Columbus State University’s cybersecurity NEXUS degree program has officially begun. The inaugural class started coursework for the year-long program on Aug. 4.

The 14 students come from a variety of backgrounds, including a veteran, art teacher, security guard, and a cruise line pastry chef. Their education levels vary from a recent high school graduate to a student who holds a master’s degree. While some students have computer science experience, others are new to the industry.

“We have planned for this day for a long time and we are so pleased it has finally come,” said CSU’s Turner College Dean Linda Hadley, “This program was the result of this community’s generosity and was made possible by a gift from TSYS to create CSU’s Cybersecurity Center. The Nexus program is the result of the creativity of the University System of Georgia in developing this unique, short credential designed to provide intensive preparation for high-demand jobs.”

Students enrolled in the NEXUS degree will complete six eight-week terms of cybersecurity education over the course of a year. Those 18 credit hours are laid out in a boot-camp format with instruction happening five-days a week for 4.5 hours per day.  It also includes two experiential hands-on apprenticeships for students to gain real-world experience as requested by employers. In order to obtain the full NEXUS degree, students will also need to complete 42 hours of general education. A NEXUS certificate is offered for those who are looking for the credential short of completing the degree.

“It is a year-long, boot-camp-style program, and that really appeals to me,” said Taylor Money, CSU NEXUS cybersecurity student. “It focuses, not only on knowledge, but skills and ability. I’m a very hands-on-type person when it comes to learning, so it really was up my alley.”

NEXUS Cybersecurity students at CSU will also have the opportunity to train on Georgia’s first cyber range to be hosted at a public university. The cyber range uniquely provides students with critical hands-on experience in dealing with malware attacks.

“The NEXUS cyber range is pretty amazing,” said Matthew Warner-McKinley, who recently graduated from CSU with a B.S. in computer science and who is now starting the NEXUS degree. “You can put any network topology in there and do a penetration test against it to see how things work.”

CSU’s cybersecurity NEXUS degree was created with feedback from industry partners to address a tremendous shortage of cybersecurity professionals. CyberSeek, a program of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, projects that there are more than 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., with 18,378 of those located in Georgia. According to Indeed, a job placement website, the average salary of entry-level cybersecurity professionals ranges from $59,603 to $115,898.

Classes for CSU’s cybersecurity NEXUS degree program began prior to the start of the regular fall 2020 academic semester. All other coursework will begin on Aug. 17, as CSU students return to campus after virtual instruction in the summer semester.

For more information on CSU’s cybersecurity NEXUS degree program or to enroll in the next class, visit turner.columbusstate.edu/cyber.