FAQs

Click on each question for the answers. If you have additional questions, please contact us through our contact form.
These frequently asked questions are organized using the Zachman Framework’s Columns (the interrogatives) although, we have rearranged their order:

WHY

1. Why is it so important to GROW YOUR OWN ARCHITECTS?

Because qualified enterprise architects are in such high demand and so difficult to find and recruit, many organizations opt to grow their own cadre of architects by buying entire Certification programs. Many Government Agencies are now requiring CERTIFICATION in many disciplines including EA. There are discounts given based on numbers of students enrolled. In many cases architects in government organizations and their contractors enroll in the same program to work together on practicum projects and jointly train. Contact us for referrals of organizations that have done this, which includes Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Health and Human Services, NASA, Booz Allen, Raytheon and more. FEAC™ offers several paths to achieve Black Belt certification in the Enterprise Architecture Discipline, depending on their level of experience and training. The Green Belt Certificate in Enterprise Architecture is the indirect way to the Black Belt Certification and is designed for project team members and entry-level EA project managers, as well as qualified undergraduate and graduate students who want a credential to communicate their value in EA project team performance. Full Black Belt Certification (CEA) is the direct way for somewhat experienced enterprise architects and EA project managers who already have some level of related EA and project management experience and are looking for advanced and large projects applying the EA discipline with mature management skills.

2. Why attend Basic and Comprehensive Enterprise Architecture Overview courses?

The short courses (and workshops) are often used to bring Enterprise Architecture team members quickly up to speed, orient new hires to work on EA Projects and provide general EA awareness for participating program or supporting staff. These courses, also, award PDU or Professional Development Units for those with PMI Certification and CEUs for those that have educational requirements in their performance plans. The Basic Course is just that a quick , high level overview explaining EA and what it is. The Comprehensive Overview adds a little practical exercise to the class, in addition to the overview. As these classes overlap with the first week of Certification, after attending, many students seek to convert to the full certification, seeing the full curriculum’s value much better.

3. Why is it not possible to just take a test to get my certification (CEA), much like, I can do with the PMP and the CISSP?

The FEAC™ Institute requires candidates to demonstrate competency in both the knowledge about EA and the abilities to successfully develop an EA for an organization. That’s why a “Real Problem” is recommended for every practicum. Simply testing one’s academic knowledge via a multiple choice test about EA is not, in our experience, enough to “Certify” competencies. It is vital to be able to demonstrate how to create the artifacts, views, products and models that comprise an EA, to explain and defend it in an oral presentation, and show the use of this architecture for addressing its intended purpose. Because the body of knowledge in the EA profession is continually evolving, FEAC™ developed its certification standards in conjunction with and for the academic Senate of California State University at EAst Bay and with the experienced input of our expert faculty of Senior EA practitioners.

4. Why choose the FEAC™ Institute?

The FEAC™ Institute’s track record and standards of Enterprise Architecture Certification training excellence stands on its own and sets it apart from other similar sounding programs. FEAC™ offers the premier Enterprise Architecture Training and Certification Programs, which you can judge for yourself by asking, or reviewing comments of our graduates, as well as, any of the companies and agencies we have supported with customized programs. FEAC™ was the first organization offering Enterprise Architecture Certification (our coveted CEA). Consequently, we have the longest, most mature and established Enterprise Architecture Training and Enterprise Architecture Certification Program in Government or Industry. Many more of our students have come from direct referrals from our many successful graduates than from advertising or other marketing means. Also we offer two flavors of EA Certification for the private sector and Government and its Contractors, the FEA(F) and the DoDAF Programs. This focus in two framework directions, is unique to FEAC™. Just ask any graduate, an one of our CEA Fellows about us, and then, enroll to join our program and the growing ranks of FEAC™ CEAs. Don’t wait, the next class starts soon.

WHAT

1. What is the difference between the DoDAF and FEA(F) Certification programs?

We offer two rigorous Certification programs. These are focused around all Enterprise Architecture discipline notions, methods and Frameworks and the Department of Defense Architecture Framework. The FEA(F) is primarily for those who work fo the private sector or are contractors supporting civilian government agencies. The DoDAF is for those working in or contractors to the Department of Defense, as well as, anyone wanting to learn to use the architecture methods, products and views of the DoDAF. We teach how to build many of the DoDAF 2.0 plus products using the most up to date version of the framework and include JCIDS, CADM, CMM, IEA, and relevant modeling methods. For those working in commercial organizations we have merged the former Commercial Enterprise Architecture Certification (CEAC) with the FEA(F) and added a TOGAF component. Students in the FEA(F) can at a minimal cost become TOGAF 8.1 certified. The FEA(F) Program covers a broad spectrum of EA, including, the Zachman framework, DoDAF, EAP, SABSA and touches on SOA (Service Oriented Architecture in the context of EA) and other frameworks. Many of these approaches can and are being adapted by the business sector. FEA(F) Certification also includes TOGAF9 Certification preparation. In summary, FEAC™ teaches our students to become real Enterprise Architects practitioners, regardless where they work.

2. What is the relationship of the four core courses and the Practicum projects?

Both Certification programs are comprised of four core courses and a Practicum taught in blended, mixed mode, combining face-to-face with online instruction in our Virtual University. The course and the assignments in them align to and support the Practicum project as many of them will use the practicum and the subject matter for the assignments. In each course students develop actual work products that end up comprising an actual project applying the discipline of enterprise architecture that is presented, by their team, as part of their project based practicum. Our faculty closely mentors students giving expert reviews, in their on-line work, such that, at the completion of the program, they are often of such quality that they have become actual deliverables to their own organization’s management or to a customer. These projects are presented at the end of the program as part of the Practicum course and many (after review and approval) are published in the FEAC™ EA Zone Journal.

3. What is the certification examination and how does it differ from the final exams in each of the four core courses? Is a Practicum Team Presentation and a final written report also required?

Each of our programs (DOFAF and FEA(F) are divided into five courses; four core courses that can be taken for graduate academic credit and the project-based Practicum. Each core course has a number of on-line assignments and its own final exam, exactly like a college course. On the last two days, before the Team Practicum presentations, all students take an in-class, hand written, open book Certification Examination. This exam is a comprehensive examination on information covering concepts in all of the courses. It lasts about three hours. This is followed by oral presentations (and defenses) of their Teams practicum projects before a faculty panel and their fellow students. In addition, Teams submit written reports covering their practicum’s that often include screen shots of their products along with narrative descriptions.

4. What is the certification authority for FEAC™ Institute’s Programs?

FEAC™ acts as an extension of the California State University East Bay (CSUEB) and CSUEB is the accreditation authoriy that provides our formal Certifications. When the FEAC™ Institute first established its programs in 2002 we partnered with the California State University,the largst University system in the US, to ensure academic oversight over both our content and faculty quality performance. The academic credits earned can be applied to almost all University MS degrees as long as the particular MS advisor approves them. In 2006 National University, a private fully accredited on-line university, also partnered with FEAC™ to provide certification and accepts our courses in three of their online MS Engineering Management degree programs, offering a specialty in Enterprise Architecture. Our certifications are signed by a senior administrative official from the CSU EB and contains the university seals.

5. What is the difference between Certification and a Certificate?

Certification is awarded after candidates successfully complete all requirements in a specific FEA(F)/Commercial or DoDAF Programs and pass the FEAC™ Certification Examinations. This Certification demonstrates their professional level of competence and proficiency in the practice of Enterprise Architecture. A Certificate attests that someone has completed a course of study or attended a determined amount of hours of instruction. FEAC™ provides certificates upon completion for the TOGAF 9 training and our three and five day as well as other workshops or courses.

6. What is the difference between FEAC™ Institute’s short workshops (courses) and the certification programs?

Our short workshops and courses are designed as introductory overviews of the basic concepts and methods in the FEA (F) and DoDAF programs (Please see the Registration Guideline). They range from executive briefings about Enterprise Architecture and “how to get started” workshops to more detailed presentations lasting three to five days that enable individuals to participate on EA teams doing work under senior and certified architects. FEAC™ provides customized workshops for different organizations to meet their specific EA training needs.

7. What is the difference between Continuing Education Units (CEU) and academic credits?

Continuing Education Units (CEU) are given by the Division of Extended and International Education in the University, to provide evidence students have fulfilled the requirements of the Certification program, these are included in the Certification programs free of charge.. Students can elect, instead, to receive academic units for the four core courses in each of our programs minus the practicum. These Credits have been accepted by many accredited universities, and depending on the specific University’s department advisor’s requirements, can and have been used to satisfy part of graduate degree programs. Students take CEU on a credit/no credit basis or pay for the option to receive academic grades for the graduate credits. Each of our programs are accepted by the Program Management Institute towards PMI Re-certification, receiving 200 PDU (Professional Development Units) towards their continuing education requirement upon completion of either program.

8. What are the costs involved, including for receiving getting academic credits?

The cost of the certification programs for the private sector students is $11,000 and $10,000 for Government employees. These costs, remarkably, have been stable, unchanged, since the FEAC’s program’s inception in 2002. These costs when prorated across the over 200 hours of class and contact, per hour of instruction, FEAC™ is the lowest of all Enterprise Architecture training anywhere. The diversity, numbers and excellence of the instructors and faculty however is unmatched. For those who request graduate academic units there is an additional university tuition fee of $2700. Students are invoiced for that amount and the FEAC™ Institute passes this on to California State University East Bay. Bottom line you get what you pay for, but at FEAC, you get much more.

