Penn State Lehigh Valley launches new degree in Cybersecurity

Cybercrimes cost organizations an average of $13 million, with the number of security breaches in the last year growing by 11%. Given the increased demand for cybersecurity professionals, Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) is offering a bachelor of science degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations (CYAOP) starting fall 2020.

“A degree in cybersecurity from Penn State Lehigh Valley will provide our students a desired skill set that is in high demand at the professional level. They’ll be able to take advantage of the numerous internship and job opportunities in the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia areas, by utilizing the Penn State brand recognition and the technological knowledge you will gain from this program,” said Dan Jalosinski, information security and risk analysis analyst at Johnson and Johnson who is a 2020 PSU-LV alumnus with a degree in information sciences and technology and now works in cybersecurity. “This is a perfect path for anyone looking for an in-demand career that will always be changing, evolving, and exciting.”

CYAOP is offered through a University College Statewide Consortium with Penn State Beaver, Brandywine, Greater Allegheny, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, Shenango and York. Six focus areas allow CYAOP students to create a custom application sequence for further study. These focus areas include application development, geopolitics, law and policy, economics, health care and custom application. The consortium allows students the opportunity to learn from instructors who are experts in their field and with class sizes that allow for maximum learning and application of the skills learned in class.

“If you enjoy working on computer operating systems and applications and want to protect digital information, data stores and networks from threats, CYAOP is the degree for you,” said Kermit Burley, program coordinator for CYAOP, Penn State Lehigh Valley. “Through semester long projects, students gain teamwork, project management and collaboration skills. When they graduate, they have technical expertise, business savvy and the versatility that employers want.”

For more information about CYAOP, contact Kermit Burley at kmb6846@psu.edu or call the Admissions Office at 610-285-5035.