Kellogg Community College Adds Cybersecurity Degree Program

Phishing, hacking, spoofing, phreaking, malware. All are becoming household words. Most of us now get at least some basic training on how to recognize computer threats and how to protect sensitive information. Now with the vast majority of Michigan workers forced to conduct professional duties from home, online security is taking on a whole new level of importance in the last two months. And the demand for people who know how to effectively deal with internet bad guys is growing.

Kellogg Community College is taking steps to help fill the void.  KCC this fall is starting a new 62 credit Associate in Applied Science in CyberSecurity degree program. Dr. Dean Baskin is KCC’s Dean of Workforce Development.  He says the program will help get KCC’s students in line for high paying entry-level cybersecurity positions. Graduates of the program will be positioned for immediate work or the potential of transferring to a four-year university for more advanced level course work.

The U.S. Commerce Department is actively involved in promoting cybersecurity training. Its Cyberseek program is in place in part, to help track information security jobs around the country.  The program shows that as of today, 8.700 cybersecurity jobs are open in Michigan alone. Nationwide, employers have more than one half million jobs posted.

Mike Gagnon is KCC’s Director of Business and Information Technology. He says the cybersecurity classes will use content and outcomes aligned with industry standards. That’s to help ensure students get the right training to make their skills attractive to employers. Visit KCC's program information page to learn more.

For more information about the current job market for cybersecurity professionals, visit the CyberSeek website.