{"id":4778,"date":"2016-07-21T11:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T16:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=4778"},"modified":"2016-07-21T09:26:48","modified_gmt":"2016-07-21T14:26:48","slug":"bachelors-in-information-technology-student-pursues-degree-and-certifications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/bachelors-in-information-technology-student-pursues-degree-and-certifications\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Pursues Degree and Certifications with Capella\u2019s Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cody Dostal grew up in a wired world and decided after high school to get a bachelor\u2019s degree online. But the first program he enrolled in didn\u2019t match his expectations. \u201cI wanted a curriculum that would challenge me more,\u201d Dostal says.<\/p>\n

\"Cody
Cody Dostal, Bachelor’s in Information Assurance and Security student<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Good Fit for Information Security Education<\/h4>\n

In 2015, he transferred to Capella University. His interest in software development drew him to Capella\u2019s IT offerings, but he ultimately decided to focus on information assurance and security. The fact that the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had named Capella a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance\/Cyber Defense seemed like a good sign, and that Capella’s BS in IT program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (http:\/\/www.abet.org<\/a>), seemed like further proof that its programs were respected in the professional world.<\/p>\n

The first few courses Dostal took confirmed his belief that Capella offered a more rigorous curriculum. \u201cThe faculty expected more,\u201d he says. \u201cThey seemed to care more.\u201d He also learned a lot through team projects, working with other members in his classes.<\/p>\n

The proof that his education was paying off came last fall when Dostal was awarded a civilian internship with the U.S. Army. One of a handful of individuals chosen from 200 applicants, he began working full time in October as a student trainee in information technology management. Based in Maryland, he assists upper-level technicians with security issues.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Dual Path of Coursework and Certifications<\/h4>\n

Many employers, including the Department of Defense, require industry certifications for advanced positions. So in addition to his classes, Dostal has devoted time to obtaining certifications\u2014CompTIA Network+,<\/a> TestOut Network Pro<\/a> so far, although he intends to pursue more.<\/p>\n

Capella\u2019s coursework prepares information technology students for certain industry certifications, and exam vouchers are provided to qualifying students so they can complete the required tests\u2014at no additional out\u2013of-pocket expense. The path to getting the exam vouchers was smooth, Dostal says, even if the certification tests themselves were challenging.<\/p>\n

Dostal\u2019s coursework and certifications have already helped get him on the right career path. \u201cOne thing I like about working for the Army is that I can apply things I learn in class to my job,\u201d he says. \u201cI can already tell that a lot of what I learn at Capella I can use in the future\u2014whatever I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately Dostal would like to pursue a lifelong dream of working for the CIA or the NSA. But first he wants to finish his bachelor\u2019s degree and focus on continuing his education. Where will he enroll for his advanced degree? \u201cWith what I\u2019ve experienced at Capella, my plan is to stay put,\u201d he says. \u201cI like the environment. I love that I can work a full-time job and not have to take the time to go sit down in class. I love how much the professors push their students.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learn more about Capella\u2019s <\/em>bachelor\u2019s program in information technology<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n
See graduation rates, median student debt, and other information at <\/em>Capella Results<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/h6>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Capella student Cody Dostal dreams of working for the CIA or NSA, and he\u2019s confident his bachelor\u2019s in information security–along with industry certifications–will help him get there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":4826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[325,151],"tags":[40],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4778"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4780,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4778\/revisions\/4780"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}