Quantum Academy launches with 68 courses and 11 certifications

Quantum Academy opened Oct. 2 with training for post-quantum cryptography and quantum technologies, offering 68 courses and 11 professional certifications. Live online sessions start Oct. 19, and the launch comes as U.S. agencies face a 2030 migration deadline and demand for qualified talent grows.

Why it matters: - Organizations are facing real deadlines and budgets for post-quantum migration, but the talent pool remains thin. - Quantum Academy is trying to fill that gap with job-oriented training and credentials for PQC and quantum technology professionals. - The launch arrives as U.S. federal agencies face a December 31, 2030 deadline to move high-value assets and high-impact systems, excluding national security systems, to post-quantum key establishment. - In a 2025 ISACA poll of 2,685 digital trust professionals, 7% said they had a strong understanding of NIST’s new post-quantum cryptography standards, and 44% said they had never heard of them.

What happened: - Quantum Academy opened for business on October 2 with 68 courses and 11 professional certifications. - The training and certification provider says its first sessions are sold out. - Live online training is available now at Quantum Academy’s schedule, with the earliest open sessions starting Oct. 19, 2026. - The company is based in Chicago and focuses on post-quantum cryptography and quantum technologies.

The details: - Nine of the 11 certifications are earned by passing a closed-book, scenario-based exam. - A Quantum Academy proctor who did not teach the candidate supervises each exam live over video at launch. - The Certified Chief Quantum Officer credential requires a capstone that two independent assessors mark. - The Post-Quantum Certified Expert credential is awarded automatically to holders of active Post-Quantum Certified Manager, Architect and Validator credentials. - The first 10 live online sessions with openings run from Oct. 19 to Nov. 12, 2026. - Quantum Risk for CISOs is scheduled for Oct. 30. - The first six-week CCQO Program cohort meets on six Saturdays from Nov. 7, 2026, to Jan. 9, 2027. - Live online prices range from US$379 for a short executive or industry session to US$8,499 for the CCQO Program, which includes assessment. - Most sessions start at 07:00 UTC for EMEA and APAC or 15:00 UTC for the Americas. - For 13 industries, including financial services, healthcare, energy and utilities, and government and defense, Quantum Academy offers both a half-day overview and a full-day intensive. - Exam fees are US$599 or US$699. - Candidates who pass receive a digital badge and a public verification record on a .pro domain, such as pqcs.pro. - Quantum Academy opened with eight instructors, including several with doctorates in quantum physics, quantum communications, quantum information or cryptography. - The instructor group includes people who have managed deployments outside the laboratory, from quantum key distribution between a bank’s data centers to cryptographic migrations at large enterprises. - Some instructors, including founder Marin Ivezic, also work at Applied Quantum. - Quantum Academy is still signing new instructors and adding session dates. - Teams can book private team training online or at their own site by emailing training@quantumacademy.com. - The next in-person sessions with openings are planned for February 2027 in London, Zurich, Brussels, Amsterdam, Dubai, Washington, Boston and New York.

Between the lines: - Quantum Academy was created after Applied Quantum clients kept asking the consulting firm to train their staff. - Ivezic said moving the training into a separate company lets employers judge the courses and credentials on their merits. - The credential model leans heavily on proctored testing and independent assessment, signaling an effort to separate the brand from simple participation-based training. - The public verification record and digital badge suggest the company is aiming for credentials that are easy for employers to check. - Ivezic brings more than 25 years in quantum technology and three decades in cybersecurity, including leadership roles at IBM, Accenture, PwC and KPMG.

What's next: - Quantum Academy plans to keep expanding instructor ranks and publishing more session dates. - The company expects its first in-person training sessions in major global hubs beginning in February 2027. - The value of the new credentials will depend on how employers receive them and how graduates perform in post-quantum migration work. - Quantum Academy certifications are private professional credentials issued by Post-Quantum Institute, not government licenses, academic degrees or academic credit.