Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree in Maryland

The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2015 to help the state’s cybersecurity industry grow. The association helps to connect cybersecurity companies in Maryland with government agencies and businesses that need them. It also works to connect those seeking cybersecurity jobs in the state with agencies and businesses looking for workers. The association has a main goal to make sure Marylanders who are interested in cybersecurity know what education, skills and experience are necessary in order to work in the field. Additionally, the association offers experts to speak to the public on matters of cybersecurity and protecting personal data in the information age.

Maryland is a main player in the cybersecurity arena, due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and housing many government agencies. Cybersecurity assets that make their home in Maryland include, but are not limited to:

  • National Security Agency – Fort Meade
  • US Cyber Command – Fort Meade
  • Defense Information Systems Agency – Fort Meade
  • Sourcefire- Columbia

In fact, 14 companies in Maryland were named to the inaugural Cybersecurity 500 list in 2018, created by Cybersecurity Ventures. They include:

  • Lockheed Martin – Bethesda
  • ZeroFOX – Baltimore
  • Tenable – Columbia
  • Arxan – Bethesda
  • Cybrary – Greenbelt
  • KEYW – Hanover
  • Silent Circle – Columbia
  • BlueVoyant – College Park
  • EnVeil- Fulton
  • Sonatype – Fulton
  • Terbium Labs – Baltimore
  • TrustedKnight – Annapolis
  • Protenus – Baltimore
  • IronNet Cybersecurity – Fulton

If you would like to become a cybersecurity professional in Maryland, your first step is through getting your bachelor’s degree. Keep reading to find out all about earning a cybersecurity bachelor’s degree in Maryland. 

Cybersecurity Law in Maryland

In June 2019, Maryland’s governor Larry Hogan signed an executive order that is focused on strengthening cybersecurity in the state. The order created a new position, Maryland Chief Information Security Officer (John Evans filled this role), and also formed the Office of Security Management and the Maryland Cybersecurity Coordinating Council. All three of these are designed to improve Maryland’s ability to respond to cybersecurity threats and risks. Maryland’s cybersecurity strategy and policy are created to be in alignment with federal guidelines and standards, like those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act.

Cybersecurity Education in Maryland

If you would like to join the cybersecurity workforce in Maryland, the first goal you must meet is to attain a bachelor’s degree. There are many well-recognized undergraduate cybersecurity degree programs in Maryland that can help you to attain positions such as these recently advertised ones:

  • Cyber Security Analyst – Deloitte, Baltimore
  • Cyber Mitigations Engineer/System Vulnerability Analyst – National Security Agency, Fort Meade
  • IT Security Analyst – APG Federal Credit Union, Edgewood
  • Cyber Network Engineer- General Dynamics Information Technology, Germantown
  • Cyber Security Assessor – Artemis Federal, Woodlawn

Titles of Undergraduate Cybersecurity Degrees in Maryland

Colleges call their cybersecurity programs by different names. In Maryland, some of them include:

  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Cyber Analytics
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Cyber Operations
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Networks & Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Secure Computing & Information Assurance

Coursework within Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Maryland

Although degree programs vary from one Maryland institution to the next, as a student, you can expect to take coursework like:

  • Advanced Programming
  • Network Security
  • Operating Systems Security
  • Application Software Security
  • Malware Analysis
  • Software Engineering
  • Data Structures
  • Data Communications and Networking

Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Maryland

Unlike graduate-level cybersecurity programs, undergraduate-level cybersecurity degree programs typically do not have programmatic accreditation. There are a few exceptions, which we will discuss below. Regardless of a program’s accreditation, make sure that the Maryland institution you choose is regionally accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

In 1999, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began sponsoring the  National Centers of Academic Excellence program. This program recognizes undergraduate and graduate degrees as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) and Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO). In recognizing these institutions, the goal is to promote higher education and research in cybersecurity and cyber defense, producing professionals with the highest expertise in the field.

