Bridging the Gap: Splunk Helps Students Move from Classroom to Career

In leading Splunk Education, I’ve spent countless hours collaborating with my team to uncover innovative ways to teach Splunk customers to solve real-world challenges using our security and observability platform. But, through our Splunk Academic Alliance program, this passion is evolving beyond our customers of today and into the talent of tomorrow. 

Sharing the power of Splunk has become more personal as I’ve seen my own sons grapple with post-college job market angst, uncertain about how to bridge the gap between school and meaningful employment. Their struggles resonate even more when I read about the widening unemployment gap between recent college graduates and the overall workforce in a November 2024 article by Investopedia. Understanding the trends and the impact on post-grads like my son makes me grateful that we continue to grow this program, which empowers students with the skills, confidence, and experience to land successful careers in cybersecurity and beyond.

Splunk Academic Alliance is Nurturing Tomorrow’s Talent 

The Academic Alliance program is designed to address precisely the kind of challenges my sons and many other students face. Through a structured combination of classroom learning, hands-on training, and real-world application, the program paves the way for students to transition more seamlessly and with greater confidence from academia into the workforce. And the program is exponentially more powerful when a student-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) is integrated into the experience.

Enrolling in the Splunk Academic Alliance

Enrollment in Splunk Academic Alliance opens the door to transformative opportunities for university students, faculty, and IT staff. The program is entirely free for non-profit academic institutions, ensuring equitable access to Splunk training and certifications. By joining the Academic Alliance, universities gain access to:

• A renewable one-year, 10GB Splunk Enterprise software license (soon expanding to include Splunk Enterprise Security and Splunk SOAR).
• 21 on-demand, self-paced eLearning courses (with free certification vouchers).
• Labs, workshops, and live instruction tailored to student and faculty, goals, needs and academic schedules.

Integrating Splunk into the Classroom

By integrating Splunk into their curriculum, faculty can provide students with a strategic understanding of cybersecurity challenges while preparing them to earn industry-recognized Splunk Certifications. These certifications validate a student’s expertise in using Splunk software—a credential highly sought after by employers. Faculty play a pivotal role by aligning coursework with certification objectives, offering guidance on exam preparation, and creating opportunities for hands-on practice. This support ensures students not only gain theoretical knowledge but also acquire the credentials needed to stand out in the competitive job market.

Real-World Application in University SOCs

One of the most exciting aspects of this program is its role in gearing up students to support the Security Operations Centers (SOCs) on their university campuses. These SOCs allow students to apply their classroom knowledge to protect their institutions from cyber threats in real-time. By participating in these programs, students gain invaluable hands-on experience, preparing them to meet the growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Three standout examples of student-powered SOCs are at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Louisiana State University (LSU), and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). 

At UNLV, students utilize Splunk Enterprise Security and Splunk Cloud Platform to monitor and address cybersecurity threats. This initiative not only strengthens the university’s security posture but also provides students with a practical understanding of industry tools. Graduates leave UNLV equipped with Splunk Certification and real-world experience that set them apart in the competitive job market.

Similarly, LSU’s student-powered SOC, developed in partnership with Splunk and TekStream, offers 24/7 cybersecurity coverage while training students with up to 1,000 hours of frontline experience annually. This immersive training ensures that graduates are ready to step into high-demand roles immediately upon graduation.

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has long emphasized hands-on learning. Cal Poly uses the Splunk Cloud Platform and Splunk Enterprise Security in its Security Operations Center (SOC).  With the support of Splunk Education and the Academic Alliance Program, the university  offers students the ability to test their knowledge in the SOC by responding to incidents. This invaluable experience ensures that Cal Poly graduates enter the workforce prepared to tackle cybersecurity challenges head-on.

From Classroom to Career: Real-Life Impact

The true success of the Splunk Academic Alliance is best measured by the students who have turned their training into thriving careers in cybersecurity. Jason Griffin, Senior Information Security Analyst at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has been extremely supportive of the Splunk Academic Alliance Program. He shared with us that not only has the curriculum helped him give his students hands-on experience within the university SOC, but because every one of those students graduated and transitioned into jobs within their field.

Carlos Barreras, a recent cybersecurity graduate of the Master of Science program at UNLV, stated that accessing this training and working in the UNLV SOC was, “...hands down, the best part of my college experience – allowing me to actually practice what I was learning.” He shared that getting that real-world experience with Splunk was an invaluable learning opportunity that went beyond his coursework. Carlos has since transitioned from UNLV to secure a role as a Cybersecurity Coordinator for the State of Nevada, Office of the Military. 

LaShawn Tith, another cybersecurity graduate of the UNLV Master of Science program, also benefitted from the Splunk Academic Alliance program and from working in the student-powered SOC at UNLV. This student earned an advanced degree at UNLV and then parlayed their experience into a cybersecurity analyst using Splunk in their new organization. 

Jon Vazquez, Senior Security Engineer at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA, also believes in supporting the next generation of cyber defenders using Splunk Education. “We’ve been a part of Splunk Academic Alliance since its inception and it’s been invaluable for getting our students up and running with our Splunk-powered SOC and contributing to our security posture and visibility,” he said. “In fact, around 80% of our SOC alerts, dashboards, and Splunk SOAR playbook automations were created or modified by our student analysts.”  

From a Gap to a Bridge

In today’s challenging job market, the Splunk Academic Alliance program is more than an educational initiative; it’s a bridge to opportunity. By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience in student-powered SOCs, we equip students with the tools and confidence they need to succeed. For recent graduates—and for parents like me—this program represents hope for a brighter, more secure future for our students.