Capacity Building: Development and Dissemination of the Drexel University Cybersecurity Program

Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The new interdisciplinary Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree program at Drexel University is educating a new breed of engineers and scientists trained to initiate and participate in multi-disciplinary and team-based research projects. The program is developing a new interdisciplinary cybersecurity curriculum, leveraging Drexel's National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education along with faculty expertise from the Drexel College of Engineering, Goodwin College of Professional Studies, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology. The program is defined not only by the development of new courses, but also by minority student recruitment, integration of cooperative education, continuing education for both students and faculty, and the integration of research and teaching. The program addresses workforce driven needs as identified by the NSA to increase the number of graduates with deep technical cyber-skills. Teams of students participate in the innovative rotation-based research program, inspired by rotations in medical school, working on research projects in multiple sub-disciplines, cutting across conventional college/departmental barriers and traditional research groups. Students in the program also participate in Cybersecurity-related co-op opportunities and community service projects. Both the co-op program and the community service projects leverage on-going activities at Drexel. Drexel University serves as the lead institution of a consortium of universities as part of the Greater Philadelphia Region Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. The project uses these connections to help with student recruitment and dissemination of Cybersecurity-related teaching materials.