Cyber Security Degrees in Pennsylvania

Getting Started Working in Cyber Security in Pennsylvania

With a dozen institutions to choose from in Pennsylvania, and even more programs that offer a pathway toward a cyber security degree, this is one of the more flexible states to get a degree from. While there is solid employment like many other states in the Northeast, salary is a bit lower for cyber security analysts.

• Undergraduate Degrees:

  At Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, students can pursue the Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology and take the Cyber Security track to gain an edge in getting an entry-level position. Education within this sector will prepare students for the ethical and legal issues involved in data, discover techniques and identifiers to stop intrusions into an organization’s network, and be able to communicate and work with others on a team and when presenting information to other employees. The Blair Center and Richland Campus are locations where students can complete this program.

  Valley Forge Military College has a Cybersecurity Certificate Program that prepares military personnel for the important task of keeping sensitive national information secure on a global scale. There are four courses within the curriculum: Introduction to Computer Information Systems, Data Management and Security, Network Communications and Security, and Information Systems Security. Admission requires the submission of high school transcripts, standardized test scores, and an essay on how military education will be beneficial. Candidates must also complete an interview and medical requirements to demonstrate their physical fitness.

• Masters and Continuing Education:

  There are two different types of cyber security programs at Robert Morris University. The School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences offers the Master of Science in Cyber Investigations and Intelligence, a 30-credit program that is only available on-campus. However, the program is offered in a hybrid format with online coursework during the summer. There are two ways to complete the program in a year – through the standalone Master’s format with two full semesters of classes and summer courses, or by taking two courses in the final undergraduate year.

  The other program at Robert Morris University is available both on-campus and online, the Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. This is also a 30-credit program that has courses such as Information Technology Governance, Microcomputing Technology, and Network Technology and Management. While the former degree focuses on investigations and gathering information, this degree emphasizes the work in system development, and finding and eliminating threats within the network.

• Cyber Security Employment Options:

  Employers that have taken graduates from these programs include Deloitte, PwC, PNC, and local professional sports teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the cities providing the most opportunity, with many cyber security positions at the Big Four accounting firms, CDW, Accenture, and academically at Penn State University.

Pennsylvania Cyber Security Careers

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington metropolitan area employs over 2,280 information security analysts in the area with an average salary that shoots just over $101,000 per year. This amount skyrockets between Chambersburg and Waynesboro in Pennsylvania, where there is less overall employment but there is an average wage of over $122,000 on salary. This amount is only smaller than the New York City area.

Top Cyber Security and Tech Employers and Organizations in Pennsylvania

PNC Financial Services is a banking company that is one of the top 10 largest banks in the United States and has its headquarters at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and there are numerous positions available for security managers and engineers. Managers will have the responsibility of overseeing a team that controls operations on cyber security and evaluates programs used in the process, audits to maintain a secure structure and develops policies to follow for finding vulnerabilities and processes when an attack occurs, and they document and present findings to other team members and higher-level positions to raise awareness on potential issues or make improvement suggestions.