College of Letters and Sciences
A faculty member speaks in front of a Cyber 101 class.

CYBERSECURITY

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Secure a bright future.

Prepare yourself for one of the most in-demand professions in the United States by pursuing a cybersecurity major. You’ll learn how to identify, prevent, detect, and respond to security attacks that endanger the safety of property and people. If a cybersecurity career is right for you, there is a demand for cybersecurity professionals to protect the country in both private and public sectors.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in cybersecurity are among the fastest-growing professions. Between 2022 and 2032, roles as an information security analyst are expected to grow by 32 percent with a median salary of $112,000.

Cybersecurity professionals are well compensated. CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), lists average cybersecurity career salary figures:

  • Cybersecurity analyst: $107,346 per year
  • Cybersecurity engineer: $131,786 per year
  • Cybersecurity manager/administrator: $150,946

4-year plan


The National Cyber Director stands in front of a small crowd and talks with his hands.

White House at UW-Whitewater: National Cyber Director visits campus

Representatives from the White House, including National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr., and Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Rob Shriver, joined UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff for a day of engagement and learning.

Read about the visit

Why study Cybersecurity at UW-Whitewater?

Aligned with the experts.

UW-Whitewater’s cybersecurity program is designed to align with the National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) program and Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) program requirements.

Equipped to fit your skillset and interests.

The cybersecurity major includes three emphases:

  • The general emphasis, a 42-credit program, allows students to pursue an additional minor or major of interest.
  • The comprehensive emphasis, which includes 57 credits, allows students to study multiple aspects of cybersecurity in depth with solid foundations in computer science, mathematics, and information technology.
  • The cyber operations emphasis, 60 credits, provides a smooth transfer path for students with associate degrees in cybersecurity from two-year technical colleges.

What our Cybersecurity students do

Icon of a magnifying glass and a piece of paper. Conduct undergraduate research with experienced faculty
Icon of a lightbulb. Design and implement actionable security solutions
Icon of three computers connecting. Engage in cybersecurity competitions and software development projects

Hands-on learning experiences

A group of people tour a technology room in Hyland Hall with a green screen and computer screens.

 

Cybersecurity Center for Business (CCB)
A collaboration among UW-Whitewater’s Department of Computer Science, nationally renowned College of Business and Economics and Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the Cybersecurity Center for Business offers cybersecurity education, research, and outreach for organizations and learners in Wisconsin. The CCB provides practical learning experiences for cybersecurity students through three programs:

  • Support small and medium-sized businesses and organizations in rural areas by protecting them against security breaches such as ransomware attacks, as part of the WiSys NSF Engines Grant.
  • Engage in real-world scenarios, new attacker techniques and live-fire attack simulations at the Cybersecurity Range, an immersive, hands-on skill development platform for security practitioners of all levels.
  • Help create awareness and promote best practices in cybersecurity — and help companies pursue Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification — through the DoD WISECURED Grant.

Undergraduate research
UW-Whitewater’s Undergraduate Research Program gives students the opportunity to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom and dive deeper into their field of interest. Cybersecurity majors will have opportunities throughout their undergraduate careers to engage in this hands-on research with our talented, experienced faculty members.

Thinking in Code Learning Community
UW-Whitewater invites first-year students to live and study with peers who share similar interests through Learning Communities. The Thinking in Code Learning Community is specifically designed for students who are passionate about computer science, a subject central to the cybersecurity curriculum. Students will have opportunities to get involved in community-wide activities that will provide life-long learning skills and ease the transition from high school to college with a focus on exploration of computer technology and how it is transforming human intelligence in the physical world.

Campus and community involvement

As a Cybersecurity major, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in UW-Whitewater’s Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) chapter. The goal of the group is for its members to discover and develop a passion for cybersecurity through presentations from professional speakers, hands-on labs, and fun activities. The chapter travels annually to conferences such as CypherCon and Cybersecurity Forward.

What our graduates do

Icon of a arrows. Network vulnerability testing
Icon of an i with a circle around it. Incident analysis, investigation, and response
Icon of a laptop. Security analysis, consultation, engineering, and management

Careers: What can you do with a Cybersecurity degree?

Students who receive their degree in Cybersecurity can find employment opportunities in a wide variety of corporations, state and federal agencies, research laboratories, and other organizations.

Here is a sampling of organizations where our graduates have been employed:

  • Acuity
  • Baker Tilly
  • CUNA Mutual
  • Discover Financial Services
  • Lake Mills School District
  • Northwestern Mutual

Cybersecurity career paths typically include the following job titles:

  • Security analyst
  • Security auditor
  • Security consultant
  • Security engineer
  • Security architect
  • Security manager/director
  • Forensic analyst
  • Incident responder
  • Penetration tester

Interested in pursuing an advanced degree following graduation? UW-Whitewater offers an online Master of Science in Cybersecurity.

Thomas McCulloch.

Hired Before Graduation

Thomas McCulloch, a first-generation college student from Baraboo, Wisconsin, earned a B.S. in cybersecurity and was accepted to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater pursuing a Master of Science in cybersecurity in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

Toby Misch.

Hired Before Graduation

Toby Misch, from Elgin, Illinois, earned a B.S. in cybersecurity and was hired as an IT helpdesk analyst with Randstad Digital in Waukegan, Illinois.

"My proudest achievement is graduating college. My second is pushing myself to engage with the Whitewater community, and my third is being able to grow as a person throughout my four years at UW-Whitewater. I would like to acknowledge Jiazhen Zhou, who really helped me get my college career together!"

Mark Czechowski.

Hired Before Graduation

Mark Czechowski, from Brookfield, Wisconsin, earned a B.S. in cybersecurity and was hired as a risk advisory consultant with Baker Tilly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Our Cybersecurity faculty

A devotion to education and research.

UW-Whitewater’s Cybersecurity faculty are committed to student success. Their research involves undergraduate and graduate students in targeting the latest security and privacy threats across numerous application areas, including the Internet of Things (IoT), web applications, and healthcare. Our faculty members are actively involved with community and industry partners, and they regularly attend and present at state and national cybersecurity forums to share their expertise in building more secure information systems.

Want to learn more about earning a degree in Cybersecurity?
262-472-1666 | cs@uww.edu

UW-Whitewater offers the following Cybersecurity undergraduate options:

* Requires an associate degree from an institution that has an articulation agreement with UW-Whitewater

Minors:

In addition to UW-Whitewater’s general education requirements, as a Cybersecurity major, you’ll take a variety of core and elective classes that will vary based on your chosen emphasis. Here’s an example of classes most Cybersecurity majors will take:

  • Cryptography and Network Security
  • Data Structures
  • Digital Forensics
  • Intrusion Detection and Incident Responses
  • Operating Systems
  • Malware Analysis
  • Systems Security Engineering

To apply, you’ll complete the UW-Whitewater standard application for admission and indicate your interest in earning a degree in Cybersecurity.

Apply Now

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