LEWISTON, Idaho – With the Idaho State Board of Education’s recent approval, Lewis-Clark State College will begin offering a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity management, starting in the fall 2022 semester.
The college already offers a 10-credit certificate in cybersecurity.
According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report from October last year, the demand for cybersecurity jobs will grow by as much as 31 percent over the next decade, which is much higher than the average expected growth for all occupations. The median pay for an information security analyst in 2020 was a little more than $100,000 a year, according to the BLS.
The degree and certificate will be available fully online and uses a combination of computer programming, business management and cybersecurity classes. The degree focuses on industry needs and skills, while preparing students for high-demand careers in the field.
Students will learn a variety of concepts dealing with cybersecurity, including the basics of the computer side of security, business laws, and human relations. Students will see how those areas work together to create a secure, safe, and legal computer environment in today’s business world.
Students are able to use the Security Operations Center (SOC) on the LC State campus to apply their knowledge. There are two SOCs for students to use, including one on main campus and one at the Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center. LC State’s SOCs are connected through the IRON network to SOCs at each of the eight Idaho institutions of higher education as well as the Idaho National Laboratory.
Students can complete the entire degree at LC State or they can enter the program for the final two years with an existing associate degree in cybersecurity or a closely related field, such as information assurance, networking or information technology. The degree path is also available to transfer students from two-year colleges that LC State has articulation agreements with.
The program will be part of the offerings from the Business & Computer Science Division at LC State.
For more information on the program, visit its website or email business@lcsc.edu.