Wentworth’s Board of Trustees officially approved two new degree programs that are set to debut in Fall 2019: A Bachelor of Science in Applied Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.
The chair of the Department of Sciences, Franz Rueckert, believes that applied science is a natural fit for Wentworth students who want to work in highly technical industries, but maintain a hands-on role.
“The modern workplace is increasingly focused on novel creations at the intersection of related fields,” he says. “[This] degree gives students the technical skills and investigative training to contribute to these innovations through a broad background in the natural sciences.”
Cybersecurity is another area growing exponentially due to the constant threat of cyberattacks and data breaches. Raymond Hansen, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Networking, and Charlie Wiseman, department chair, were key figures in making a cybersecurity degree at Wentworth a reality. Hansen previously helped build the cybersecurity program at Purdue University.
Hansen relates that as the worlds of homelife, work, and recreation continue to merge thanks to smartphones and other devices, securing those devices and data has become critically important. “The Cybersecurity major has been designed
to provide insights and experiences in securing not only the technologies being used, but also to address the people and processes involved,” he says.
According to Hansen, there is currently a workforce gap of roughly 500,000 qualified cybersecurity specialists in the United States and three million worldwide. He adds, “The need is real, and immediate.”
—Greg Abazorius
