Graduate Courses

Relevant graduate-level (Master's or Doctorate/PhD-level) courses from an accredited institution can be used to demonstrate ongoing competency in the Information Security field related to the certification(s) being renewed. Additionally, teaching a graduate-level course at an accredited institution qualifies for CPEs within this category.

What Qualifies in this Category? 

  • Relevant Graduate-level (Masters/Doctorate/PhD-level) courses from an accredited institution*
  • Teaching a Graduate-level course at an accredited institution*

Category Specifics: 

  • Each 3-5 credit hour course can earn 12 CPEs.
  • Up to 36 CPEs can be earned in this category.
  • CPEs in this category can be applied toward 2 qualifying certification renewals.

Required Supporting Documentation:

  • Relevant Graduate-level course: Course syllabus & a transcript that includes your name, name of the educational institution, name of completed course, dates of completed course, and passing grade.
  • Teaching a Graduate-level course: Course syllabus listing your name as the instructor & semester dates.

* United States based accredited institutions are listed here.

Non-US based accredited institutions:

  • Worldwide Education Services (WES) is used to validate credentials from international institutions to US standards
  • This validation is required for international courses to be eligible for GIAC CPEs.
  • To begin, visit WES to learn about the evaluation process and associated fees. For GIAC CPE purposes, you will choose the Course-by-Course evaluation option.