Innovation
Programs designed around how compliance is actually practiced now — AI-assisted evidence and real assessment judgment, not yesterday’s checklists.
CMMC Training & Credentials An institute of Dallas College
Ascend Global Training Institute
The rule changed.
The work didn’t.
Innovation. Corporate readiness. Wider access to in-demand skills.
Third-party CMMC assessment is paused. The requirements are not. Self-assessment, your SPRS score, and your annual affirmation still require documented training. Ascend’s four-class ladder covers everything from a two-day Awareness on-ramp through CCP and CCA Prep, delivered on campus at Dallas College — Downtown.
Training Formats
4
Awareness → CCA
Partner Since
2017
Dallas College
CEU Transcript
Issued
Academic record
Where things stand
The rule changed. Your obligations did not.
Third-party assessment requirements were suspended on July 13, 2026. Self-assessment, SPRS scores, and the training requirement remain in force.
Still required today
- NIST SP 800-171 safeguarding requirements
- DFARS 252.204-7012 (protect CUI, report incidents)
- CMMC Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessment
- Your SPRS score and annual affirmation
Paused as of July 13, 2026
Mandatory third-party (C3PAO) assessment in new contracts
The Department suspended the November 10, 2026 rollout. Certificates already issued remain valid.
Under review
CMMC Reform Task Force
A 60-day review with a public request for information. Outcome expected in fall 2026.
Current as of August 29, 2026. Updated when regulatory status changes.
Why Ascend
An institute built for what companies need next.
Ascend Global Training Institute is an institute of Dallas College, created to close the gap between in-demand skills and the people who need them — crosswalking employer-driven training into Professional Development and Career Advancement. Its charter is simple: Innovation. Corporate readiness. Wider access to in-demand skills.
An institute of Dallas College · Dallas College — Downtown
Corporate readiness
Built with employers in mind: cohorts that map to the credentials and deadlines organizations face, so teams arrive ready for the work, not just the exam.
Wider access
Backed by Dallas College’s reach, Ascend opens in-demand, high-value credentials to more learners and more communities across North Texas.
Who this is for
Built for the people who have to prove their organizations are ready.
Cybersecurity obligations flow from contracts, insurers, and regulators. If any of these describe your organization, this is your on-ramp.
Federal contractors
Organizations that sell to the DoD/DoW, manage controlled unclassified information, or inherit flow-down requirements from a prime contractor.
Cyber-insured businesses
Organizations whose insurers now ask what cybersecurity training their staff completed — and need documented evidence to back their coverage.
AI-using teams
Organizations deploying AI tools their staff was never formally trained to use safely, and that are starting to face audit questions about governance and risk.
Customer-data holders
Organizations subject to state privacy or data-handling requirements that map to the same awareness and training controls as CMMC.
The class ladder
Two classes. One compliance record.
Start with the two-day Awareness on-ramp, then build the implementation documentation your self-assessment and SPRS score will demand.
- Rung 1 · Start here Awareness
CMMC for Business Professionals
$895
2 days
The on-ramp: understand CMMC, your obligations, and where your organization stands.
Prepares you for
CEUs and your organization's Awareness & Training objectives.
Enroll → Learn more → - Rung 2 · Implement Readiness
CMMC Implementation Readiness
$2,495
5 days
The implementation bootcamp: build the documentation your assessment will demand.
Prepares you for
Documentation that backs your self-assessment, your SPRS score, and a third-party assessment if required.
Learn more →
Looking to become a CMMC assessor? See the CCP and CCA credential tracks →
The receipts
Why a college transcript beats a certificate.
Anyone can print a completion certificate. A Dallas College CEU transcript is a permanent academic record from an accredited institution — the kind of proof that holds up to an insurer, an auditor, or a customer asking who trained your staff.
It doesn't expire when a rule changes. It doesn't disappear when a vendor does. It's a line item in your organization's documented training history, issued by the same institution that issues academic degrees.
Completion certificate
Issued by the training vendor · no independent verification
CEU transcript
Issued hereIssued by Dallas College · permanent academic record · survives rule changes
Next cohort
Start with the September 15–16, 2026 Awareness class.
Two days. On campus at Dallas College Downtown. The clearest first step toward documented cybersecurity training.
Awareness · CMMC for Business Professionals
- Dates
- September 15–16, 2026
- Time
- 9:00am – 1:00pm CT
- Format
- Hybrid · On-campus, Dallas College Downtown
- Campus
- Dallas College — Downtown
$895
Enroll on your phone
Scan to enroll
Point your camera at the code to open registration for the September 15–16, 2026 class.
Backed by the Readiness Platform
You don’t just learn the rules.
You train under assessment conditions.
Every Ascend cohort is backed by Divergence’s AI-powered Assessment Simulation. Students practice the judgment a C3PAO actually uses — MET / NOT MET decisions across 200+ scenarios — not just policy recitation.
Engine 01
Certification
Authorized credential prep across the CMMC ladder — from Awareness through CCP and CCA.
Engine 02
Assessment Simulation
Train under real C3PAO conditions: MET / NOT MET judgment calls across 200+ scenarios.
Engine 03
Evidence Intelligence
AI-assisted gap analysis that maps your artifacts against the practices an assessor will check.
Upcoming Cohorts
Class calendar
Filter by class or scheduling status. Future dates are being finalized — register interest and we'll notify you when enrollment opens.
| Class | Category | Date | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMMC for Business Professionals | Awareness | September 15–16, 2026 | Hybrid · Dallas Downtown | |
| CMMC Implementation Readiness | Readiness | October 12–16, 2026 | Hybrid · Dallas Downtown | |
| Certified CMMC Professional (CCP) Prep | Certified Professional | October 19–23, 2026 | Hybrid · Dallas Downtown | |
| CMMC for Business Professionals | Awareness | November 17–18, 2026 | Hybrid · Dallas Downtown | |
| Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA) Prep | Certified Assessor | December 7–11, 2026 | Hybrid · Dallas Downtown |
Questions, answered
CMMC at Ascend — frequently asked
Who is Ascend Global Training Institute? +
Ascend Global Training Institute is an institute of Dallas College, focused on innovation, corporate readiness, and wider access to in-demand skills. Its CMMC program is delivered with Divergence Academy.
What is CMMC and who needs it? +
CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the U.S. Department of Defense/War framework for protecting controlled unclassified information. Prime contractors and subcontractors in the defense industrial base need it. Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessment requirements remain in force; mandatory third-party (C3PAO) assessment was suspended on July 13, 2026 and is under review by a CMMC Reform Task Force.
CMMC is paused — do I still need this training? +
Yes. Third-party assessment requirements were suspended on July 13, 2026 — but NIST SP 800-171, DFARS 252.204-7012, Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessment, and your annual SPRS affirmation all remain in effect. The pause affects the enforcement mechanism, not the underlying obligations. Your organization is still required to train its people.
What happens if the rules change again? +
The training holds its value regardless. A Dallas College CEU transcript documenting that your staff completed structured cybersecurity awareness and readiness training is a permanent academic record. What changes is the enforcement context — not the fact that your people were trained.
Which class should I start with? +
Most people start with CMMC for Business Professionals (Awareness) to understand the model and their obligations, then move to Implementation Readiness, CCP Prep, or CCA Prep as their role requires.
Where are classes held? +
Classes are hybrid — attend on-campus at Dallas College Downtown or join live online.
Do you offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)? +
Yes. The Awareness class supports CEUs and organizational Awareness & Training objectives.
How does payment work? +
Enroll online and pay securely via Stripe. The Awareness class is $895.
Can my organization enroll a team? +
Yes — contact us at hello@divergence.one to arrange team or cohort enrollment.
Start building your record
Third-party CMMC assessment is paused. The requirements are not.
Self-assessment, your SPRS score, and your annual affirmation still require documented staff training. Start your climb now with the September 15–16, 2026 at Ascend Global Training Institute — or talk through the right rung for your team.