Quantum Academy
Security professionals in the Americas prepare for the Post-Quantum Certified Specialist exam in three eight-hour days of live online training
CHICAGO, October 20, 2026 – The first cohort of Quantum Academy’s Post-Quantum Certified Specialist (PQCS) Training will meet live online from October 21 to 23, 2026. The cohort meets on three consecutive days, Wednesday to Friday, from 14:30 to 22:30 UTC, which is 10:30 to 18:30 in New York, for participants in the Americas.
A live online seat costs US$2,499 for 24 hours of instruction. We designed this training for security professionals, IT architects, software developers, cryptography practitioners, systems engineers and technical consultants who want verified post-quantum cryptography (PQC) competence. Participants need the certificate of completion from Post-Quantum Foundation, Quantum Academy’s half-day introduction.
Participants learn how Shor’s algorithm would break RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography on a cryptanalytically relevant quantum computer. They also learn to assess timelines using published resource estimates rather than vendor predictions. They evaluate the NIST post-quantum standards, including ML-KEM (formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber) for key establishment and ML-DSA (formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium) for digital signatures, and select algorithms for specific deployments.
Participants also learn to inventory cryptography in a Cryptographic Bill of Materials and to configure hybrid TLS with open-source libraries. In hybrid TLS, classical and post-quantum key exchange are combined. For each protocol and system in use, from TLS and SSH to IPsec, S/MIME, code signing and PKI, they identify the changes that post-quantum migration requires and the order in which to make them. On the final day, each participant prepares a migration roadmap for a realistic scenario.
The PQCS certification exam is booked separately and costs US$599. Candidates answer 100 multiple-choice and scenario questions in 150 minutes in a closed-book exam, and pass with a score of 700 on a scale of 100 to 900. Every exam is proctored, and Quantum Academy confirms the arrangements for each sitting when the candidate books.
“PQCS candidates answer the questions a migration team faces every week, such as which algorithm to deploy where and which systems to migrate first,” said Marin Ivezic, founder of Quantum Academy.
Holders of the PQCS credential can go on to three specialized post-quantum credentials, for managers, architects and validators. Quantum Academy awards the Post-Quantum Certified Expert credential automatically to holders of all three. The first cohort of Post-Quantum Certified Manager (PQCM) Training starts on November 13, 2026.
Participants receive the course handbook, a PDF copy of Quantum Ready, Marin Ivezic’s book on PQC migration, and a certificate of completion, which is separate from the PQCS certification. Further live online cohorts start on November 3, 2026, in twelve two-hour sessions, and on January 12, January 18 and February 22, 2027, over four consecutive days. The course page has the full outline and a justification letter for internal approval. Teams can request private training at training@quantumacademy.com.
About Quantum Academy
Quantum Academy trains and certifies professionals in post-quantum cryptography and quantum technologies. It opened on October 2, 2026, and offers more than 80 courses in six domains and 11 certifications in four tracks. Quantum Academy is an education and certification brand of Post-Quantum Institute, a Delaware corporation. quantumacademy.com
Quantum Academy certifications are private, professional credentials issued by Post-Quantum Institute. They are not government-issued licenses, accredited academic degrees, or academic credit, and earning one does not guarantee employment, promotion, or any regulatory outcome. Quantum Academy programs are educational and informational only, and are not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.
Media contact
Quantum Academy · press@quantumacademy.com · +1 (312) 803-4969 · 155 N Wacker Dr, Suite 4250, Chicago, IL 60606
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