The Board of Regents for Higher Education have approved the plan to offer a 4-year degree for Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity at Rose State College
Rose State said, “the degree will give students a better opportunity to pursue careers in cybersecurity through a detailed and focused curriculum. The College now starts the HLC accreditation process for offering 4-year degrees before students can start enrolling.”
The National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security has recognized Rose State’s program in cyber security that prepares students with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to face the ever changing field of cyber security.
Students will gain access to resources and technology through the new Tannenbaum Aerospace and Cyber Security Center.
Rose State has worked alongside Tinker Air Force Base and other industry partners in aerospace healthcare, banking and IT (Internet Technology) to face the workforce demand.
Rose State President Dr. Jeanie Webb said, “By offering a 4-year degree in cyber security, we can provide students with expanded opportunities to excel in this critical field. Our commitment to excellence, combined with our exceptional curriculum and supportive learning environment, ensures that our graduates are well-prepared to address the cybersecurity challenges of the future.”
Oklahoma Higher Education system had just 840 graduates in cyber security and cyber-adjacent fields between 2015 and 2019.
According to predictions from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce there will about 2,000 new cyber security jobs for the next five years.
For Tinker Airforce Base they are anticipating nearly 10,000 cyber security jobs over the next five years. There also will be more civilian jobs in cyber security positions in contractor support, finance and healthcare.
The Dean of Business and Information Technology Dr. Charles DeSassure says, “Rose State has consistently been a pioneer in cybersecurity education through our highly acclaimed two-year degree in the field…with the introduction of the new 4-year degree, Rose State is positioned to make an immediate positive impact on unmet local, regional, state and national workforce needs by producing quality Bachelor of Applied Technology graduates with certificates and credentials that align with top industry standards.”
The impact will be significant in that it fills a need for people who can deal with protecting not only national security but also helps to answer the important needs of how this technology can create risk then through these highly trained individuals implement critical solutions to those problems.
