University’s Cybersecurity Program Ranked Among Best in the Country

Bachelor’s Degree Center, a free guide of traditional and online bachelor’s degree programs in all disciplines, has ranked the University of New Haven’s undergraduate cybersecurity program among the best in the country, noting the exceptional success of its graduates.

September 15, 2020

Courtney Hassenfeldt '18, '20 M.S. was about halfway through her first semester as an undergraduate student when the University of New Haven introduced a new cybersecurity program. After beginning her career at the University as a forensic science major and then switching to information technology with a concentration in network administration and security, she changed her major again.

Hassenfeldt is grateful for the many opportunities she had in the cybersecurity program. After her sophomore year, she earned an IT internship with Wellmore Behavioral Health, one of the largest behavioral health and substance use treatment providers in Connecticut. She then began her first research project, titled “A Survey on Smartphone Users’ Security Choices, Awareness, and Education,” which was later published.

“The University has amazing and supportive professors,” said Hassenfeldt, now a cybersecurity engineer at the MITRE Corporation, a nonprofit organization that manages federally funded research and development centers supporting several U.S. government agencies. “The hands-on classes and research I participated in definitely helped prepare me for my future.”

‘Our value proposition is immensely competitive’

The experiences of Hassenfeldt and her classmates has led to the University’s undergraduate cybersecurity and networks degree program has gained national attention. Bachelor’s Degree Center, which helps prospective students find the best educational program most suited to their financial, educational, and personal needs, has ranked the program among the top 25 in the country for 2020.

"The hands-on classes and research I participated in definitely helped prepare me for my future."Courtney Hassenfeldt '18, '20 M.S.

“It is a well-deserved honor for our hard work and commitment to excellence,” said Ibrahim Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Family Chair, director of the University's Connecticut Institute of Technology, and executive director of the University’s Bergami Center for Cybersecurity. “This would have not been possible without the hard work of the faculty and the students. We will continue to reach higher standards with the newly inaugurated Connecticut Institute of Technology, and while this is a celebration, the hard work will continue.

“What is particularly striking is that most of the universities listed have an extremely long history in the domain of cybersecurity,” he continued. “Our program’s history is much shorter, yet our value proposition is immensely competitive.”

Bachelor’s Degree Center ranked traditional, on-campus bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity based on their accreditation and reputation for helping students succeed. They considered criteria such as alumni salary, graduation rate, and job placement. It noted the University’s high return on investment and that graduates regularly earn more than $100,000 per year.

“We are thrilled and honored to be recognized,” said Liberty Page ’91 M.S., coordinator of the University’s bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity and networks. “We are very proud of our program. It’s wonderful that other people recognize its value.”

‘Our goal is to secure the future of our nation’

The University is one of two in New England – and only 21 in the country - designed as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations by the National Security Agency. The certification recognizes the University’s bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity & networks and computer science.

In addition, the University is the only college or University in Connecticut with a CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service program, an innovative initiative funded by a a $4 million National Science Foundation grant that is helping to educate the next generation of professionals charged with protecting the nation from cyberattacks.

Earlier this summer, the University and the MITRE Corporation – a nonprofit organization that manages federally funded research and development centers supporting several U.S. government agencies hosted the INTERPOL Digital Forensics Expert Group conference, which leaders in digital forensics and cybersecurity to come together to discuss the latest developments in the field.

This spring, the University announced the creation of its Connecticut Institute of Technology. As part of its Tagliatela College of Engineering, Connecticut Tech comprises the University's undergraduate and graduate programs in cybersecurity and networks, computer science, data science, and electrical and computer engineering, as well as several research groups. The mission is to foster a technology hub that features an intense focus on applied learning and research.

In February, national and local cybersecurity experts and leaders gathered at the University to officially unveil the University’s the Samuel S. Bergami Jr. Cybersecurity Center. The Center is home to the University’s Cyber Forensics Research and Education, which has uncovered security issues that affect 1.5 billion people worldwide, and includes student who have excelled at regional and national “hacking” competitions, defeating schools with enrollments in cybersecurity up to five times larger.

“Our goal is to secure the future of our nation and to enable students of all backgrounds – with a passion for protecting our citizens in a digital world – to pursue an education and career in cybersecurity, computer science, or artificial intelligence,” said Baggili.