In a data-driven world, security professionals have become essential defenders dedicated to protecting sensitive data, intellectual assets and networks from theft and cyber threats. With top research firms asserting that by 2021, global cybercrime damages will exceed $6 trillion per year, the demand for highly skilled cybersecurity experts is at an all-time high.
FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) is responding to this demand by offering a bachelor’s and master’s degree in cybersecurity.
Taught by industry leaders and top researchers, both degree pathways are designed to train students for jobs in areas such as data security, systems security management and network threat analysis. Program students will work on solutions to high-tech 21st-century problems, such as how to safeguard devices, software and data from cyber threats as well as protect power grids from hackers.
The curriculum ties in with FIU’s other cybersecurity education and research efforts.
As part of the undergraduate program, students will complete a capstone project on security, working collaboratively with information technology and computer science students. They also will engage in research early on in their college career through programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), such as the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and FIU’s Discovery Lab.
Undergraduate and graduate students interested in scholarship opportunities can explore The CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program at FIU, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The SFS is a prestigious opportunity for FIU students that provides them with scholarships in cybersecurity education and training.
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is the leading analyst of job outlook statistics in the U.S., the number of cybersecurity positions is expected to grow by 32 percent through 2028, with a current median annual salary of $99,730 nationwide ($91,580 in Florida) – more than twice the median wage for all occupations.