Cal State San Bernardino, Sacramento State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San José State have been recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education. CSU San Bernardino hosts the national symposium for all CAE schools in the U.S. and has established the pathway for CAE designation.
Students interested in a career in cybersecurity should also consider CyberCorps' Scholarship for Service program. Scholars receive two years of full tuition and fees, plus a stipend. Upon graduation, they are typically required to work full-time as an information assurance specialist in federal, state, local or tribal government organizations for up to two years.
At some CSU campuses you can earn a degree (bachelor's or masters) in cybersecurity, while other schools offer computer science degrees that allow you to study or major in cybersecurity or information security. “This is a great career because you're constantly reinventing yourself," says CSU San Bernardino's Dr. Tony Coulson, a leading voice in cybersecurity education. “Technology changes, and as long as you change with the technology you will always have an interesting career."
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly's
California Cybersecurity Institute offers a wide variety of
cybersecurity certification courses.
Cal State Bakersfield
Computer Science with concentration in information security (B.S.)
Cal State Long Beach
Minor in cybersecurity applications
(open to a variety of majors)
CSU Channel Islands
Computer Science with minor in security systems engineering
CSU Dominguez Hills
Cyber Security (M.S.)
Cyber Security: IT Fundamentals Certificate
CSU San Bernardino
Information Systems & Technology Cyber Security (B.S.,
M.S.)
Certificate in Cyber Security
Certificate in Cyber Security Professional
CSU San Marcos
Cybersecurity (M.S.)
Fresno State
At present, Fresno State does not offer a degree program, certification or minor or cybersecurity, but students can enroll in courses and programs that allow them to gain knowledge and experience in cybersecurity, including software design, embedded systems design, application-specific integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and more. For more information, contact
Dr. Shahab Tayeb by email or at (559) 278-3403; or
Dr. Keith Clement by email or at (559) 278-1011.
Sacramento State
Computer Science (B.S.), minor in information security and computer forensics (minor also offered to non-computer science students)
Certificate in Cyber Defense and Operations
Certificate in Information Assurance and Security
San Diego State
Cybersecurity Management (M.S.)
San José State
Software Engineering with Specialization in Cybersecurity (M.S.)
Certificate in Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
Certificate in Cybersecurity Engineering
Advanced Certificate – Cybersecurity: Core Technologies
To explore more degrees, consult the
CSU Degrees database. You can also find more information through the
National Institute for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) and
CyberSeek, which outlines career pathways for a wide variety of information security jobs.
Learn more about how the CSU is
readying the cybersecurity workforce and discover career paths from alumni in the field.