From Vegas INC
Cybersecurity program at UNLV new but already among nation’s best
By Katie Ann McCarver (contact)
Monday, November 11, 2024 - 2 a.m.
The master of science in cybersecurity program at UNLV launched in 2021 with a handful of students. Now, it’s graduated nearly seven times that and recently came in second on a ranking of master’s in cybersecurity programs for 2025 by Fortune.
Greg Moody, director of the program, said it’s unique in that it’s interdisciplinary. Whereas many peer programs, which are relatively as new, may focus more on the business or engineering side of cybersecurity, UNLV’s degree is provided by both the Lee Business School and Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering.
“That structure between business and engineering is a rather unique approach,” he said, “that is well-liked by the students and by the employers.”
To Rakitha Perera, who works at UNLV in IT and is set to graduate from the cybersecurity program in December, marrying the technical and administrative sides of the cybersecurity field seems like a “no-brainer.”
“The whole program was a very, very nice balance between the two, and I really appreciated that,” said Perera, who also noted that he appreciated the program’s flexibility. “(For) someone like me who kind of has been exposed to both sides, it was very refreshing.”
The program, which Moody said was formed as a response to local leaders in technology needing more of a talent pipeline, is recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
It’s also notable for its network of professionals with decades of experience in cybersecurity, Moody said, as well as application-based learning experiences.
“We have them actually do cybersecurity with an actual business, and take that book learning and the university setting and go do it in the real world—usually for a smaller business that doesn’t have someone who is devoted to cybersecurity,” he said. “And that helps them, helps the business and it helps the student.”
The program, which Moody estimated has about 75 students, provides a mentor to each student, with whom they meet on a regular basis to assess how they’re doing or talk about their future opportunities in cybersecurity.
Sowmya “Sri” Nemani, a junior security analyst in the Office of Information Technology at UNLV graduated from the program in August. She said it gave her a clear idea of the breadth of careers she could pursue in cybersecurity.
There’s a multitude of opportunities for employment in cybersecurity, she said.
“It’s a good employment opportunity,” Nemani said when asked what she would tell people considering the program. “And also, (whoever) loves solving problems and (whoever) likes to deal with computers, it’s a pretty good opportunity to pursue.”
A 2023 report by Cybersecurity Ventures showed more than 750,000 available positions in the field in the U.S. alone, with a disparity between demand and supply in the market expected to remain through next year.
At UNLV, Moody said he has more internship offers than students to fill them.
Cybersecurity is increasingly relevant because more and more businesses rely on technology, Moody said. Cyberattacks are not just a global issue, but a local one. For example, last fall both MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment experienced cyberattacks, causing chaos for the hospitality giants.
“Cybersecurity is just about ensuring that (the) data that we like to access and the resources that allow it are available and they’re free from errors,” he said. “And so increased reliance on stuff means we need to have people who are really well-trained to do that exact role.”
Moody said the program will work to incorporate artificial intelligence, like how it can help with cyber defense.
UNLV is also moving forward with a bachelor’s degree program, he said, which would give students straight out of high school a pathway to a career in cybersecurity.
“We have a very healthy contingent of students at all ages and levels and skill sets who come back to the university programs to retool and enter into this new space,” Moody said. “And so we anticipate that that will keep happening and keep allowing this program to grow and to adapt to the needs of our major employers here in the Valley.”
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Section: Business
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.