Pitt-Greensburg’s Cybersecurity Program Earned An Elite National Designation

The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg has joined an elite group of national colleges and universities recognized as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security. This prestigious designation, valid through the 2030 academic year, highlights Pitt-Greensburg's Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a focus on cybersecurity.

Pitt-Greensburg becomes the ninth school in Western Pennsylvania to achieve this distinction. The program's success is attributed to a comprehensive curriculum that includes hands-on labs, research opportunities and collaboration with both government and industry partners. This designation opens doors for students, providing them access to special scholarships, internships and career pathways in federal government and defense-related fields.

"Attaining the endorsement as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education is a great step forward in the evolution of the Information Technology program at Pitt-Greensburg," said Pitt-Greensburg President Robert Gregerson. "With institutions of all types demanding well-trained experts, our students who graduate with this degree will be career-ready on day one to contribute to the digital security needs of corporations, government agencies, universities and other organizations."

The designation signifies that Pitt-Greensburg's curriculum aligns with the national standards needed to prepare students for critical roles in the cybersecurity workforce, a sector projected to grow 35% by 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

"This recognition reflects the tremendous effort invested over the past four years in designing our program, developing courses, launching the IT Club and achieving impressive institutional outcomes," said Michael Pry, an instructor of information technology and cybersecurity at Pitt-Greensburg, who led the documentation effort that resulted in the designation. That examination examined a wide range of elements, including but not limited to classes, learning objectives, the delivery of content and the administration of assessments. The NSA also reviewed transcripts to verify student outcomes.

The NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation is made up of two parts: the program of study designation, which measures the curriculum, and the institutional designation, which measures the school's application of cybersecurity concepts to its institutional cybersecurity readiness. Pry is currently documenting the campus cybersecurity practices so Pitt-Greensburg may receive the institutional designation as well.

Pry is also working with other disciplines to help them add IT and cybersecurity components to their classes. For instance, he helped to develop cybersecurity instruction for the nursing informatics program and the health care program. He's now working with another faculty member to incorporate the concepts into the pre-engineering program.