New Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Launched

In an effort to meet the growing demand for professionals trained in protecting data and computer systems, The College of Saint Rose has launched a bachelor’s degree program in Cybersecurity. Students can enroll now in the program for the Fall 2018 semester.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education forecasted that the number of unfilled jobs in cybersecurity worldwide will grow to approximately 3.5 million by 2021.

The new Cybersecurity degree takes a holistic approach to the field. Students receive a solid foundation in computer science while also taking courses in criminal justice, business, mathematics, and psychology. The program encourages students to understand more than just the technology. They learn about law and how businesses are structured, allowing them to view the problems facing cybersecurity professionals in context and arrive at solutions that work.

“Our society loves technology, but is still fairly uninformed as to how it works, which makes all of us vulnerable to cyber attacks, and we read about these breaches every day in the news,” said Interim Dean of the School of Mathematics and Sciences Ian MacDonald, who is also a computer science faculty member. “I’m really proud to have this program at Saint Rose. It provides the foundation of what Cybersecurity graduates will need to know to be successful in the field. Students get a strong background in computer science and information technology, but beyond that, we teach them about businesses organization, psychology, and criminal justice. It allows graduates to approach defending our data in a holistic way.”

The program requires two virtual internships, which means students work through hands-on activities with mentors from the cybersecurity industry and receive real-world experience prior to graduation. The program builds on an existing course at Saint Rose called “Insider Threat,” which links students with seasoned cybersecurity experts working in the field who act as teachers, mentors, and advisors.

“The launch of this new program in Cybersecurity is significant for Saint Rose, as we work to meet the growing demands of industry, but hold true to our mission of developing well-rounded students who understand the complex nature of any field,” said Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco. “We believe we offer an ideal learning environment for the next generation of Cybersecurity professionals. Our technology classes are never any larger than 24 students. Also, nearly half of the Computer Science faculty are women, exposing students to a more diverse perspective in a typically male-dominated STEM field. We look forward to producing the next group of Cybersecurity professionals, who are not only experts, but leaders.”

For more on the new degree program visit the program page.

The new degree in Cybersecurity is the ninth new degree program announced by Saint Rose since last spring. It is the fourth degree related to technology since that time. A new master’s degree program in Business Analytics was launched in the Fall 2017, and new master’s degree programs in Computer Science and Information Technology were announced in early March 2018.