To meet the great demand for highly educated and qualified professionals, a new Bachelor of Arts in criminology with a concentration in cybersecurity will be introduced at Davis & Elkins College this fall.
This will be D&E’s first offering in partnership with a consortium of independent colleges through Rize Education Inc. The partnership utilizes state-of-the-art technologies and highly skilled professionals to ensure the highest level of education. Through the consortium, students will take online courses that complement the courses taken in-person at D&E.
“We’re happy to enter into this partnership with Rize, as it allows us to seamlessly build upon the clear strengths of our criminology faculty and program while also bringing new academic opportunities and professional paths to our students,” said D&E Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips.
The new program at Davis & Elkins College is set apart from other institutions’ offerings in that recertification is not required. While graduates earning a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in cybersecurity will have their credentials remain intact, they will be encouraged to stay up to date on new and evolving technology.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for the students at Davis & Elkins College. It provides a competitive edge for our graduates and enhances an exciting area of study and dynamic program here at D&E,” said D&E Instructor of Criminology and Director of Public Safety Dr. Jamie D. Morgan.
In the U.S., the cybersecurity workforce has more than 950,000 jobs — with around 465,000 of them yet to be filled, according to CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 33 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in a February 2022 report. The new BA concentration will prepare D&E graduates for high-paying, high-demand careers in some of the best industries across the country and the globe, such as federal, state and local governments, financial services, health care, manufacturing, retail companies, security and technology.
The Davis & Elkins College Criminology program offers a critical analysis of the criminological theories. Students can pursue an associate’s degree in criminal justice, focusing on practical applications for those interested in obtaining a job in the field right way, or a bachelor’s degree in criminology, which expands on theoretical concepts to be implemented with practical application for hands-on learning.
For additional information, visit www.dewv.edu, email admissions@dewv.edu or call 304-637-1230.