9. What is the relationship of FEAC™ to the Program Management Institute (PMI) Certification?

The FEAC™ Institute is a registered provider for the Program Management Institute. The courses in our respective Certification Programs count towards PMI Certification, and for those already PMI Certified they provide 200 PDU (Professional Development Units) towards the continuing education requirement. In addition our short programs offer 24 PDU for the three day and 40 PDU for the five day sessions.

10. What is the FEAC™ Institute’s Refund Policy?

The FEAC™ Institute’s Policy for REFUND/CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION FEES AND TUITION is as follows:

One hundred percent (100%) refund minus a processing fee will be given to students who drop or withdraw from the FEAC Institute no later than the day of the announced scheduled start date as shown on the official calendar on the Website.
Virtual classroom counts in chronological time at an average of 16 hours per week.
A prorated refund from the first day of instruction (beginning with the first week classroom instruction) up to the day of the announced scheduled start date of the second week classroom will be applied to students who withdraw from the Institute program.
The pro-rata calculation for refunds up to the beginning of the second in class week follow this formula:
Refund Percent = Hours enrolled / 200 hours for the program. (Hours enrolled are 40 hours for the first in-class module plus the hours counted by the weeks/days up to the 60% or the beginning of the second in-class module where each day not in class counts 3.5 hours) Last Day for any pro-rata refund = beginning of the announced start date for the second in-class week (second module). After the second week attendance no refund will be given.

WHERE

1. Where is the FEAC Certification taught?

At your place or ours. The FEAC™ Institute teaches most of our Certification Programs and short courses at the Northern Virginia Campuses of UVA/VA Tech in their Education Center at 7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church, VA. It is one block from the Metro Orange line stop of West Falls Church Station (see: http://www.scps.virginia.edu/maps/nvdirections.htm). On site parking is available. If your organization purchases an entire class we can arrange to teach it at your site. Faculty travel may be added to the cost of delivering on site programs depending on the location. Also, FEAC™ is anticipating Certification classes to be taught on the West Coast of the US and in Europe, soon.

2. Where is the Virtual University (VU)?

The Virtual University is located off of the FEAC Institute’s main web site. It can be reached by clicking the link at the top right of the FEAC™page. The VU is configured using the on-line training system Noodle. All on-line assignments and discussion forums are posted there as well as all assignments and Course resources. The VU is also use for communications between the Faculty and students. Dr. Beryl Bellman is the System Administrator for.

3. Where besides the Northern VA UVA Campus are Classes taught?

The Certification Programs have been taught in Company or Organizational facilities in other States and locations. These can be negotiated based on instructor travel costs and other factors. A west coast certification Class for Do DAF is planned as well as potential classes in Europe.

HOW

1. How many hours of work does the certification program involve?

Each of our programs involves 20 academic quarter units or five four-unit courses. Every course is 40 contact hours for a total of 200 contacts hours combining in class and online instruction. Each program involves two week long (40 hour) in-class sessions and a final two days in class where students take the Certification Exam and present to faculty panels. Between each session students participate in our online virtual university where they participate in discussion forums, work on and submit assignments, create EA products that are given close mentoring and review, interact with fellow students and faculty and take final course exams. Assignments reinforce important concepts and have students create artifacts that are applied to their project-based practicum.

2. How can we work in teams on our practicum?

We encourage students to work in teams. In this way members are able to leverage their respective backgrounds to achieve more than most individuals can alone. Team based learning has been shown to be particularly effective in academic education and in training at all levels. It also provides experience with program and configuration management that mirrors how actual Enterprise Architecture work is done in organizations and agencies. Students are able to submit a number of their assignments as teams, which allows them to provide greater detail and breadth to the products used in their practicum. Typical students use the VU or another on-line service to communicate across distance. Also students hold conference calls as their presentations near.

3. How much do the open (individual sign up) short courses cost?

5-Day EA Boot camp costs $2000.00 per person (convertible to either the Green Belt Certificate or Black Belt CEA Certification Programs during attendance of the course).
3-Day EA Seminar Course costs $1600.00 per person. Other short courses are costed as announced and volume discounts are always available.

4. How many CEAs have you graduated to date and how are they doing?

Since the FEAC™ Institute began in 2002 well over 1100 Certified Enterprise Architects (CEA) have graduated. Another 1100 have been trained in basic or comprehensive classes. Most graduates are doing very well with many having received promotions or better paying jobs within a year of graduation. Many in the government have received promotions.

5. How many different Government organizations have sent people to be Certified by the FEAC™ Institute?

Over 115 different governmental agencies have sent students through the FEAC™ Institute, including Federal, state, local and foreign government organizations.

