Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy FAQs

Please read through all the information provided below in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before applying to the Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy (Skilling Academy). To request additional information not found on the website, please email SkillingAcademy@mail.cisa.dhs.gov.  

General Questions 

Who is eligible to apply for the Skilling Academy?

All full-time federal employees in the U.S. Government, in any job series and any grade or grade equivalent for non-General Schedule (GS) employees are eligible to apply to the Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy. Government contractors are not permitted to participate.   

Participation in the Skilling Academy is prioritized for Departments and Agencies within the Federal Civilian Executive Branch. Applications from other federal government entities are welcome and will be considered based on course availability and program requirements.   

When are new course offerings and their dates made available for application?  

New courses and their respective dates are typically established at the beginning of a new fiscal year. Please continue to check the Skilling Academy website for the most up-to-date information on upcoming course dates.   

Is there a cost for participating in the Skilling Academy?  

The Skilling Academy is offered at no cost to students. Individuals are responsible for obtaining the appropriate supervisor approval for participation and must comply with their agency’s specific policies related to training.   

What is the difference between Skilling Academy pathways and micro-courses?

The Skilling Academy’s pathway courses are longer in duration, live, instructor-led accelerated training programs for full-time federal employees to develop their skills and abilities for various cybersecurity work roles.

The Skilling Academy’s micro-courses are shorter in duration, self-paced, asynchronous training courses for full-time federal employees to develop their skills and abilities for various cybersecurity work roles.

Both pathways and micro-courses provide federal employees an opportunity to focus on professional growth through full-time, 100% virtual, accelerated training. All coursework is mapped to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) and provides federal employees with valuable hands-on experience to practice new skills in lab environments.

Should I start with a specific Skilling Academy course, or can I choose any course to begin with?

As of FY25, all pathway and micro-course offerings are independent. The Skilling Academy recommends researching the course subjects and selecting a course that aligns with your interests and professional development goals. If you are unsure which course to take, the Skilling Academy recommends considering our 40–80-hour micro-course offerings as a way to explore potential cybersecurity domains of interest to you.

Whom may I contact for more information?

For questions, email SkillingAcademy@mail.cisa.dhs.gov. The Skilling Academy will generally respond to all emails within three business days.

Application Questions

When will I hear about my application status?

Applicants typically receive an email of acceptance or denial no later than two weeks following the closure of the application period. The Skilling Academy may contact some applicants with additional questions in advance of the acceptance or denial notifications. 

How many courses can I apply for or attend?

Students may apply to and attend as many courses within a fiscal year as they wish, provided they receive approval from their supervisors. However, each course has its own unique application period and deadline and an individual application much be completed for each course.

Students may not participate in more than one course or session at a time.

Please note, if an applicant is accepted to participate in a course, any other applications they may have submitted for future courses with overlap or schedule conflicts will be declined.

Will my supervisor’s permission be required to join the Skilling Academy? 

Yes, your appropriate supervisor’s approval is required to apply and attend the Skilling Academy. Both the student and the supervisor must sign the Supervisor and Applicant Agreement and Approval Form. Please ensure the appropriate supervisor signs the form with their digital certificate (i.e., PIV or CAC).

Do I need any prior training or background experience before entering a Skilling Academy Course?

As of FY25, all pathway and micro-course offerings are open to individuals from all levels of background and experience. All coursework is designed to accommodate learners from a diverse skillset and cybersecurity backgrounds.

Do I need to submit an SF-182 to apply to the Skilling Academy? 

The Skilling Academy does not require an SF-182 to apply; however, your home agency may require an SF-182 be completed in order to receive approval to attend the program. Please check with your supervisor to see if this is a requirement prior to attending the Skilling Academy. 

What happens to a federal employee’s eligibility to participate in the Skilling Academy if they resign or are terminated from their federal government position?

In the event that a federal employee either resigns or is terminated from their federal government position, they will be disqualified from participating in the Skilling Academy and any pending applications will be invalid. This includes federal government positions that are set to conclude prior to the scheduled end date of the Skilling Academy course.

Each course has a limited capacity. Therefore, participants must ensure that they are full-time federal government employees and maintain this status throughout the entirety of the course.

Skilling Academy Logistics

Where will the Skilling Academy take place?

All Skilling Academy pathway and micro-course offerings are held 100% virtually.

How much of my time will the Skilling Academy take up?

Skilling Academy courses vary in length, ranging from 1 week to 12 weeks. Some courses may include breaks, while others run continuously. The specific details of the selected course will be outlined in the course schedule. During all course offerings, all students are required to participate virtually Monday through Friday during core business hours, excluding federal holidays. Pathway students cannot maintain alternative work schedules during this time. If the course includes breaks, students will return to their regular duty assignment during those breaks, unless the home agency has approved leave.

Can I work on my regular duty assignment tasks during the daily short breaks?

No, the Skilling Academy will be the student’s focus for the 40-hour, full-time work week while enrolled. Participants perform self-study between online classes, working through on-demand material and completing labs and study assessments. 

Please speak with your supervisor before applying to ensure that you can fulfill the Skilling Academy’s attendance requirements. 

Do I need a laptop or desktop for participation? 

All Skilling Academy courses are held online and a laptop or desktop with an up-to-date browser is required for participation in the Skilling Academy. Either a personal or Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) laptop or desktop computer with an up-to-date operating system can be used. A complete list of hardware and software requirements can be found on the Skilling Academy Supervisor and Applicant Agreement and Approval Form.

