting web vulnerabilities, penetration testing, OWASP Top 10, and social engineering;
Blue Team (Defense) for log analysis, security information and event management, digital forensics, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and incident response;
And more!
To prepare students for real-life work scenarios and environments, students also take part in career simulations alongside their cybersecurity training. Additionally, students are taught resume writing, salary negotiation, and other career preparation skills throughout the program to equip them for their job search after graduation.
Timeline (Unit)
Unit
- Orientation
- The security mindset
- Confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) triad
- Threats, vulnerabilities, and risks
- Virtualization
Linux Command Line
File systems
Users and groups
Bash scripting
Networking
Wireshark
Encoding and encryption
Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model)
Firewalls
Variables, loops, and conditionals
String and list methods
Dictionaries
Regular expressions
Log parsing
Windows administration and management
Active directory
Group policy
Web vulnerabilities
Penetration testing
OWASP Top 10
Social engineering
Burp Suite
Cross-site Scripting
SQL injection
Metasploit
Logs/log analysis
Splunk and security information and event management (SIEMs)
Digital forensics
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Classes are hands-on with the majority of students’ time spent learning how to monitor and secure systems, networks, and applications as well as how to appropriately respond to cyber breaches. Along with the classroom sessions, students can attend a weekly lab where they can review key concepts, catch up on homework, and work alongside peers.
The Wake Forest Cyber Bootcamp can also help you prepare for industry-recognized certifications. With bootcamp preparation and additional studying, you’ll be equipped to take the exam for the:
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification: This certification helps organizations identify talent with critical knowledge related to implementing cloud initiatives and validates cloud fluency and foundational AWS knowledge.
The price of the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam is not included in the program tuition.
Career Support
The Wake Forest Cyber Bootcamp provides students with career guidance every step of the way, from resume assistance to preparing students for successful interviews. Our rigorous, hands-on education, combined with our career support, has helped graduates go on to jobs at top companies and beyond!
Fullstack Academy grads are highly sought after by some of the world’s leading companies.
Wake Forest University Tech Bootcamps are powered by Fullstack Academy. The companies listed above have hired Fullstack Academy graduates.
Who Should Attend
Both the full- and part-time programs are specifically designed for beginners. There’s no experience required to apply, be accepted, or succeed.
Successful bootcamp students have backgrounds in:
Teaching
Finance
Retail
Customer service
Graphic design
Admin
Biology
And more
If this sounds like you, apply today and join others just like you on the first steps to a life-changing career.
FAQs
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The cyber curriculum is broken down into these areas:
Cybersecurity Fundamentals (confidentiality, integrity, and availability Triad, virtualization, and how to identify threats, vulnerabilities, and risks)
Asset and Inventory Management (Computing and networking basics, Linux command line, and bash scripting)
Network Systems (Networking, Wireshark, encoding and encryption, Open Systems Interconnection/OSI model, and firewalls)
Programming with Python (Variables, loops and conditionals, string and list methods, dictionaries, regular expressions, and log parsing)
System Administration (Windows administration and management, active directory, and group policy)
Red Team - Offense (Web vulnerabilities, penetration testing, OWASP Top 10, social engineering, Burp Suite, Cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and Metasploit)
Blue Team - Defense (Logs/log analysis, Splunk, security information and event management, digital forensics, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and incident response).
Students also participate in career simulations throughout the program and interactive labs, as well as build the cybersecurity knowledge needed to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam.
For a syllabus on your program of interest, click here and fill out the form.
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Yes, the Wake Forest University Cyber Bootcamp is beginner-friendly. It’s specifically designed for professionals who have no previous experience in cybersecurity. While some background knowledge is helpful, the only expectation is that students have general computer literacy skills in basics like efficiently using the internet/cloud and Windows.
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Students can prepare to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam with training provided in bootcamp and additional studying. The price of the exam is not included in tuition.
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There's no preparation required to succeed in the course, but we recommend familiarizing yourself with the industry and working through Cybersecurity 101.
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Your time with our career success team will include everything from workshops to one-on-one office hours to phone chats before big interviews. Alumni will also have access to a job board and have the opportunity to be connected with companies and organizations in our Employer Partner Network who are actively seeking qualified candidates.
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You do need to provide your own computer for the bootcamp. It can be a laptop or desktop as long as it meets minimum tech specifications. We highly recommend Apple computers for our program, however, it is possible to use Windows with some modifications. You must have at least MacOS 10.15 or newer or Windows 10. Because the bootcamp is live-online, you are required to have a webcam and microphone in order to participate in class.
Learn more about the tech requirements for the cyber bootcamp on our Online Learning page.
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Many of our part-time students continue working full-time while completing their bootcamp. Each week, students can expect to spend 9 hours in class and another 6-8 hours of studying and assignments outside of class.
Full-time students should not continue working due to the immersive nature of our programs. By focusing solely on their training, they’re set up to thrive in our accelerated 12-week program.
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No, Wake Forest Tech Bootcamps are not for credit and cannot be applied toward a degree or certificate program. Rather, they’re offered through the Wake Forest School of Professional Studies and facilitated by Fullstack Academy instructors and staff to provide in-demand tech skills training for current or prospective tech professionals.
Ready to Start Learning?
Apply to study at the Wake Forest University Cyber Bootcamp.
- Fill out our online application form
- Take our nontechnical assessment
- No cyber experience required
- Covers logical reasoning
- Sent to you immediately upon submission of application
- Receive an entrance decision
