The cybersecurity program in the College of Engineering and Computer Science has been ranked No. 1 by Military Times.
This was the first time that Military Times evaluated cybersecurity programs. The rankings are based on academic rigor and efforts to recruit and work with veterans at colleges and universities.
“The strength of cybersecurity education at Syracuse University stems from our belief that technology, policy and people must work in tandem to keep America safe—the theme of the interdisciplinary curricula in our Cyber Engineering Semester,” says Teresa Dahlberg, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “The men and women that defend our country are ideally suited to master the skills needed to protect us from devastating attacks on our computing networks and infrastructure.”
Syracuse University is routinely recognized for its work to welcome veterans to its campus and programs. In 2016, the College of Engineering and Computer Science earned the Engineering Excellence for Veterans Award from the American Society of Engineering Education.
Currently, the Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges 2017 ranking places Syracuse University as the No. 1 private school in the country for service members, military veterans and their families.
“Syracuse University has a 100-year history of providing opportunity and empowerment to veterans,” says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation, executive director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School. “Through IVMF education and career training programs, and their military experience, our students are uniquely qualified, particularly in this critical cyber defense field, to pursue successful careers and make immediate impacts in one of the most highly sought-after careers in the country.”
Cybersecurity at the University addresses an acute need in the military, government and industry sectors for specialists in key aspects of cybersecurity. The programs challenge students to develop solutions for today’s issues and future threats.
The cybersecurity programs include the undergraduate Cyber Engineering Semester in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory to immerse students in cybersecurity training. About half of the students are ROTC cadets. Additional programs are the certificate of advanced study in cybersecurity, master’s and online master’s in cybersecurity in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Cybersecurity is a rapidly developing field. A Forbes article recently estimated that the market will grow from $75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020. In 2015, about 209,000 cybersecurity jobs in the United States were unfilled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
In creating the list, Military Times weighted academic performance as one of the top factors for the ranking. The remaining factors included the number of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-accredited computer science programs, the number of Centers of Academic Excellence designations, and the proportion of degrees awarded at a school that fall under computer science and computer security, respectively.
Data was provided by schools in the survey, as well as federal data and public information specific to computer science and cybersecurity. Federal data came from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education and Veterans Affairs.
To see the full rankings and survey methodology, click here.
