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Undergraduates interested in cybersecurity and learning how to address the public policy issues surrounding it have a new degree option this fall at UT Dallas.
More facets of daily life are tied to online resources than ever before. As the digital world evolves, the workforce charged with its security will need to respond in kind.
To answer this demand, The University of Texas at Dallas has introduced a new interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree that offers students the technical knowledge to develop secure systems and the background required to address legal and ethical considerations around these defensive efforts.
The Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity technology and policy, offered through the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), began this fall.
Dr. Rym Zalila-Wenkstern, professor and interim department head of computer science in the Jonsson School, and Memduh Tura PhD’14, associate professor of practice in cybersecurity and public policy in EPPS, jointly coordinate the new program, which was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“Cybersecurity is a public policy problem as much as a technical one,” said Tura, who also directs the Master of Science in cyber security, policy and technology program in EPPS. “When ransomware hits a hospital or a city government, the questions that follow are about governance: Who was responsible for the decision? What does the law require? How should the public be told? Who pays for the solution?
“Students who only know the technology can’t answer those questions. That is why policy and governance courses are a core part of this new undergraduate degree.”
“Cybersecurity is a public policy problem as much as a technical one. When ransomware hits a hospital or a city government, the questions that follow are about governance. … Students who only know the technology can’t answer those questions. That is why policy and governance courses are a core part of this new undergraduate degree.”
Memduh Tura PhD’14, associate professor of practice in cybersecurity and public policy
Driving the need for increased cybersecurity is the rising use of artificial intelligence (AI) in daily activities at individual, organizational and national levels.
“From phishing attacks to unintentional hacking of businesses by AI agents, to data breaches affecting millions, the threats facing public and private sectors are quickly growing in scale and sophistication,” said Dr. Ovidiu Daescu, professor of computer science and a Jonsson School Chair.
“As technology evolves, so too must the professionals tasked with defending it,” said Daescu, who helped develop the new degree program.
Graduates of the program are expected to enter a high-demand job market as the need for cybersecurity analysts and policy advisors, systems architects and digital forensics specialists grows. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of information security analysts to increase 21% from 2025 to 2035, adding about 40,000 jobs.
“Cybersecurity is about more than protecting systems and networks; it’s also about understanding people, organizations and the policies that shape how technology is used,” said Dr. Kamil Sarac, professor of computer science who also helped design the degree program, along with Dr. Kevin Hamlen, the Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor of computer science and executive director of the Cyber Security Research and Education Institute, and Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham, professor of computer science and the Founders Chair in Engineering and Computer Science.
“This program is ideal for students who want to bridge technology and policy, tackle complex real-world challenges, and help shape a more secure digital future,” Sarac concluded.
“This program is ideal for students who want to bridge technology and policy, tackle complex real-world challenges, and help shape a more secure digital future.”
Dr. Kamil Sarac, professor of computer science
For Daescu, UT Dallas is an ideal environment for students to meet this challenge.
“For more than two decades, computer science at UT Dallas has been known for its expertise in cybersecurity and has received national recognition in both research and education, including National Security Agency certifications for education, research and cyberoperations, while attracting millions of dollars for cybersecurity research,” Daescu said. “The new degree program is student-centric; it is designed to respond to emerging and future trends and to give our students unmatched educational experience and technical skills.”
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