J.B. Holston is dean of the University of Denver’s Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science school.
The University of Denver said Wednesday it added a program that it feels is so critical to tackling the cybersecurity worker shortage that all students accepted will receive a scholarship cutting the college’s regular tuition in half.
As part of the school’s , which is led by the dean J.B. Holston, the new advanced degree includes ethical hacking, network security and principles of computer forensics.
Aping the trend of fast-track degrees that educators at Galvanize offer, the year-long program also pairs students with local security companies.
Holston, who used to office at Galvanize when he , brought his entrepreneurial expertise and business connections to the school. Last week, , the energetic head of the Colorado Technology Association to run the school’s new. Earlier this month, Holston joined Gov. John Hickenlooper and other security officials in Washington, D.C. to figure out how to train and educate future cyber-security workers.
“President Obama’s latest annual budget proposal includes $19 billion for cybersecurity,” Holston said in . “The nation is in need of more experts as cybersecurity has become a central global concern. We’re positioning DU as a critical platform for driving the public/private cybersecurity ecosystem in Colorado.”
The school is also offering scholarships to accepted students for the 2015 to 2016 school year that will cover half of the school’s regular tuition of $57,552. The tuition will be $28,800.
Other schools in Colorado offer similar programs, though many are online-based options. One from Regis University, U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and most of the state’s other schools, including DU. But the DU program listed, the in a mix of online and on-campus work.
DU’s new one-year cybersecurity degree is on campus and fully immersive, according to the school. It aims to give graduates “the technical foundation they need to have an accelerated career in the fastest-growing industry in the nation,” according to the school. More details on the degree program .
