New Master’s Degree in Cyber Security
In response to the increasing frequency of cyber security threats and costly data breaches, Colorado Christian University has launched a new Master of Science in Cyber Security. The Cyber Security master’s degree will be offered 100% online through CCU’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies. The University will also offer graduate certificates in Cyber Criminology, Cyber Defense, Cyber Offense, and Cyber Policy.
With government, military, public, and private business organizations using the web to both manage and store sensitive information, the need for cyber security specialists to discover, assess, and mitigate cyber attacks is growing exponentially.
“Whenever a new technology is introduced that is connected to the Internet, cyber attacks will follow,” explained Dr. Mellani Day, dean of the Business and Technology Division in CCU’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies. “Learning to combat those threats in an intelligent and ethical fashion is the primary goal of this new degree program.”
CCU’s cyber security programs will be comprehensive, equipping graduates for a variety of vocations within the field — whether it’s on a more technical level or in governance and policy. Highly experience-based, the program will involve learning how to defend against threats within virtual laboratory environments representing different aspects of the computing environment, such as network, application, mobile, and cloud.
Flexibility within the master’s program provides students with a variety of career-focused courses so they can learn more about specialties within cyber security. Graduates will be prepared for roles such as: digital forensic investigator, cyber policy specialist, cyber security director, cyber network analyst, ethical hacker, cyber security architect, cyber criminologist, chief information security officer, information system security officer, and cyber security researcher.
The new online program was developed by Dr. Duane Wilson, a practitioner in the field of cyber security for over 16 years. He believes that CCU is uniquely positioned to train graduates in this discipline because of the Christ-centered worldview that is integrated into all coursework. He consistently attests that “the cyber security problem is not only a technical problem but a human problem.”
“The field of cyber security is analogous to spiritual warfare — where both good and bad forces are trying to gain a competitive advantage,” said Dr. Wilson, director of CCU’s Cyber Security program. “As a Christian university, our goal is to equip students to skillfully and ethically protect institutions and individuals who are vulnerable to cyber attacks.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Dr. Wilson went on to earn a Master of Engineering degree in Computer Science (Cornell University), a Master of Science degree in Security Informatics (Johns Hopkins University), and a Ph.D. in Computer Science (Johns Hopkins University). The balance of both scholastic and operational experience allows him to have insight into both the theory and practice of cyber security.
As a subject matter expert in cyber technology research, Dr. Wilson’s areas of expertise range from cyber security, business development, computer science engineering, to network protection.
The master’s in Cyber Security and the cyber security certificate programs at CCU are now accepting admission applications for classes that start in the spring 2019 semester.
For more information on our cyber security degrees, visit ccu.edu/cybersecurity.