It has become incredibly cheap to automate constant digital attacks against any individual, Fortune 500 corporation or government system. As a result, we now live in a world where we can assume that everyone is constantly at risk of attack from advanced cyber threats. This new paradigm has led to a boom in cybersecurity careers.
Wilmington College is offering an academic concentration in Cybersecurity Management starting in the fall of 2024. It is one of several new incubator programs available to WC students that will be taught in a hybrid modality by a combination of Wilmington College faculty and instructors nationwide.
Dr. Angela Mitchell, area coordinator and professor of business administration, said studies indicate that cybersecurity professionals earn a median salary of $103,000 and there is virtually zero percent unemployment in the field. In fact, there are currently more than a half million unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States.
“The new program at WC allows the student to develop expertise in the core business concepts while including a focus on industry-specific issues in cybersecurity,” Mitchell said. “The field has strong growth prospects in the next five years and many of the new job openings across these industries are business-focused roles that require less programming knowledge and a greater understanding of systems, structures, threats and opportunities.
“This business-based cyber program was built with these careers in mind,” she added, noting that, with the course offerings, a student can easily add WC’s data analytics minor to expand their programming knowledge.
Within this program, students will assess modern cybersecurity challenges that threaten our privacy, security and safety. They will gain the knowledge and hands-on technical skills required to protect digital assets from cyber criminals who leverage sophisticated social and cyber tactics to facilitate attacks.
Students who complete this curriculum will not only be prepared for a career as a cybersecurity professional but they will also be well-positioned to obtain certifications that will increase their employability later in their career.
Wilmington College will offer on campus such courses as Technical Writing, Project Management, Principles of Management, General Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Management Information Systems. Expert instructors from around the country will instruct such courses as Intro to Cybersecurity, Cybercrime and Governance, Modern Cybersecurity, Network and System Security, Cyber Forensics, Ethical Hacking and How to Get a Job in Cybersecurity.
The College is partnering with Rize Education, which specializes in online education programs. This dynamic allows WC to establish and cultivate new and emerging academic programs, including Public Health, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Sports Nutrition and Cybersecurity Management. Those interested in any of these new programs should contact the Office of Admission at (937) 481-2260.
President Corey Cockerill said the College is “absolutely thrilled to engage these new academic opportunities for our students.”
Representatives from the faculty, Office of Admission and a team of data analysts worked together to identify several new academic programs that align well with the mission, vision and core values of the institution, as well as job market demand, she noted.
“The goal of the incubator approach is to test and evaluate the demand for these programs over time to ensure they are in the best interest of Wilmington College students,” Cockerill added. “This approach also gives us the chance to add full-time faculty positions in high-demand career fields.”
