Penn State Lehigh Valley to offer degree in cybersecurity

In response to a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals, Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley is launching a new four-year degree program in the field.

The school said that cybercrimes cost organizations an average of $13 million per year and the number of security breaches has grown by 11 percent over the last year.

A Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations (CYAOP) will be offered starting fall 2020.

“A degree in cybersecurity from Penn State Lehigh Valley will provide our students a desired skillset that is in high demand at the professional level. They’ll be able to take advantage of the numerous internship and job opportunities in the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia areas,” said  Dan Jalosinski, information security and risk analysis analyst at Johnson and Johnson who is a 2020 PSU-LV alumnus with a degree in information sciences and technology.

The program is offered through a University College Statewide Consortium with Penn State Beaver, Brandywine, Greater Allegheny, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, Shenango and York. Six focus areas allow CYAOP students to create a custom application sequence for further study.

These focus areas include Application Development, Geopolitics, Law and Policy, Economics, Health Care and Custom Application.

“A degree in cybersecurity prepares students with hands-on technical cyber defense strategies, risk management and data-driven cybersecurity experience,” said Tina Q. Richardson, chancellor of Penn State Lehigh Valley. “Graduates of the program enter a profession with great salaries, flexibility and high levels of job satisfaction.”