Safeguarding our Networked World

Just as the need for cybersecurity has spread throughout our lives, teaching cybersecurity at WPI is integrated throughout our curriculum. As it affects so many aspects of our society, it can’t just be taught in the confines of computer science. Cybersecurity concepts are interwoven into several disciplines, including engineering, social sciences, business, and management. Designated by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research, WPI is advancing cybersecurity research and education in software security, cryptography, analysis of security policies and protocols, network security, embedded system security, online privacy, and more.

With an expected 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity-related jobs in the U.S. by 2021, this is a pivotal time for students to ready themselves to enter the field and set themselves up for an important and lucrative career. Students in this program become skilled professionals who safeguard the online systems and data upon which our society depends.

Finding Your Path at WPI

Undergraduate students interested in this field can pursue a cybersecurity concentration within their BS degree in computer science. Graduate students can pursue an MS or PhD degree in computer science with a cybersecurity specialization. These concentrations focus a student’s research projects and elective coursework on security topics taught by our interdisciplinary faculty.

Hands-On Experience

Through WPI’s project-based curriculum, students study cybersecurity cases and other technical issues within real companies and organizations. They gain experience working on interdisciplinary teams and applying their skills to solve real problems. Both Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQP) and Major Qualifying Projects (MQP) take our students beyond the classroom and provide collaborative experiences. Prospective employers value the teamwork experience, research skills, and ability to work in a self-structured manner that our students learn through these projects.

CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service

WPI is one of only three universities in Massachusetts that participate in the federal Scholarship for Service program funded by the National Science Foundation. This competitive scholarship provides full tuition for up to three years of a recipient’s full-time study of cybersecurity at the graduate or undergraduate level.