With UNCW’s recent designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, graduates now have an advantage in the competitive cyber security job market.

The designation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA) recognizes UNCW’s Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a minor in cyber security, a collaborative degree program with courses in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Cameron School of Business. Institutions must meet rigorous requirements to receive the designation by the federal government.

“UNCW is excited to become one of only 267 higher education institutions in the U.S. to be recognized as a CAE-CDE,” said Ulku Clark, professor of management information systems.

The program prepares UNCW students for cyber security careers in both the public and private sectors, a field that shows strong growth and high earnings potential.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that the demand for information security analysts will grow 28 percent between 2016 and 2026, much faster than the average for other occupations. Last year, the median salary for information security analysts was over $95,000.

The growing cost of cybercrime and need to protect the integrity of computer networks across the country has led to an increase in demand for cybersecurity professionals. The DHS and NSA note the importance of “broadening the pool of skilled workers with cyber defense expertise capable of supporting a cyber-secure nation, and ultimately contributing to the protection of the national information infrastructure.”

“CAE designation opens the door to numerous job and scholarship opportunities that are available only to students studying at CAE institutions,” said Clark. “We look forward to continuing to train future information security professionals.”

For more information about the program or UNCW’s Center for Cyber Defense, contact Ulku Clark.

Aswani Volety, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington,  Executive Director of the UNCW Center for Marine Science, and a professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology. Volety earned a Ph.D. in marine science from the College of William & Mary, and a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Andhra University. The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing over 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately three quarters of the university’s academic credits. Volety serves as the chief academic, fiscal and administrative officer of the college, which is responsible for educating students across the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. Volety is also past president of the Southern Association of Marine Labs.To learn more about the UNCW College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.uncw.edu/cas. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].