NSA CAE Designated Institutions for Cyber Security in Colorado

Colorado has one of the highest levels of employment within cybersecurity among Western states, and the same goes for the roster of institutions that have been designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This mixture of two-year community colleges and full four-year universities offer programs that have gone through rigorous review in order to properly prepare their graduates for positions in the cybersecurity sector.

Here is a list of Colorado cybersecurity degrees that are from NSA CAE Designated Institutions:

Arapahoe Community College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University-Pueblo
Colorado Technical University
Pikes Peak Community College
Pueblo Community College
Red Rocks Community College
Regis University
United States Air Force Academy

Click to jump to the full list of Colorado cybersecurity schools.

Online Cyber Security Programs in Colorado

There are a few undergraduate programs available online, but the majority of options exist at the graduate level.

UC Boulder: MS in Technology, Cybersecurity, and Policy

The University of Colorado-Boulder offers a Master of Science in Technology, Cybersecurity, and Policy, a unique blend of computer science categories, emerging technology, and study of law. This program can be pursued either on-campus or online, and there is an option to combine this with a Master of Business Administration or a Doctor of Jurisprudence. The program also has accelerated pathways to complete the program for undergraduate students and professional certifications.

Courses for the MS at UC Boulder

By itself, the Master's degree takes two years to complete and concludes with a thesis dissertation or a graduate project. The final project will showcase what the student has learned during the program, and the thesis topic will need to be approved by faculty before pursuing.

Advanced courses within cybersecurity include Immersive Cyber Defense, Digital Forensics, and Security Auditing and Penetration Testing. Graduates from this program have 100 percent of the time been employed shortly after completion.

Master's in Cyber Security Degrees in Colorado

Students have an abundance of graduate degrees to choose from throughout the state, with one of them in the same location with a large concentration of cybersecurity job opportunities, Colorado Springs. T

The U of Colorado System: Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity

This branch within the University of Colorado system offers a Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity, where students will be able to gain skills in risk assessment, penetration testing, and work with the latest innovative tools to properly build and manage an organization's secure network. 30 credit hours are needed to complete the program that culminates with a thesis, project, or portfolio.

Admission into the Master's degree program includes holding a Bachelor's degree in a related subject, such as computer science or engineering. These students should have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher and have been awarded this degree over the past five years. In addition, they should have at least two years of experience working in software development or network administration. Any of these requirements that have not been met can still be reviewed if they excel in other categories. Submission needs in the application process include transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. In many cases, programs offering Master's degrees will as for these types of requirements.

Getting Started Working in Cyber Security in Colorado

There are 12 designated CAE institutions in the state that feature a wide range of cybersecurity education in the state of Colorado. Colorado Springs provides a few options along with its many employment options, as does the city of Denver and the United States Air Force Academy. In many instances, these higher education programs will offer online opportunities for at least a portion of classes being offered. These options grow within graduate programs so working professionals can continue their career while getting further knowledge to jump into cybersecurity or improve their job position.

Undergraduate Cyber Security Degrees

• Colorado Technical University has a fully online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Cybercrime and Security. Courses begin at various times of the year and there are 182 total credits needed to graduate. The curriculum will give students a general understanding of how to manage vulnerabilities in a network and how to eliminate risks. One unique aspect of this university is offering Fast Track exams, which can help accelerate the program for those that already have proficiency in some course topics. Students will be given automatic credit on what they know through testing.
• Red Rocks Community College has an Associate of Applied Science within Cyber Security that can be completed in five semesters. It is expected that prospective students are already proficient with computers. Courses include an introduction to Python programming, networking and information assurance fundamentals, ethics, technical writing, IT disaster recovery, and public speaking. Career paths when obtaining this degree include entry-level positions as computer systems analysts, database administrators, software developers, or students can pursue further education.

Masters Cyber Security Degrees and Continuing Education

• The University of Denver offers a Master of Science in Cybersecurity through the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science. The curriculum consists of topics such as protecting information systems with sensitive information, and detecting and eliminating any security issues. A background within cybersecurity is not needed to get into the program, but there should be some computer science coursework taken and there will be a placement exam after being administered to determine if additional prior education is needed. Graduates have gone on to take roles such as information security engineer and threat intelligence analyst after completing this program.
• Regis University, also located in Denver, offers a Master of Science in Information and Cyber Security. The curriculum will give students the preparation necessary to take various industry certifications from Cisco, the Electronic Commerce Council, and the International Security Audit and Controls Association (ISACA). 36 credit hours are needed to complete the program with each course being distributed in eight-week sessions. Classes begin six times per year, with the online version beginning every August. The university also offers certification in cybersecurity and information assurance.

Colorado Cyber Security Careers

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state of Colorado has over 3,600 employed as information security analysts. This falls into the higher end of the spectrum when looking at the entire nation, and salary also is above average with a mean wage of $102,820 per year.

These numbers climb above $156,000 in the 90th percentile. Employment concentration is also very high with Colorado springs being the fourth-highest metropolitan area, only lower than popular locations in Maryland, Washington DC, and Arizona.

Cyber Security Employment Options

In contrast to the various traditional educational opportunities, the United States Air Force Academy offers a unique and very important cybersecurity experience. The Cyber Science major will give students a pathway to apply the computer skills they learned to develop solutions and become a leader within the information security sector.

There is no need to have prior programming experience and it is not needed to succeed in the program. Within the Air Force, students have the potential to become intelligence experts and cyber operations officers that will operate with and maintain network communication, but they also gain the skills to thrive at any organization’s IT department.

Top Cyber Security and Tech Employers and Organizations

One of the reasons Colorado Springs has such heavy employment in cybersecurity is Root9B, which was founded in the location back in 2011. They create advanced software for global networks and offer services such as threat intelligence, digital forensics, and risk management.

Their core service scopes out and neutralizes potential threats at government agencies and other private networks, and does so automatically. There are growing opportunities for cybersecurity specialists, be it within programming or architectural engineering.