Rogers State University announced a partnership with Claremore High School to offer a concurrent Cybersecurity Certificate, introducing students to technology that is shaping the future.
“I am incredibly excited about this partnership and the opportunities that it will provide for our students. Cybersecurity is a growing field with a high demand in many industries both locally and nationally,” Kenneth Hindenburg, Claremore High School principal, said. “Not only will students who complete this program earn an industry specific certificate, but they will be on track to pursue a bachelor’s degree in that field as well.”
Cybersecurity will join the ranks of many STEM programs offered at Claremore including biomedical science, digital video editing, graphic design, pre-engineering, and robotics.
Instructed by Assistant Professor R. Curtis Sparling, the top-tier training program will prepare the next generation of Oklahoma’s workforce with direct exposure to the region’s growing industries and degree programs offered at RSU.
Cybersecurity Analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for national computer networks.
“Protection of data at a local level is imperative for all stakeholders, that is, the safeguarding of data collected and housed by institutions of learning, worship, businesses, non-profits, and healthcare facilities is not only a legal obligation but a moral one. As a society, we now operate in an electronic age, and we must educate individuals to be diligent proactive stewards of this data for each organization,” Sparling said.
In December, RSU announced an Education Partnership Agreement with the National Security Agency to increase its employee pipeline of underrepresented populations in the science, technology, engineering and mathematic fields. Additionally, the NSA personnel will provide students with academic and career advice.
RSU offers a tuition waiver for up to 18 credit hours per school year to high school juniors and seniors, allowing students to simultaneously complete the Cybersecurity Certificate while in high school. Individuals who are best suited to enter the profession of cybersecurity possess a natural curiosity, have exceptional analytical abilities, and are inclined to be a continuous learner.
Rogers State University is a four-year regional university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Tracing its roots back to 1909, RSU celebrates 21 years as an accredited institution awarding bachelor’s degrees this year. RSU offers degree programs and options meeting the needs for Oklahoma’s top 10 fastest growing industries as identified by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Claremore students may enroll in this program on March 24th during the Zebra Advisement Program’s enrollment night from 4:00 -7:30 p.m.
For more information about technology degrees at RSU, visit www.rsu.edu/levelup.