Requirements or budget is not a problem for me. I was thinking about CMU and other Ivy Leagues but they only have “Computer science” major or top ranked in computer science. I am not sure if Cyber security is a major or minor or a program? Like how do you go into cyber security field even? Also, which univ or college is best?
From what I understand, almost people in cyber security who hold degrees major in computer science. Computer science will give you a better understanding of things like software engineering (and you can take security related classes), which will leave you with a wider range of opportunities after graduation. I don’t know of any places that offer a cyber security major.
I think Stevens has a cyber major
There is no cyber security major. You have to start with computer science, and within computer science, there are a few cyber security classes you can take at most colleges.
Get the best undergraduate education you can with a broad study of CS and higher level math, also take courses in things like psychology, linguistics, and government to round out your foundational work.
Nobody is going to higher a cyber security ‘expert’ fresh out of undergrad because there’s no such thing. Employers will be looking for graduate degrees or broadly experienced people with undergraduate degrees when highering for cyber security positions.
Champlain College has a major called “Computer Networking and Cyber Security.”
Stevens Institute offers a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity.
Okay… So if I major in computer science as undergrad and then take cyber security related courses would be enough? Is there no minor or maybe something like master degree for cyber security?
You could join the PPP hacking team at CMU and/or get involved in doing undergrad research in the CyLab there.
Yes. The only thing you should check is that schools offer cybersecurity classes or concentrations.
Northeastern has a Cyber Operations concentration and lots of government connections (and a co-op program where people often go work for those government agencies). UMD-CP has a specific program called ACES and of course DC is a short skip away. Stevens has been mentioned upthread. There are plenty of other schools not mentioned with good CS programs and cybersecurity courses that will more than suffice.
Here is a link about Cyber Security education at UMD-CP
There are certainly Cyber Security majors out there. The University of Texas at San Antonio has one of the best Cyber Security programs in the nation. The school itself is not a top rated university but the Cyber Security program is very well regarded.
You don’t need the major though. Check out the NSA’s list of “Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations”:
https://www.nsa.gov/resources/educators/centers-academic-excellence/cyber-operations/centers.shtml
Many of the degrees are CS degrees with concentrations in cybersecurity.
This list could also be helpful - the page has a security error ironically despite being a government website, so it may not be visible easily:
https://www.iad.gov/nietp/reports/current_cae_designated_institutions.cfm
Adding a security exception in Firefox works to view if needed.
This seems like a legitimate list -
While that list has some positive aspects, much is irrelevant:
CS department size/cybersecurity degree number can correlate a bit, but not when outweighed by the 50% best colleges for vets.
I think the NSA designations + cybersecurity reputation (if good data/recs can be found) + general CS ranks would be a much better metric.
Ah, I was actually just linking to the Military Times list in order to provide the names of more schools that offer a BS in Cybersecurity. There are so few schools that even offer it that I wasn’t even thinking about ranking them.
Older daughter works in cybersecurity at one of the major tech firms. She did not attend CMU or an Ivy League school, and she did not take any cybersecurity courses in college. I concur with the advice that you want to get the best possible undergrad education you can, with a broad study of CS and higher level math. And I would add that having an interesting range of abilities/experiences (shown by your internships, for example), being able to quickly teach yourself a subject, and having a strong resume are all helpful.
CS, math (particularly algebra and number theory), and social sciences would be among the more applicable things that one could study in college for computer security.
There are many schools with Cyber Security degrees surprizingly they are usually not part of the computer science department. They are mostly part of the business school. Check out St. Johns, Pace, Roger Williams, Penn State, Stevens Instutute of Technology.
The CyberCorps participating institutions list is another good source for colleges that offer coursework and industry/government contacts for cybersecurity jobs:
I think UMD-College Park is the best in the country for cyber security. Remember cyber security is more than just defense. There’s the offensive side to the field.