Canadian university accepting applications for new Bachelor of Science in Cyber Science program
The future of cybersecurity is in IT leaders who are trained not only in technology but also in explaining solutions to problems to management.
That’s what Toronto Metropolitan University’s computer science department believes, which is why it has created a new Honours Bachelor of Cyber Science program that begins next September. (This has been corrected. The original story said the program begins in April)
The university is now accepting applications for the first 100 students.
The four-year program, housed in the Computer Science department, integrates technology, business, law, ethics, policy and human behaviour to address the challenges of cybersecurity and provide students with a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity issues and solutions.
“Cyber Science takes cyber security education to the next level,” Marcus Santos, executive academic director of cyber studies, told me . “It’s not just about defending networks, because most undergrad computer science programs have some specialization in cybersecurity of some kind, but it’s in addition to an undergraduate curriculum in computer science.”
Students can take separate computer science and business courses that deal deal with cybersecurity, he said. But TMU’s cyber science program will help students understand cyberspace as a system that connects people, technology and corporate policies.
“The idea is our graduates will be able to anticipate, analyze and respond to complex risks from a holistic perspective,” he said.
To his knowledge the cyber science program will be the first in Canada. It’s similar to a degree course offered at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
Graduates to the TMU course will be apply to apply for entry-level jobs such as cybersecurity analyst, cyber risk analyst/manager, security policy and compliance specialist, incident response specialist, digital forensics specialist and privacy officer/analyst.
Santos admitted that many employers are looking for experienced infosec pros to fill some those positions. However, he said, that will be somewhat met by students who take an optional one-year co-op position with an IT department where they can learn practical skills. In addition, cyber science students will have access to the Cyber Range at the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, where they can participate and learn from mock cyber attacks.
Asked if there is demand from employers for this kind of post-secondary education, Santos noted that cybersecurity risks are among the top risks for businesses. On top of that there’s a shortage of infosec pros who can explain what they are doing and why to non-skilled employees and managers. “To do that a person has to have a solid foundation in technology and communication skills,” he said.
For example, at a conference here this month with cyber experts from the Czech Republic one person told him of a group charged with solving an IT problem that had to abandon the program because executives couldn’t understand the solutions being proposed.
“Some students associate cybersecurity with tech,” said Santos, “but it’s not only that. Its beyond technology. It’s about protecting people, organizations and the IT systems that underpin our society. That’s very important to highlight for them”
The cyber science program prepares graduates to lead, said Santos, “not just in tech and governance and ethics in cyberspace. They will part of the next generation of cybersecurity leaders that have ethical and analytical skills and ready to meet Canada’s growing cybersecurity challenges.”
Like TMU qualifications for its computer science program, successful applicants will need to have passed the equivalent of Ontario’s grade 12 English, a course in advanced math functions and either a calculus and vectors course on a course in the mathematics of data management.
Screeners are also looking for students with good communications skills, Santos added.
Annual tuition for Ontario students runs between $7,300 to $9,700 a year, depending on options. Out-of-province students would pay at least $8,823, while international students will be charged around $36,815.
Details of the program are available here.
Separately, Ontario Tech University — headquartered in Oshawa, Ont. — launched Canada’s first School of Ethical Artificial Intelligence (SEAI). It unites experts across multiple disciplines, from computer science and business to engineering, education, health and social sciences. The goal of equipping students with technical expertise and preparing them to be responsible change-makers who understand how to apply critical thinking to AI systems and their outputs.
SEAI integrates with the more than 65 AI-focused courses across six faculties offered by the institution.
Ontario Tech offers a Master of Business Analytics in AI (MBAI), a business master’s program specializing in AI and a Master of Information Technology Security – AI in Security (MITS-AIS), which tackles emerging AI-driven cybersecurity challenges and threats.