The Placement Cybersecurity Bachelor's Degree Programs at Academic Institutions in the United States of America

Abstract

Cybersecurity is a growing field with one of the highest growth rates. The cybersecurity workforce gap and the number of qualified professionals are evidently globally scarce. Building the job market begins with education; however, there are significant variations among cybersecurity programs at higher education institutions. While a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity offers a gateway to a rewarding, high-demand career with job security and a well-compensated income, its prestige is often underappreciated. The study aimed to identify the different placements of cybersecurity bachelor’s programs at universities designated by the Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) in the U.S. This paper reviews the literature on cybersecurity market demand and compares it with that of other prestigious careers, including demand, income, and educational requirements. Using a qualitative methodology, the researcher collected data through interviews with 20 cybersecurity program directors and senior faculty members. The open-ended question interviews provided interesting, eye-opening insights into cybersecurity bachelor’s programs with the CAE-C designation. The findings presented a wide variety of current cybersecurity program placements and differences in structure and job preparation methods. I concluded that higher education in cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary field that lacks standardization and structure, thereby hindering efforts to close the workforce gap. Future research could include replicating the study in other countries to compare the results.