During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a small college in Joplin, Missouri was striving to attract more students to its cybersecurity program. Crowder College in Joplin was promoting its associates degree and cybersecurity certification programs. Realizing that there will be at least three million more jobs in cybersecurity to be filled than the number of trained people available to fill them, Crowder College began working with Missouri Southern and Missouri State to ready students to go on to pursue advanced cybersecurity degrees at these colleges and universities. At Crowder, students can complete a two-year associates degree program as well as other information technology classes at its Advanced Training and Technology Center in Joplin.
There are many colleges and universities offering cybersecurity programs throughout the state of Missouri. The easiest way to break into the cybersecurity field is with a certificate or two-year associate degree. If you want to discover how getting your associate degree or cybersecurity certificate in Missouri can benefit your career plans, please keep reading.
Cybersecurity in the News in Missouri
In November 2020, it was reported that three former government officials from the small Missouri town of Parma had been charged with felonies after a cybersecurity audit discovered that they were responsible for over $115,000 in fraudulent purchases and payments as well as destroying records. The three officials were the town’s mayor, city clerk and water superintendent. The small town of Parma is made up of just 700 residents in the southeastern portion of the state of Missouri, in New Madrid County. It is believed that this fraudulent activity took place between 2015 and 2019, the four years that the mayor was in office. This is another example of how valuable cybersecurity audits can be in ferreting out illegal behavior.
Becoming Educated in Cybersecurity in Missouri
An associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity can help you to qualify for entry-level jobs in the field, like:
- Cybersecurity Technician – State of Missouri, Jefferson City
- Associate Cyber Security Specialist – Boeing, St. Louis
- Associate Security Analyst – SpearTip, St. Louis
- Cyber Security Policy Analyst – Castalia Systems, LLC, Arnold
- Cyber Security Specialist – Leidos, Kansas City
- Cyber Security Engineering Specialist – IBM, St. Louis
- Cyber Security Analyst – E Talent Network, Kansas City
- Cyber Security Operations Specialist – CACI International, St. Louis
- Cyber Security Incident Responder – Blackbaud, Kansas City
- Cybersecurity Digital Analyst – Ameren, St. Louis
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees in Missouri
Associate degree programs in cybersecurity in Missouri include, but are not limited to:
- Associate of Applied Science in Secure Systems Administration & Engineering (Cybersecurity)
- Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science and Information Systems – Cyber Security Track
Associate Degree and Certificate Cybersecurity Programs in Missouri
No matter what associate degree or certificate program in cybersecurity in Missouri that you select, make sure that the school in which it is housed is accredited by a regional or national accreditation agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Centers of Academic Excellence program of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) recognizes the best cybersecurity programs across the country, calling them Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Missouri
The following programs in Missouri have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):
- Metropolitan Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Secure Systems Administration & Engineering (Cybersecurity)
—Certificate in Computer and User Support
—Certificate in Network and Systems Support
—Certificate in Secure Systems Administration & Engineering
Cybersecurity Center
3200 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64111
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Brian Hurley, Contact
(816) 604-6659; brian.hurley@mcckc.edu
- Southeast Missouri State University – Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Institute for Cybersecurity
One University Plaza
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
(573) 651-2000
- St. Louis Community College –
—Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity
—Certificate of Proficiency in Cybersecurity
Dept. of Business, Management & Technology
Forest Park Campus
5600 Oakland Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Craig Chott, Contact
(314) 644-9298; cchott@stlcc.edu
(573) 651-2000
- University of Missouri Columbia –
—Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
—Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
College of Engineering, Cybersecurity Center
201 Naka Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Rohit Chadha, Director
(573) 882-9140; chadhar@missouri.edu
- University of Missouri St. Louis –
—Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
—Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Depts. of Information Systems and Technology and Computer Science
1 University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121-4400
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Dr. Shaji Khan, Chair
(314) 516-6279; shajikhan@umsi.edu
- Webster University – Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Threat Detection
School of Business & Technology, Center for Cybersecurity
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Dr. Martha Smith, Chair
(800) 981-9801; smithma@webster.edu
Missouri Cybersecurity Education Curriculum
All CAE-CD programs in Missouri must cover the following topics in their cybersecurity degree and certificate programs, in order to remain qualified as CAE-CD programs:
- Security Program Management
- Principles of Cybersecurity
- Policy, Laws, Ethics and Compliance in Cybersecurity
- Planning and Management in Cybersecurity
- Network Defense
- Foundations of Cybersecurity
- Foundational Scripting and Programming
- Foundational Networking
- Foundational Cryptography
- Cyber Threats
- Concepts of Operating Systems
- Components of IT Systems
Cybersecurity Certificates in Missouri
In addition to the cybersecurity certificates listed above, the following certificate programs in cybersecurity also exist in Missouri:
- Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity – University of Central Missouri
- Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management- Washington University, St. Louis
- Cyber Security Certificate – Fontbonne University, St. Louis
- Online Advanced Cyber Security Certificate – Grantham University, Kansas City
Salaries for Cybersecurity Professionals in Missouri
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor has quoted the annual mean wage for information security analysts employed in Missouri at $86,360 as of May 2019. Those working in various parts of the state earned wages higher or lower than this average, as you can see below:
- Central nonmetropolitan area: $91,020
- Columbia: $78,590
- Jefferson City: $87,950
- Kansas City: $89,460
- Southeast nonmetropolitan area: $85,470
- Southwest nonmetropolitan area: $80,380
- Springfield: $86,670
- St. Louis: $87,220