Plymouth State University to Offer New Cybersecurity Programs

Cybercrime continues to grow as a significant global threat, and cyber-attacks are becoming more complex and unpredictable. A World Economic Forum report shows that nearly four million cybersecurity professionals are needed worldwide, a talent shortage that could grow to 85 million by 2030. 

Plymouth State University is taking a major step to address the expanding need for skilled professionals to protect against sophisticated cyber threats by offering a new, 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s degree program in Cybersecurity, as well as a traditional four-year program and a certificate program.

“Data breaches and rising cyberattacks are crippling organizations, yet the number of qualified cybersecurity professionals continues to lag behind the growing demand in the job market,” said Associate Professor and Computer Science and Technology Program Coordinator, A M A Elman Bashar, Ph.D. “A degree in applied cybersecurity provides students with practical, hands-on skills to bridge this critical gap, combat real-world threats, and safeguard essential systems, positioning them to lead the fight against cybercrime.”

Click to register for more information about the certificate program.

The PSU Cybersecurity three-year program is one of five recently announced 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s programs planned to launch in fall 2025. Each would also be available as a full four-year bachelor’s degree program, though the new four-year degree in Cybersecurity is expected to launch a year later in fall 2026. PSU previously offered Cybersecurity as an academic minor.

One million dollars in federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, will be used to create state-of-the-art cybersecurity labs and teaching spaces incorporating advanced network security equipment and software. The programs will also feature partnerships with local and state law enforcement agencies and interdisciplinary overlap with computer science, criminal justice, robotics and psychology programs. The grant was included in the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) bill signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2024.

The grant also enables PSU to offer a new Cybersecurity certificate program beginning summer 2025. This four-course, 13-week subset of the 96-credit, three-year applied bachelor’s in Cybersecurity will give students cost-effective, marketable high-tech skills in an immersive face-to-face learning experience.

“At Plymouth State University, we take seriously our duty to teach marketable skills that are critical to the needs of the future, our state and nation, and to teach those skills expertly,” said PSU President Donald L. Birx, Ph.D.  “We are deeply grateful to Sen. Shaheen for her continued support of our mission and for making this important new program possible.” 

The New England Commission of Higher Education recently approved PSU’s proposal to offer applied bachelor’s degrees in specific programs where students earn 96 credits in three years rather than 120 credits over four years. This shortened time horizon will offer flexibility and lower tuition costs for students and accelerate the pipeline for high-demand roles in the market. The programs also offer students the ability to seamlessly extend to a four-year, 120-credit program if they elect to.