6. How many different private sector organizations have sent people to be Certified by the FEAC™ Institute?

Over 120 different companies, corporations and other organizations have sent their employees through the FEA Enterprise Architecture Certification Programs.

7. How can work and the time and effort for completing the Certification Program be balanced?

Many students make a request to their employers for a time allocation to allow working on the certification course work and practicum’s. This is supported more easily when students do projects, in their practicum’s, that are “real” work, that can be applied in their companies or organizations, or for a client, they may already be supporting (in this latter case the client should approve of the work being done). An allocation of a half day a week or a couple of hours a day, during the ten weeks, can really help balance the work and course work challenge. Other students have negotiated other deals where, for instance, they won’t leave the company/organization for a year after completion of the course, given their allowable use of some work time to complete it. Delivering real analyses, with stellar models and products that have great value mitigates the “costs of the time” and usually, they are beyond their employers’/clients’ expectations. Integrating the Certification Course with real work is a big selling point to get managers’ support.

WHEN

1.When are VA Benefits accepted?

VA benefits are accepted for the FEAC Certification Programs. When you are ready to register call us for further directions on how to proceed.

2a. When are the Certification Courses taught?

The normal Certification Courses start every quarter (except Summer) usually in the months of September (Fall), April (Spring), and January (Winter). See the calendar on the FEAC Web site for the exact dates of the sessions. Special classes for companies and organizations can be arranged for other times fitted between the normal quarterly programs. FEAC usually does two to three of these extra certification programs every year, so early planning gets better times.

2b. When should I sign up?

You can sign up at any time for the courses that are shown on the web site, which are usually the next three upcoming classes. Some classes, usually the Fall fill up quickly so early registration, if you want the fall class, may be a good idea.

3. When do I pay?

The fee can be paid in installments by contacting FEAC for further information as to how. Fees are usually at the end or some pay up front.

4. When am I finished with Certification?

Certification classes typically last ten to eleven weeks and culminate in two days of finals and practicum team presentations. At the conclusion of the second day assuming all your course work is in and you passed all courses, You are done. You are now a CEA! Wear your FEAC CEA hat and pin proudly.

WHO

1. Who needs to be a Certified EA?

Anyone who is employed in a role associated with Enterprise Architecture can benefit from EA Training and Certification. If you want to change your career into Enterprise Architecture you need certification. If you aspire to be a chief architect at an agency or company, certification will enhance your chances. If you are an engineer and you are looking for a new profession to make a career change, EA Certification may be for you. If you never pursued a master’s degree but now are thinking about it in a business/ technology management related field, EA may be for you. Basically, Enterprise Architecture is for anyone who is looking for a challenging and rewarding career profession that can really make a difference in the future of a company, business or organization

2. Who teaches the Certification Courses?

FEAC™ Faculty and Instructors are some of the most experienced and well known EA practitioners in the industry. From the likes of John Zachman to Dan Appleton, to participants in the creation of the FEAF and DODAF and including other noted authors and practitioners FEAC™ has an unparalleled cadre of highly knowledgeable and experienced EA trainers. Again ask any of our graduates, our CEA Fellows about their experiences and mentoring they received during the course and far after through continuing relationships. Our FEAC™ Faculty are truely an experience un into themselves.

3. Who stands behind the EA Certifications?

The California State University at East Bay stands behind every FEAC Certification issued. In fact the actual certification diplomas come from the Universities and are signed by their provosts and the FEAC™Institute’s executive directorh. All the courses in our programs are fully accredited graduate level college courses.

4. Who should NOT take the EA Certification Courses?

Anyone just starting out without any systems thinking or DB or design work experience or education. The course is 5 graduate quarter courses in ten weeks. That’s like taking 15 hours in college and working a full time job. If you are not committed to being successful or doing what is required to complete the curriculum, don’t start. Wait till you are and can commit to doing the work. Also if you know nothing at all about EA nor planning, project management nor IT, you may have to do some extra work to keep up, so start reading before the class. If you cannot commit to the amount of effort that is required, delay until you can. FEAC will gladly discuss your situation and advise you about your readiness to take on the EA Certification.

5. Who in Government has taken the FEAC Certification?

The FEAC™Institute has trained many of the Chief Architects in the US Federal Government as well as officials of several other foreign governments including Australia and New Zealand. We have certified architects from Mexico, Japan. Korea, Indonesia and the Netherlands. Approximately 20 of the US Government agencies Chief Architects hold CEAs from the FEAC™Institute, including a former Chief architect of the whole US Government. The current Chief Architect of the US in OMB is a former FEAC Faculty, NASA, HHS and the Marine Corps have all certified most of their Architects at the FEAC™Institute. In total more than 450 government architects have received CEAs at the FEAC™Institute.