three male students gather around a computer in a cyber lab

Cyber Security

Bachelor of Science

Thwart cyber threats before they happen. 

Every industry needs skilled cybersecurity professionals with a background in theory, hands-on experience, and the ability to evolve with new technology. A degree in Cyber Security prepares you to analyze, protect, and improve the crucial networks and processes that power modern life. 

Mercyhurst University’s Cyber Security bachelor’s program is one of the first stand-alone programs in the nation to follow both the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)'s undergraduate curriculum guidelines for cybersecurity, and the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity certification. Already home to one of the nation’s most respected Intelligence Studies programs, Mercyhurst is now able to leverage our experience, faculty expertise, cutting-edge resources, and industry connections to provide an unparalleled cybereducation at the undergraduate level.

Fast Facts

  • Mercyhurst’s Cyber Security program is the only one in the nation to allow students to pursue a double major with Intelligence Studies, offered through the nation’s largest academic intelligence program.
  • Mercyhurst's Cyber Security major is one of few undergraduate programs in the nation that can offer the professional training and specialized skill sets required for a cyber career.
  • Students can participate in the Innovation Entente Lab (IEL) to provide a competitive business intelligence approach in conducting key research and the collection of data necessary to help entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve an understanding of their market, industry and competitive landscape. Students working within the IEL take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real-world experiences. 
  • The Cyber Security major couples technical computer networking and hacking skills with data analytic skills and cyberlaw and policy.
  • Graduates of the Cyber Security Program will be fortified with the necessary skillset and well positioned to meet the fastest growing demand of cybersecurity jobs, which, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is estimated to grow at a 31% rate through 2029, a rate that is over seven times faster than the national average job growth of 4%.
  • Mercyhurst’s cyberlab and networks operation center, a joint venture with Erie-based firm Federal Resources Corporation, provides experiential learning opportunities for Mercyhurst students to conduct projects on behalf of real-world clients.
  • For majors interested in advancing their education beyond the bachelor’s level, Mercyhurst’s 4+1 master’s programs are excellent options.
Minors
    • CIS 100: Introduction to Computer Science (3 credits)
    • CIS 200: Linear Data Structures (3 credits)
    • CIS 210: Non-Linear Data Structures (3 credits)
    • Choose at least two other CIS courses (except CIS 201)
    • CIS 100: Introduction to Computer Science (3 credits)
    • CIS 160: Introduction to Cyber Security (3 credits)
    • CIS 261: Information Security (3 credits)
    • CIS 360: Computer Systems Security (3 credits)
    • CIS 361: Network Security (3 credits)

High-Tech Facilities

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  • The Mercyhurst Cyber Education Center includes four separate spaces:

    A Network Operations Center
    Federal Resources Corporation Cyber Education Center
    Two Computer Labs

    The Network Operations Center is staffed and operated by Federal Resources Corporation. In this space, this prestigious Erie-based firm will provide experiential learning opportunities for Mercyhurst students to conduct projects on behalf of real-world clients.

    a cyber lab with a wall of computer screens show data anlysis
  • The Mercyhurst Cyber Education Center includes four separate spaces:

    A Network Operations Center
    Federal Resources Corporation Cyber Education Center
    Two Computer Labs

    The Cyber Security Lab features 20 individual terminals, each outfitted with high-end computing power and large monitors. The lab operates on an independent network with its own servers and firewalls, completely isolated from the campus network. In addition, the lab features virtual forensic workstations, mobile devices for exploitation tests, threat-analysis software packages, and other relevant platforms.

    tables and chairs with desktop computers in a cyber lab
  • The Mercyhurst Cyber Education Center includes four separate spaces:

    A Network Operations Center
    Federal Resources Corporation Cyber Education Center
    Two Computer Labs

    The Computer Labs provide hands-on education to undergraduate and graduate students in Mercyhurst’s cyber, data science and intelligence programs. 

    a female student works on a computer in a cyber lab

Career Opportunities 

“America’s daily life, economic vitality, and national security depend on a secure cyberspace. A vast array of interdependent IT networks, systems, services, and resources are critical to communication, travel, powering homes, running the economy, and obtaining government services.” – U.S. Department of Homeland Security

For our majors, these experiences can open a world of opportunities that offer job stability, career mobility and excellent earning potential.

As you consider future career opportunities, keep in mind these points about the cyber industry:

  • The cybersecurity market will be worth upwards of $230 billion by 2022 (Markets and Markets Research).
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 31 percent job growth in the IT security sectors through 2029.
  • Globally, cyber crime losses are projected to top $10.5 trillion each year by 2025.

4+1 Programs in Cyber and Data

Students in the 4+1 programs can save time and money by earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s in five years. As a 4+1 student, you’ll complete gradute-level coursework in your junior and/or senior years, earning master’s degree credits as an undergraduate student (included in your undergraduate flat billing). You’ll still graduate on time with your class before seamlessly transitioning to the graduate program to finish your master’s in one year or less.

The following Mercyhurst master’s programs include 4+1 options: