“As cybersecurity becomes more of a challenge across all sectors of business and government, Marymount University continues to stay ahead of the curve,” said Dr. Diane Murphy, chair of the school’s Department of Information Technology, Management Sciences and Cybersecurity.
That’s why, for the third consecutive year, Marymount’s Master of Science degree in cybersecurity is ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report in its annual survey of “online graduate business, non-MBA” programs. Marymount maintains its 75th (tied) ranking from 2016, though the number of ranked schools has increased from 91 to 103.
Since its inception four years ago, Marymount’s program, part of the School of Business Administration, has achieved a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates. Saints work in both the commercial and government sector at places such as Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the National Science Foundation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The field is not just technical but requires management and leadership skills, Murphy said, especially with an increased need for cybersecurity outside the traditional defense and government areas.
“The field is changing and the business side is becoming more significant, with the need for things like cyber insurance,” Murphy said. “Newer things are constantly coming out that we need to be aware of. Our program offers both the technical and management side, with a much broader perspective than just bits and bytes.”
Murphy noted that governments — not just criminals — are now actively involved in cyber crimes, creating an even greater need for trained professionals. For example, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson recently designated U.S. election systems critical infrastructure, a move that provides more federal help for state and local governments to keep election systems safe from tampering.
“We’re in the right place, of course,” Murphy said. “The Washington, D.C., area is the place to be for cybersecurity, with plenty of opportunities with the government, national defense and a wealth of private firms.”
Marymount’s location also gives its faculty access to the latest in cybersecurity laws, policies and monitoring techniques.
“We’re very pleased with the continued recognition that we have such a high quality online program,” said James Ryerson, dean of Marymount’s school of business. “The program has grown tremendously since it was launched in 2013, and it’s already equal in size to our M.S. in Information Technology program.”
Ryerson said coursework can be taken online, completely face-to-face on campus, or a combination of both. Students can customize their program delivery selection semester by semester to best meet their needs.
Marymount is a Homeland Security/NSA Academic Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.
The information used in U.S. News & World Report’s analysis of programs was collected during the summer and fall of 2016 during the magazine’s annual statistical survey of online degree programs. Schools are ranked based on student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology.
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For the third consecutive year, Marymount University’s Master of Science degree in cybersecurity is ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report in its annual survey of “online graduate business, non-MBA” programs.
