Cloud
George Mason Partners with AWS for Cloud Computing Degree
The new degree program will enable students from Northern Virginia Community College to extend their learning opportunities beyond an associate degree to a bachelor's degree at George Mason University.
George Mason University and Northern Community College (NOVA) are partnering with Amazon Web Services to offer students a pathway to earning a bachelor's of applied science degree in cloud computing. Students will first be able to earn an associate degree in cloud computing at NOVA and take degree-specific coursework at George Mason to complete a bachelor's degree.
The associate degree at NOVA was launched last year and George Mason students will be able to enter the bachelor's degree program in fall 2020. Through the ADVANCE program, students are able to earn an associate degree at NOVA and transfer to George Mason to get a bachelor's degree within a four-year period.
The new degree program will be mapped to in-demand skills required by AWS and other employers who leverage cloud-based services. NOVA and George Mason faculty worked with AWS Educate curriculum designers to create the program, which will give students technical skills to pursue careers in cloud architecture, cybersecurity, software development and DevOps.
"We are proud to be part of a collaboration that is working to expand Virginia's tech talent pipeline," said Ángel Cabrera, president of George Mason University. "This degree pathway marks the beginning of a ground-breaking initiative that will deliver innovative educational opportunities to students across the commonwealth. The collaboration with AWS helps give our students, and our region, a competitive edge."
With Amazon building its second corporate headquarters in Northern Virginia, the company expects to bring 25,000 jobs to the region by 2030.
"Both George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College have been global pioneers in developing cloud curricula for students. We are delighted to be working with these innovative institutions to turn the growing demand for cloud skills into pathways in technology for students from all backgrounds," said Teresa Carlson, vice president for worldwide public sector at AWS.
About the Author
Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.
Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.
Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.
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