Northwestern Michigan College will debut new certificates in computer support, cybersecurity specialization, and Esports management next January.

NMC trustees unanimously approved the computer support specialist and cybersecurity specialist certificates Monday. The computer support specialist certificate will reduce the time to earn a credential from nearly two years to one semester. The cybersecurity specialist certificate will take one year to complete. "We’re giving students the opportunity to have quicker completion," says NMC Vice President for Educational Services Stephen Siciliano. 

The Esports certificate "builds upon NMC’s success with varsity Esports teams and puts NMC at the forefront of Esports’ development into an academic discipline," according to an NMC release. "The certificate is designed to feed into the current business administration associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree in Esports production that Ferris State University launched last fall. Lake Michigan College starts an associate degree program this year."

Both IT certificates use existing curriculum, meaning NMC incurs no additional costs. "The cybersecurity certificate creates another area of specialization for students, and allows them to begin working in the field after a year," according to the release. "Students could also choose to stack the certificates toward associate degrees." The Esports certificate utilizes existing courses in business, communications, and visual communications. Five new experiential Esports courses are now in development.