Late applications accepted until 3 November 2025

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Career Milestone Guarantee

Starts 20 April 2026

Accelerate from technical specialist to security leader

Cybersecurity Strategy & Leadership Accelerator

Develop the strategic capabilities and crisis-ready leadership skills to confidently lead security teams in an AI-driven world.

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6 months, online

10-12 hrs/week

1:1 career coaching

Get more info

Complete the form below to receive more information about the Career Accelerator curriculum, programme fees, how you’ll learn, and how we’ll coach you one-to-one until you reach your goal. You'll be redirected to the programme brochure on submission.

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Become the security leader organisations need

Technical skills got you here. Leadership skills will take you further. This Career Accelerator empowers you to:

Stand out for
promotion

Develop the communication, stakeholder management and crisis leadership skills that employers are looking for in their next security leaders.

Apply proven methodologies

Master strategic frameworks for threat intelligence, risk assessment, incident response and governance that turn technical insight into business action.

Lead with
confidence

Navigate the AI-amplified threat landscape with strategic clarity, and lead your teams through uncertainty and crisis situations with confidence.

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Why choose this Career Accelerator?

Build a leadership-ready portfolio, inclusive of strategic risk reports, executive briefings and a security transformation plan that demonstrates readiness for management roles.

Learn from industry leaders, including current and former CISOs, who guide you through real-world scenarios, crisis simulations and strategic decision-making under pressure.

Develop strategic leadership in an AI-driven world, translating cyber intelligence into business action and guiding teams through complex risk environments.

Benefit from a structured learning experience with personalised career coaching and a network of experienced cybersecurity professionals who support and accelerate your growth.

Enhance your professional credibility with a cybersecurity leadership qualification from a world-renowned institution, giving you a competitive edge.

Peace of mind through our Milestone Guarantee,* including 1-to-1 coaching for 12 months, extended free if needed, until you hit a meaningful career milestone.

Download the brochure to learn more about our Career Milestone Guarantee.

“As technologies such as AI are rapidly amplifying both the speed and complexity of cyber threats, leaders need the judgement to understand these shifts, communicate them clearly, and guide organisations through the decisions they create. This programme helps professionals build that strategic awareness.”

- Dr. Ali Al-Sherbaz

Academic Director for Digital Skills at Cambridge PACE

Programme Curriculum

Bridge the gap between technical expertise and strategic leadership

with a comprehensive and industry-relevant curriculum that covers the advanced frameworks, methodologies and skills that support meaningful career progression in cybersecurity.

Please note: The programme is subject to change during development

- Course 1
Strategic Threat Intelligence & AI's Impact on Cybersecurity
- Understand how emerging technologies, including AI, are reshaping modern cyber risk.
- Apply strategic threat-assessment concepts to real organisational challenges.
- Communicate complex findings clearly to senior stakeholders.
- Course 2
Cybersecurity: Strategy, People and Performance
- Learn to position cybersecurity as a strategic business function.
- Develop the skills to lead teams, influence stakeholders and shape a security-aware culture.
- Navigate governance expectations and communicate risk with clarity.
- Course 3
One-Day Cambridge Leadership Immersion (in person, with virtual option available)
- Engage in hands-on live leadership exercises led by Cambridge faculty and industry practitioners.
- Strengthen your executive communication and decision-making through facilitated, real-world scenarios.
- Connect with fellow cybersecurity professionals and expand your leadership network.
- Capstone Project
Managing Strategic Security Transformation in Crisis Conditions
- Lead a simulated organisational crisis to practise decision-making under pressure.
- Produce an executive-level situation brief that demonstrates clarity and judgement.
- Design a high-level security transformation plan.

One-day Cambridge Leadership Immersion

In-person or virtual attendance option

Accelerate your learning through an intensive on-campus Leadership Immersion experience:

Security leadership panel sessions:

Learn directly from CISOs and cybersecurity executives leading security at top organisations.

Cambridge networking:

Connect with peers and senior industry professionals to strengthen perspective, leadership presence and career direction.

Crisis simulation lab:

Lead a team through a live breach scenario and practice your incident management skills.

Mentorship opportunities:

Get personalised guidance from industry mentors who’ve successfully transitioned from technical roles.

This exclusive on-campus experience, included in the programme fee, is available only to Career Accelerator participants. While designed to be attended in person at the University of Cambridge, a remote attendance option is available for those unable to travel.

“The highlights of taking the Career Accelerator were the practical aspects of it – so having that direct industry input. Being able to show that on a CV and be able to talk about it in job interviews later was definitely invaluable.”

Megan

Career Accelerator Graduate

Six-week capstone project with industry leaders

Put your learning into practice by managing a simulated breach scenario. As part of a group exercise you’ll work as part of a team to coordinate the response, brief organisational stakeholders and executives under pressure, whilst building a long-term transformation strategy. You’ll receive guidance from industry practitioners throughout, reflecting the real responsibilities that cyber leaders face when supporting an organisation through an incident.

Crisis response &
recovery

Act on intelligence to stabilise operations and coordinate containment across IT, legal and C-Suite teams.

Executive communication & influence

Translate cybersecurity risks into clear, persuasive business language that drives executive decisions.

Strategic transformation planning

Design transformation strategies including tactical plans, three-year roadmaps, and talent development that aligns with business goals.

Learn from leading experts

This Career Accelerator brings together academic and industry perspectives to deliver a curriculum that represents the best of both worlds. Learn directly from security leaders who've successfully moved from technical roles to management. The skills, frameworks and approaches that accelerated their careers are now available to you.

Who is this programme for?

This programme is for you if you:

Have a solid grounding in cybersecurity concepts and want to develop structured leadership capability, strategic confidence and the ability to operate at a higher level.

Are ready to transition from technical specialist to strategic cybersecurity leader, bridging the gap between hands-on security work and business-facing leadership responsibilities.

Want to develop a leadership-ready portfolio of projects that demonstrate your readiness for senior roles.

Value structured learning with the support of experienced industry practitioners, 1:1 career coaching, and a network of like-minded cybersecurity professionals.

Want the credibility and recognition of a certificate from Cambridge University to strengthen your professional profile and signal leadership readiness to employers.

THE CAREER ACCELERATOR DIFFERENCE

This is not just a course, it’s your Career Accelerated

Blending academic rigour with practical industry experience and expert career support, the Career Accelerator offers a proven pathway to meaningful professional growth.

Learn from the real world
- Build practical, leadership-ready skills through projects designed with industry experts and real companies.
- Master the strategic frameworks and methodologies used by security managers and leaders to translate technical risk into business action.
- Leave with a leadership portfolio that proves what you can do, not just what you know.
Earn recognition that lasts
- Gain a certificate from a respected university that validates the depth and quality of your learning.
- Add a trusted name to your CV – one that hiring managers instantly recognise and value as a signal of leadership readiness.
- Benefit from lasting recognition and a mark of quality that sets you apart, now and into the future.
Get clarity to move forward faster
- Work with an expert Career Coach to define your leadership goals and the smartest path to reach them.
- Learn from facilitators who bring real-world security leadership experience to guide your decisions and sharpen your skills.
- Stay focused on your coursework with structured support that keeps your goals clear and your momentum strong.

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