Job prospects for cybersecurity engineering grads

[Anonymous]

Son is thinking about this as a career choice in college. Which colleges have the best programs and what is the salary for these grads? How will AI affect future jobs? What kind of advanced education is needed to secure better jobs? I'm not college educated and not sure how to advise him, but I know DCUM'ers are very knowledgeable about these careers. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated and I'll pass it on to him.

[Anonymous]

GMU and Va Tech have great programs. The defense contractors are large employers, so it makes sense that DMV schools have strong programs.

I am not sure it's wise to get a Cyber Security degree vs. an actual CS degree and then maybe a Cyber Security concentration or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Those jobs will all be offshored to India or given to H1B’s.

[Anonymous]

I’d be hesitant to recommend majoring in something too narrow like cybersecurity or data science. Those are really job categories, not broad academic foundations, and the specific tools change all the time. A stronger approach is to major in something like computer science, IT, or even electrical engineering. Those degrees give a base of theory and problem-solving that can be applied anywhere in tech, and then your child can specialize through certifications (CISSP, Security+, etc.), internships, or grad programs. Employers often prefer that mix of broad technical foundation plus certifications that prove up-to-date knowledge.

Think of what happened with government workers who majored in very specific fields like policy or political science. Many of them ended up stuck or unemployed when those niches dried up. If instead they had studied something portable like economics or business, they would still have been eligible for the same jobs but would also have had options outside government. The same applies here: a broad degree keeps doors open, while a narrow one can lock you in.

This is even more true now with AI. Many of the entry-level tasks in cybersecurity and data science are already being automated. Intrusion detection, vulnerability scanning, data cleaning, and model building can often be done with AI-driven tools. That makes narrow majors riskier because the specialized skills they focus on can become obsolete quickly. What will still be valuable are the people with deep CS or engineering backgrounds who can design new systems, solve complex problems, and adapt as the tools change.

Cybersecurity is still a strong career field with solid salaries. AI will change the work, but it will not remove the need. Every new technology creates new vulnerabilities. The safest bet is a broad, solid technical major that builds long-term flexibility, and then specialize as the industry evolves.

[Anonymous]

Ai will change it but you generally need a clearance so it cannot be outsourced.

[Anonymous]

It’s a fine career. SOC analysts are one of the most in demand jobs globally. And that’s entry level.

I don’t think offshoring is going to continue at the same pace it has been. Threats are getting too complex, politically-motivated, and widespread. If we continue on this course I’d expect some of those jobs to “reshore” for security reasons.

As for programs, there are plenty but before your kid graduates encourage them to do the entry level professional certs. It will make entry level job placement easier.

[Anonymous]

I agree that this is a super narrow major that is probably much less rigorous than a standard engineering degree. I would advise against it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those jobs will all be offshored to India or given to H1B’s.

Most Cannot be. US citizenship is required because of clearances.

[Anonymous]

I would not major in CyberSecurity. The better approach is a BS in Computer Engineering or CS. For the upper-level electives pick rigorous courses that relate to computing internals, such as assembly programming, embedded systems, advanced operating systems (ideally with some kernel internals), advanced networking, and compilers.

Take rigorous cybersecurity courses in combination with those deeply technical courses on computing internals.

Everyone here on DCUM will disagree, but I hire in this space and I think GMU and UMBC are good affordable options if students select the rigorous upper-level electives.

[Anonymous]

Get a copy of Ken Thompson's Turing Award speech/paper ("Reflections on trusting trust"). It can be found online with Google.

The kind of thing that paper describes is why people who really know computing internals and have a modest amount of paranoia do very well in cybersecurity.

Oh, and if studying with cybersecurity as a goal try to get an internship with NSA while in school. There are some Federal programs to pay for undergrad -- and also for grad school.

[Anonymous]

DHS has CyberSecurity scholarships:
"https://niccs.cisa.gov/resources/cybersecurity-scholarships"

OPM website also discusses:
"https://sfs.opm.gov/Student/Overview"

One can get paid (via a stipend) as a civilian to study at Naval Postgraduate School for an MS CS with concentration in Cyber Security. NPS is a very technical grad school, completely credible degree. No this is not like ROTC, as no uniformed military service is required:

"https://nps.edu/web/c3o/sfs-faq"

Other programs exist. Most of these require US citizenship and a clean criminal record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GMU and Va Tech have great programs. The defense contractors are large employers, so it makes sense that DMV schools have strong programs.

I am not sure it's wise to get a Cyber Security degree vs. an actual CS degree and then maybe a Cyber Security concentration or something like that.

+1. GMU. Those grads can write their own tickets.

[Anonymous]

AI will need to be secure (and audited) so it will create more work while also reducing some of the repetitive tasks. However, AI cannot deal with the various platforms/tools we use so it isn’t the big threat everyone claims. There are days I wish AI was more than it is.

I think any cybersecurity degree is good. We don’t really ever care what university applicants attended. I work with many former military who don’t have degrees. Pick an affordable college! We care about certs, skills, and ability to work well with others (those soft skills).

[Anonymous]

Not good tbh. Learning a trade would be better.

[Anonymous]

I work for a cybersecurity company and many of the entry level positions we are hiring for are consulting based. Knowing how to communicate with the customer is important. Not surprisingly, people with liberal arts backgrounds are often hired. The technical stuff can be taught.