ADELPHI, MD – University of Maryland University College (UMUC) announced today that it is launching bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in cybersecurity. These programs were created in response to calls from Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to establish Maryland as a cybersecurity hub, and from President Barack Obama to increase the cybersecurity expertise among the federal workforce. The new degree programs will launch this fall.
“UMUC’s mission is to offer top-quality educational programs that respond to the needs of our state, nation and world,” said UMUC President Susan C. Aldridge. “Our new undergraduate and graduate level cybersecurity programs address the critical need to protect our nation’s vital and growing cyber infrastructure and to address the serious workforce shortages of highly skilled professionals within the cybersecurity industry.”
The bachelor’s program in cybersecurity will prepare graduates to be leaders in the techniques, policies, operational procedures, and technologies that secure and defend the integrity, authentication and confidentiality of information and information systems. The degree requires students to complete 41 credits in general education and 33 credits of major coursework. Students can choose to complete the program fully online or in a hybrid format that combines online study with face-to-face instruction.
UMUC’s master’s degree program in cybersecurity will provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to the field. The curriculum will incorporate theories from different disciplines—including management, law, ethics, science, technology, business, psychology and sociology—in an effort to provide students with a broader analytical framework for evaluating and solving cybersecurity problems. As in the bachelor’s program, students will be able to complete the graduate program fully online or in a hybrid format that combines online study with face-to-face instruction. Completing a UMUC master’s degree in cybersecurity will require a total of 36 credits of coursework, consisting of six 6-credit sequential courses. Students will also be required to complete special internship projects.
While the cybersecurity programs are new, they spring from existing information assurance degree programs that have been in place since 2002. The two disciplines are interrelated, but the methodologies used and areas of emphasis are different. The information assurance program focused on individual solutions such as access control, encryption and compliance, while the cybersecurity program will focus on coherent solutions comprising the effectiveness of integrated and coordinated security measures.
UMUC is recognized by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
For more information, contact: Kerry O'Neill Phone: 410-902-5035 Email: koneill@mghus.com