Please note, if you do not have a GFE computer, you may be able to access your federal government email account and MS Teams account through another means. Contact your agency’s IT Service Desk for more information on the availability of accessing your federal government email without using GFE.

Are there any certifications associated with the Skilling Academy pathways?

During a Skilling Academy pathway, time may be allocated to provide training aligned with an accredited certification exam for the selected work role, offering participants a voucher to test for the related certification. However, please note that certification training is not the primary focus of the Skilling Academy. 

Please see the specific course descriptions for additional information on official certification eligibility for your chosen Skilling Academy pathway.

Skilling Academy micro-course offerings do not include any third-party certification vouchers for participants to sit for a certification exam.

How much study time is required outside of class? 

Students are not required to study outside of class; however, we strongly encourage students to study as much as necessary to master the material. All class offerings are fast-paced and additional studying will help in completing assignments by their due dates. 

Compensation and Leave

Are students allowed to take leave during a course, and are there any consequences for missing class?

Due to the rigorous and fast-paced cadence of the courses, the Skilling Academy strongly advises students against taking scheduled leave during the course.

For Skilling Academy pathways: A student will be marked as incomplete and will not graduate if they meet any of the following criteria:

• A student misses eight (8) or more days for a 12-week long course, or
• A student misses four (4) or more days for a 4-week long course, or
• A student does not complete 15% or more of the required coursework.

For Skilling Academy micro-courses: A student will be marked as incomplete and will not graduate if they do not complete 100% of all required coursework by the course completion date.

If you have scheduled leave, or plan to schedule leave, outside of the predetermined course breaks, the Skilling Academy strongly recommends applying to a different course or session.

What if I need to miss a class or lab activity? 

Participants are allowed to take sick leave or emergency personal leave. Missing class without notifying the Skilling Academy before taking sick leave or emergency personal leave is considered taking unplanned leave. Participants will need to make up any missed class time by accessing class recordings and self-study materials as soon as possible, prior to the end of the course. If a student falls behind, it is their responsibility to makeup all work by the course completion date. 

What if I can no longer attend after starting the course? 

Each session has a limited capacity. Applicants should commit to attend, participate, and complete the entire course. If a student decides to withdraw from the course after the start date, a withdrawal form will be provided by the Skilling Academy, and it must be completed and signed by the student’s supervisor.

Does the Skilling Academy require a Continuing Service Agreement (CSA)? 

Applicants are responsible for working with their supervisor to confirm compliance with their home agency’s policies, to include any CSAs.

Will I be paid for the time required to participate in the Skilling Academy, and will this cover any overtime? 

Prospective participants are responsible for working with their supervisor to confirm compliance with their home agency’s attendance and training compensation policies prior to participation in the Skilling Academy. The Skilling Academy does not authorize overtime, nor does it provide any additional compensation for participants.

Does the Skilling Academy guarantee a cybersecurity position or affect my pay grade upon completion of the course? 

No, completing the training will not guarantee employment placement, nor will it automatically affect pay grades. CISA does not guarantee that individuals who complete the Skilling Academy will receive job offers or increased pay following the successful completion of any course offering. However, participants will have new foundational cybersecurity skills that the Skilling Academy hopes will enable them to achieve their professional development goals.

If I am a CISA employee, does graduating from the Skilling Academy automatically qualify me to participate in the Cyber Pay Enhancements Program? 

No, graduating from the Skilling Academy does not automatically qualify CISA employees to participate in the CISA Cyber Pay Enhancements Program. CISA employees should discuss with their supervisor for additional information.  

Supervisors

Is a supervisor’s permission required to apply to the Skilling Academy? 

Yes, students require the appropriate supervisor approval to apply and attend the Skilling Academy. Both the student and the supervisor must sign the Supervisor and Applicant Agreement and Approval Form. Please ensure the appropriate supervisor signs the form electronically using a digital certificate (i.e., PIV or CAC). It is the applicant's responsibility to notify any additional supervisors that they report to when applying to a course so that they can set supervisor expectations during the Skilling Academy.  

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) applicants who work for individual airports need approval from the supervisor who approves schedule changes. In most cases, this will be the Federal Security Director or Assistant Federal Security Director. Please have this individual sign the Supervisor and Applicant Agreement and Approval Form.

While students attend the Skilling Academy, can supervisors ask them to conduct tasks related to their regular duty assignment? 

No, the Skilling Academy is the student’s full-time focus for their entire 40-hour work week for the duration of the course. Supervisors should refrain from contacting the student for work-related tasking, including, but not limited to, meetings, calls, and work deliverables.

Do supervisors still approve leave for those participating in the Skilling Academy? 

Supervisors are still in charge of approving the leave requests for their direct and indirect reports who are participating in the Skilling Academy. However, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the Skilling Academy of any scheduled leave and to make up any missed class time.

Will the Skilling Academy provide status updates to supervisors regarding student progress or attendance records?

The Skilling Academy is not responsible for providing supervisors with status updates and/or attendance records of the student, except in cases requiring disciplinary intervention. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate directly with their supervisor regarding program status updates and attendance records as required by their home agency. In cases where students are absent from scheduled training without prior approval or notification, action will be taken by the Skilling Academy to properly rectify the situation with notification to both student and supervisor.