Cybersecurity - Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Core infrastructure including financial, medical and military systems, water, gas and oil pipelines, the electrical grid, communications, weather forecasting, GPS navigation/guidance systems and other critical social systems rely heavily on software and computer systems. These computing-based systems are fundamental to modern society and are constantly under attack and stress from natural disasters and man-made malicious threats ranging from minor crimes to military-style cyberwarfare.  To preserve our way of life, it is imperative that we secure and safeguard these critical computer systems. This exigent need has accelerated the growth and advancement of Cybersecurity as a vital and indispensable aspect of our current and foreseeable computing landscape.

The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree emphasizes core concepts, principles, skills, and robust practices for designing, developing, and maintaining highly-secure computing systems and protecting them from diverse threats and attacks. The program also emphasizes best practices of cybersecurity from a societal, organizational, ethical, and human-factors perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of this multifaceted field. The courses in the degree program are carefully fine-tuned from the ground-up to provide the necessary depth and breadth to maximize opportunities for graduates to find employment in diverse industries (including hardware, software, health, finance, etc.), the government, military, and academia. Moreover, the curriculum prepares students to pursue professional certifications (such as Network+, Security+, etc.) as needed.

A high school background in computers is not necessary to major in cybersecurity because the program includes introductory courses needed for the major. However,  it is desirable to have an interest in analytical thinking and problem solving, an aptitude for mathematics, and a curiosity to delve into the workings of computers and technology.

Cybersecurity graduates are in very high demand. Their salaries are in the top three highest paying jobs in computing fields with a median salary of about $100,000 per year. The demand is so high that 40,000 jobs for security professionals go unfilled in the U.S. each year according to Forbes and employers are struggling to fill 200,000 other cybersecurity-related roles. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects cybersecurity analysts to be the fastest-growing employment sector with a growth rate of 31% in the next ten years. These factors collectively make Cybersecurity a lucrative and highly-fulfilling career path. Graduates with the BS in Cybersecurity work in a variety of roles such as "Security analyst", "Cyber defense analyst", "Cybersecurity Analyst", and "Data security analyst", to name a few.

Program Requirements