Companies across the world have all had to contend with the ever-changing electronic infrastructure and adapt to have the most secure, up-to-date systems. The threat of cyber attacks has grown more advanced, demanding dedicated teams to patrol and protect technology.
The cybersecurity master’s program first began at City College as an initiative with New York City Economic Development Corporation to prepare the next generation of the cyber workforce. To this end, students at the Grove School have been able to graduate and enter the field at swifter paces through the college’s 4+1 cybersecurity program, an accelerated master’s degree option.
The 4+1 program was first introduced in 2020 as a way for students to receive their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. By allowing undergraduates to take graduate-level courses in lieu of their elective courses, students will enter their master’s program with up to 12 credits already completed, shaving off at least one semester from the typical three needed to graduate.
Undergraduates who are majoring in electrical engineering, computer engineering or computer science are eligible to apply for the 4+1 program in cybersecurity. Not available as a major for undergraduates, cybersecurity acts instead as an advanced specialization that students can receive only after they’ve learned the foundational knowledge on the subject, according to Jonathan Akeley, associate director for the cybersecurity program at City College.
“You have to learn how to walk before you can run,” Akeley said. “If you don’t spend the time getting those technical skills and you don’t know how to rip a computer apart and put it back together… it’s going to be really hard for you to understand how to defend those computers and systems really well.”
Akeley says that the 4+1 program allows students to save money not only by shortening time spent on graduate studies, but by also funding these graduate-level courses using money allotted specifically for undergraduates. Since an undergraduate may receive Pell or TAP grants, which are not available for graduate students, any courses taken would be covered by financial aid and count for their master’s degree.
For graduate student Lina Prroj, the 4+1 program has allowed her to pursue her passion for digital forensics while at the same time finishing her bachelor’s degree in computer science. “I figured I like coding, I majored in computer science, and so I thought that cybersecurity was my future,” Prroj said. Upon completion of her courses in the fall, Prroj is set to be the first graduate of the cybersecurity 4+1 program.
As graduates like Prroj face one of the toughest job markets in years, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, obtaining a master’s degree might be a good way to set oneself apart from other applicants and pursue more senior roles.
“You can apply for high positions, better pay and there are going to be more things on offer,” Akeley said. “ I think entry-level positions in cyber are harder to find… and so again having that master’s degree makes you stand out that much more.”
Prroj said she hopes to use her degree in cybersecurity to eventually land a job with the government to protect civilians. “As long as I’m able to make a change or a difference in people’s safety, whether that’s online or physically… I’m very happy to do that,” Prroj said.
Yadira Gonzalez is a graduate of Baruch College where she studied journalism and minored in film. She was an editor-in-chief of Baruch’s award-winning magazine Dollars and Sense. Her writing has also been published in Documented, The New York Review of Books and AdAge.