Cybersecurity Degree Program Introduced
May 12, 2017
Addressing a growing national need, Hudson Valley Community College has created a new associate degree program aimed at educating cybersecurity professionals. The Cybersecurity A.S. program is currently accepting students for the fall.
The degree combines criminal justice and computer information systems coursework with a strong base of liberal arts courses to prepare students for transfer into bachelor's degree programs in Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity and other related programs. The college has already established transfer articulation agreements with several SUNY schools, including the University at Albany, that offer related bachelor's degree programs.
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career categories in the United States and around the globe, with plentiful job opportunities for qualified graduates in business, finance, health care, government and dozens of other industries. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of growth for jobs in information security is projected at 18 percent from 2014–2024 — faster than the average for all other occupations. A 2015 report from Cisco estimates there are one million cybersecurity job openings globally and demand is expected to rise to 6 million globally by 2019.
"This new degree is the result of a collaboration between two of our outstanding academic departments – Computing and Information Sciences and Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Public Administration," said President Drew Matonak. "We are drawing on the expertise of faculty from both departments and working with partners, like the University at Albany, to ensure smooth transfer for our graduates to baccalaureate degrees."
The Cybersecurity degree already has transfer articulation agreements with UAlbany, which offers a Digital Forensics B.S. degree. The university will soon be the home for a new School of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, which may offer even more transfer possibilities for graduates of the A.S. program. The college also has transfer agreements with Alfred State College, which offers a B.Tech degree in Cyber Security.
A dedicated computer lab has been created on campus for the new degree program, which can support digital forensics and computer security research and teaching on both current and legacy platforms through virtualization.
For more information about the new programs, contact Dr. Ann Geisendorfer, department chair for Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Public Administration, at a.geisendorfer@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-7342.
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Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Science; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of nearly 11,500 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 80,000 alumni.