A new program is unveiled geared towards addressing growing global cyber-security demand.

It is not uncommon to hear stories about the vulnerabilities of the US and global physical technological infrastructure and major companies getting hacked compromising the lives and livelihood of millions. These threats can easily gain the upper hand, putting ongoing pressure on corporations and government to find experts to help fight back. The global cybersecurity market is expected to be $170 billion by 2020, over double its size in 2015.

Temple's College of Engineering has unveiled a new program geared towards addressing the growing global cyber security demand. The Professional Science Master's (PSM) in Computer and Systems Security program was designed to develop professionals prepared to deal with these urgent issues.

"Engineered systems today need to be built with security in mind from the ground up. But the problem is that there are also systems already in place that in hindsight should have included security requirements as part of the engineering process. The ability to address this is what is in demand right now." Says Dr. Frank Ferrese, Ph.D, PE and distinguished industry advisor to the Department of Electrical Engineering. "The beauty of this new PSM is that Temple was able to put a mechanism in place to rapidly respond to what industry is saying they need - because the program was essentially built by industry professionals."

In the workforce hands-on experience is critical to the ability to hit the ground running. A Cisco Networking Academy® lab will give cyber-security, infrastructure, IT industry and engineering professionals the ability to get experience with real scenarios in computer, network and systems security, navigating the physical data and servers of companies, including the cyber physical security ecosystem, along with managing threats and vulnerabilities.

"A Cisco Networking Lab® and the optional internships at area corporations that these students will have access to through this program will give them an advantage of having real experience addressing problems when they arise," says Dr. Li Bai, Department Chair of the Electrical Engineering department at Temple's College of Engineering. "You can't learn that out of a textbook."

In just 18 months of evening classes, students will learn from industry experts and seasoned professors. The curriculum is flexible to many fields of focus through cross-discipline study including law or business electives and a capstone project or real-world experience with area companies.

This coursework will also prepare students for top industry certification such as the Cisco Networking Academy® and (ISC)²®/CISSP.

Dr. Ferrese explains, "This program is built to cut to the core of what someone needs to know - whether they are just starting out, or someone with a great deal of field experience who is required to understand what security should be in place for the systems that they are charged with managing. Temple's program will give technology professionals the most up-to-date techniques and tools, making them invaluable assets to employers."

Learn more about the new Professional Science Master in Computer and Systems Security.