Get Your Guard Up: SC’s First Cybersecurity Degree


When Winthrop established the College of Business Administration in 1968, computers were the size of an entire room, electromechanical processing tools were used to compile data for tasks such as payroll, billing, and inventory, and the government had not even signed the contract for the creation of ARPANET, a prototype for the Internet as we know it today.


Fast-forward to today, and Winthrop has over 100 students working to earn their B.S. in Cybersecurity. Leveraging the already successful Computer Science degree, students delve deeper with specialized courses, including: Cyber Forensics, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Security, and Ethical Hacking.


Winthrop is the first South Carolina state-run university to offer a degree in cybersecurity. The program was established in 2021 and is offered as both a major and minor.


The College of Business & Technology always ensures that its curriculum provides a high- quality educational experience, including a focus on courses and instruction that connect to the workforce needs of employers locally, regionally, and abroad. A 2017 study by IT-oLogy, in cooperation with the SC Coordinating Council on Workforce Development and the SC Department of Commerce highlighted major concerns related to the supply of workers. In response, Winthrop got to work and welcomed the first students to the program in Fall 2021.


With a median salary of $113,322 and projected growth of 11.5% in job openings in the next eight years, there’s no shortage of opportunities. Everyone—Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, governments, and nonprofits—must think about protecting systems and data. That’s why our graduates have gone on to work in roles at a variety of places, such as The Walt Disney Company, John Deere, and Chesterfield County Public Schools.


If you or your business have an employment opportunity for our recent cybersecurity graduates or those who will graduate in May 2026, please connect with Michael Szeman, Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internships, at szemanm@winthrop.edu.


3

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10