In order to be recognized as a CAE-CD, an institution must:

  • Show program collaboration and outreach
  • Show student development
  • Demonstrate cyber defense center establishment/maintenance
  • Show how their cyber defense program is multidisciplinary
  • Practice cyber defense within the institution
  • Have cyber defense faculty specially trained
  • Show a cyber defense student curriculum path and recognition

To be recognized as a CAE-CO, an institution must:

  • Meet academic content requirements
  • Have cyber operations as an explicitly recognized focus area or degree
  • Advantage given to institutions with program accreditation
  • Treat cyber operations as an interdisciplinary science
  • Have a robust cyber operations program
  • Have faculty and student involvement in cyber operations research
  • Have students participate in cyber service-learning
  • Be committed to supporting the CAE-CO program
  • Have at least two active faculty teaching cyber operations courses

Maryland Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

The following Maryland cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs have been designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):

Department of Computer Science

14000 Jericho Park Rd.

Bowie, MD 20715-9465

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020

Dr. Rosemary Shumba, Chair

(301)-860-3960; rshumba@bowiestate.edu

  • Capitol Technology University – 

Bachelor of Science in Construction Information Technology & Cybersecurity

Bachelor of Science in Cyber Analytics

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (on-campus and online options)

Bachelor of Science in Management of Cyber and Information Technology (on-campus and online options)

11301 Springfield Road

Laurel, MD 20708

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021

(301) 369-2800/(800) 950-1992

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

1700 East Cold Spring Lane

Baltimore, MD 21251

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021

Dr. Craig Scott, Dean of School of Engineering

(443) 885-3073; craig.scott@morgan.edu   

Department of Computer and Information Sciences

8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252

CAE- Cyber Defense- Accredited through 2021

Dr. Sidd Kaza, Director

(410) 704-2633; skaza@towson.edu

121 Blake Road

Annapolis, MD 21402

CAE- Cyber Defense- Accredited through 2022

Paul Tortora, Director

(410) 293-0933; tortora@usna.edu 

  • University of Maryland Global Campus

Bachelor of Science in Computer Networks & Cybersecurity (online)

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Policy (online)

Bachelor of Science in Software Development & Security (online)

1616 McCormick Drive

Largo, MD 20774

CAE- Cyber Defense- Accredited through 2021

Bruce deGrazia, Director

(855) 655-8682; bruce.degrazia@umgc.edu   

  • University of Maryland College Park

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity specialization

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering – Cybersecurity specialization

College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences

2300 Symons Hall

College Park, MD 20742

CAE- Cyber Defense- Accredited through 2024

(301) 405-2030   

Maryland Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations

A Maryland bachelor’s degree cybersecurity program has been given the designation of Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO):

Department of Computer and Information Sciences

8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252

CAE- Cyber Operations- Accredited through 2024

Dr. Sidd Kaza, Director

(410) 704-2633; skaza@towson.edu

ABET-Accredited Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Maryland

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. of ABET has a Computing Accreditation Commission. This commission also recognizes some cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs (in Maryland’s case, both of the following ABET- accredited institutions are also already accredited as CAE-CDEs or CAE-COs as well): 

Department of Computer and Information Sciences

8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252

CAE- Cyber Operations- Accredited through 2024

Dr. Sidd Kaza, Director

(410) 704-2633; skaza@towson.edu

121 Blake Road

Annapolis, MD 21402

CAE- Cyber Defense- Accredited through 2022

Paul Tortora, Director

(410) 293-0933; tortora@usna.edu 

Other Noteworthy Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Maryland

Cybersecurity programs in Maryland that are not ABET-accredited nor CAEs but are still notable include:

Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Department of Computer Science & Information Technology

274D Gira Center

Frostburg, MD 21532-2303

Dr. Brad Rinard, Chair

(301) 687-4719; BRinard@frostburg.edu 

Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Owings Mills, MD 21117-7804

(877) 531-7118; suo-inquiry@stevenson.edu   

According to the Maryland Department of Labor, an increase of 7.56 percent is projected in the amount of jobs expected to be available in the state for computer systems analysts from 2016 to 2026. This encompasses cyber security analyst jobs as well. Maryland is a great state in which to work if you have a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. Many opportunities currently exist, and will continue to exist, at the government, business, and consulting levels.