Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree in Nevada

Former Governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, once said, “The new Nevada economy is innovation and technology based, and every industry requires talented cybersecurity professionals.” Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation & Technology (OSIT) is working with state agencies to increase the size of the cybersecurity workforce in Nevada.  OSIT awarded over $600,000 to four Nevada organizations to create cyber workforce programs, including Transmosis, College of Southern Nevada, Western Nevada College, and the Desert Research Institute. Additionally, OSIT is working on STEM Workforce Pathways grants for K-12 teachers and schools in Nevada, to create cybersecurity programs. School districts that have received grants include Clark County School District, Washoe County School District, and Pinecrest Academy of Nevada.

Additionally, OSIT worked with the SANS Institute to raise awareness of cybersecurity careers and opportunities through an online education program called CyberStart. During a 2017 challenge, college and high school students from Nevada competed with others across the country. The number one scorer in the entire country was a student at University of Nevada Reno. Furthermore, Nevada registered the second highest number of girls participating in the all-girl challenge, 1075. Almost 300 of those girls came from Cheyenne High School, the highest number of girls in the country from a single school. Four Nevada teams placed in the top 100 in the country. Over 50 Nevada teams scored over 10,000 points. All of these numbers point to promising cybersecurity talent rising in Nevada.

If you would like to join the ranks of these rising cybersecurity professionals, you should start by earning a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Nevada. To discover how to do so, read on.

Cybersecurity in the News in Nevada

In December 2019, Governor Steve Sisolak encouraged young women in Nevada to become involved with Go Cyberstart, a partnership of the state with the SANS Institute. This partnership is designed to give young women in Nevada the opportunity to learn cybersecurity skills. According to Sisolak, jobs in Nevada requiring cybersecurity skills are projected to grow by 39 percent through 2026 and offer an average salary of $83,000. This program is designed to help women prepare for a cybersecurity career in Nevada’s growing cybersecurity industry. The program, which is free, is aimed at women in grades nine through 12. Prior information technology or cybersecurity knowledge is not required in order to participate in the program. Registration for the program was open through January, and the program began January 13, 2020.

Nevada Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree

Attaining a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Nevada can help you to land great cybersecurity jobs in the state, like:

  • Information Technology Specialist (Cyber Security) – US Department of Energy, Las Vegas
  • Analyst I – Cyber Security – Las Vegas Sands Corp., Las Vegas
  • Cybersecurity Analyst II – Amentum, Fallon
  • Cyber Security Analyst II – Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sparks
  • IT Cybersecurity Specialist – US Department of the Interior, Boulder City
  • Security Specialist – US Department of Defense, Nellis AFB
  • Cyber Security Project Manager- TEKsystems, Inc., Las Vegas
  • Penetration Tester- Truvantis, Inc., Las Vegas
  • Security Consultant – Amazon Web Services, Carson City
  • Security Professional – Allied Universal, Winnemucca

Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Programs in Nevada

Any bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity program in Nevada that you choose should be at a school that is regionally accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .

Titles of Nevada Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity Programs

Names of bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity programs vary from one college to the next. In Nevada, they include:

  • Bachelor of Science/Arts in Computer Science- Concentration in Information Assurance
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Minor in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Information Technology- Concentration in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Security Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance

Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set up a program to highlight the best undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degree programs in the country. It is entitled National Centers of Academic Excellence.    

Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Nevada

Two cybersecurity programs in Nevada have been credentialed as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the National Centers for Academic Excellence:

CyberSecurity Center

4505 S. Maryland Pkwy.

Las Vegas, NV 89154

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024

Dr. Juyeon Jo, Information Assurance Concentration Coordinator

(702) 895-5873; [email protected]

College of Engineering, Cybersecurity Center

1664 N. Virginia St.

Reno, NV 89557

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024

Nancy LaTourrette, Deputy Director of Cybersecurity Center

(775) 784-4014; [email protected]

More Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Programs in Nevada

Other cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs in Nevada include:

  • University of Phoenix, Las Vegas –

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

3755 Breakthrough Way

Las Vegas, NV 89135-3047

(844) YES-UOPX

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

College of Information Technology

6795 South Edmond Street, Third Floor

Las Vegas, NV 89118

(877) 214-7005

Nevada Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Curriculum

While curricula from one cybersecurity program to another may differ, usually you will find courses such as:

  • IT Foundations
  • IT Applications
  • Fundamentals of Information Security
  • Information Systems Security
  • Business of IT
  • Web Development Foundations
  • Network & Security Foundations
  • Network & Security Applications
  • Scripting & Programming Foundations
  • Managing Web Security
  • Managing Cloud Security
  • Introduction to Cryptography
  • Data Management Foundations
  • Data Management Applications
  • Digital Forensics in Cybersecurity
  • Technical Communication
  • Legal Issues in Information Security
  • Emerging Technologies in Cybersecurity
  • Managing Information Security
  • Cyber Defense and Countermeasures

Cybersecurity Certifications in Nevada

Nevada’s cybersecurity professionals usually will also have specialty certifications, which make them even hotter commodities in Nevada’s cybersecurity job market. These can often be attained during your bachelor’s degree program or after. Popular ones in Nevada include:

  • A+ (CompTIA)
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation
  • Certified Encryption Specialist (EC-Council ECES)
  • Certified Incident Handler (EC-Council ECIH)
  • Certified Internet Webmaster – Web Security Associate (CIW-WSA)
  • IT Operations Specialist (CompTIA)
  • ITIL®1 Foundation
  • Network+ (CompTIA)
  • Project+ (CompTIA)
  • Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CompTIA)
  • Security+ (CompTIA)
  • Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation

Employment Outlook for Cybersecurity Professionals in Nevada

Per the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), job opportunities for computer systems analysts (in which cybersecurity analysts are included) are projected to increase by 20.7 percent between 2016 and 2026 in Nevada. This means that if you obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Nevada now, you should be well-positioned for a bright employment future within the state for years to come!