Cybersecurity is a critical field that enables you to work in jobs protecting the digital infrastructure of businesses, governments, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. It demands ethical reasoning, critical thinking, and technical problem-solving, preparing you for essential, rewarding careers that defend against contemporary threats and serve the common good.
Bethel College offers both a major and a minor in cybersecurity.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. It is an interdisciplinary field based primarily upon computer science, networking, and mathematics (including discrete math and cryptography). Cybersecurity professionals must understand both offensive and defensive tactics, risk management, and the ethical and legal dimensions of operating in digital spaces. You will gain hands-on experience in securing systems, analyzing vulnerabilities, and responding to incidents.
What can you do with a major in cybersecurity?
- Information Security Analyst: Monitor networks for security breaches, investigate violations, and implement security measures to protect an organization’s systems.
- Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker): Conduct authorized simulated cyberattacks on systems to find and fix vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.
- Security Architect: Design and build secure network and system infrastructures, creating a robust defense strategy for an organization.
- Digital Forensics Investigator: Analyze digital devices and systems after a security incident to uncover evidence, determine the cause, and support legal proceedings.
- Security Engineer: Develop and implement security solutions, maintaining the systems and tools that protect against cyber threats.
- Risk and Compliance Specialist: Evaluate an organization’s security risks, develop policies, and ensure they meet legal and regulatory standards.
- Security Consultant: Advise organizations on how to best protect their data, policies, and long-term security strategy.
- Cybersecurity Manager: Lead a team of security professionals, overseeing the day-to-day operations of an organization’s security posture and incident response.
Median Wage & Job Outlook
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- Median Wage: $129,180 per year (May 2025)
- Job Outlook: 21% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average)
- Annual Openings: About 14,100 openings projected each year, on average, over the decade
Cybersecurity Major
What You’ll Learn
Cybersecurity Major Learning Goals:
- Proficiency in the core concepts of computer networking, operating systems, and secure system architecture.
- An understanding of cyber threats, attack vectors, and principles of cyber defense.
- Competence in foundational cryptography and its application to data security.
- Practical skills in ethical hacking techniques, vulnerability assessment, and network defense strategies.
- An ability to collaborate and communicate security risks and solutions effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- A firm understanding of the ethical, legal, and policy issues inherent in cybersecurity practice.
Coursework
Total credit hours: 46-47 (Upper level: 24-25 Lower level: 22)
Required courses for the Cybersecurity Major:
Courses in mathematics:
- Calculus I (4 hours)
- Linear Algebra (3 hours)
- Discrete Mathematics (3 hours)
Courses in statistics:
- Applied Statistics (4 hours)
- Machine Learning Fundamentals (3 hours)
Courses in software development:
- Introduction to Computer Programming (4 hours)
- Intermediate Programming: Data Structures (4 hours)
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (3 hours)
Cybersecurity courses:
- Fundamentals of Computer Networks (4 hours)
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (3 hours)
- Cryptography (3 hours)
- Ethical Hacking and Network Defense (4 hours)
- Cybersecurity Seminar (1 hour)
– or –
Cybersecurity Internship (2 hours)
Supporting coursework:
- Christian Social Ethics (3 hours)
Cybersecurity Minor
Students must complete 16 credit hours selected from courses listed in the Cybersecurity major.
Coursework
At least one course in mathematics:
- Calculus I (4 hours)
- Linear Algebra (3 hours)
- Discrete Mathematics (3 hours)
At least one course in software development:
- Introduction to Computer Programming (4 hours)
- Intermediate Computer Programming: Data Structures (4 hours)
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (3 hours)
At least two courses in cybersecurity:
- Fundamentals of Computer Networks (4 hours)
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (3 hours)
- Cryptography (3 hours)
- Ethical Hacking and Network Defense (4 hours)
