Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap: Aligning QUT's Master of Cyber Security (IN29) with Industry Needs

Abstract

Australia’s demand for cybersecurity expertise is growing faster than the supply of qualified professionals, and this imbalance is unlikely to be resolved soon, with industry observers suggesting the nation remains “at least 10 years behind.” This research investigates the alignment and disparity between the competencies taught in postgraduate cybersecurity education and those required by industry, with a focus on the Master of Cyber Security program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). An online survey was distributed to fifty-nine participants, including employers, cybersecurity professionals, current students, and QUT alumni. The results suggest that technical skills such as incident response, cloud security, network security and AI-driven security are among the most in need, along with professional skills like teamwork and problem-solving. However, graduates were identified to be least prepared in, AI-driven security, incident response and cloud security, emphasising the requirement for more practical learning. SOC/lab-based experience and Industry certifications were discovered to be strong predictors of job readiness. The findings highlight the importance of combining certification pathways, industry-oriented training and hands-on projects into cybersecurity programs to improve graduate workforce alignment and employability.