Opportunities for Students
Students in the Department of Computer Science at UA Little Rock have numerous opportunities to explore, such as cybersecurity.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median annual salary for information security analysts is $102,600 for 2023. This salary is more than double the national median earnings of workers across all industries ($45,760). The BLS also projects 33% growth in information security analyst jobs from 2020-2030, 4x the average rate of occupations nationwide
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting a 37% growth in all cybersecurity jobs from 2021 to 2022, a higher growth rate than almost all other industries. With over half a million unfilled cybersecurity jobs currently, our department provides students the education and opportunities they need to thrive in this challenging discipline. We invite you to come be a part of a community working hard to protect and defend our society against cybersecurity threats.
Discipline Description
UA Little Rock has a longstanding designation as a DHS and NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance. The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at UA Little Rock provides the course offerings to prepare future cybersecurity professionals, and our graduates will hit the ground running. Our faculty come with rich industry experience and have a passion to build your skills and interest in cybersecurity defense operations. Our curriculum is dynamic to meet the constantly changing threat landscape in cybersecurity.
Job Opportunities
UA Little Rock is in the capital city with two large military bases and numerous financial, energy, IT services, and retail organizations. We have a strong relationship with our industry partners and work to identify local internships and job placements for our graduates. Through our research and workforce development initiatives, students are able to work closely with industry, military, and government agencies.
According to Grand View Research, the cybersecurity market reached a value of $202.72 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2023 to 2030. Additionally, the unemployment rate in cybersecurity has been 0% since 2016, according to Forbes.
Here are some industries where cybersecurity are in demand (Forbes, BLS):
- Waste management services: Information security analysts in this sector earn an average annual wage of $173,250.
- Other information services: This IT subsector pays an average of $149,540 to cybersecurity experts.
- Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing: Cybersecurity professionals in this field earn an average of $144,040.
- Securities and other financial investment sectors: These fields pay an average cybersecurity salary of $142,070.
- Motion picture industries: This entertainment subsector pays information security analysts an average annual wage of $141,070.
- Application Security Engineer: $100,000 to $210,000
- Network Security Analyst: $90,000 to $150,000
- IS Security Manager: $120,00 to $180,000
- Cybersecurity Analyst: $90,000 to $185,000
- IS Security Engineer: $90,000 to $150,000
- Penetration Tester: $80,000 to $130,000
For more information, contact:
Dr. Philip Huff
Office: EIT 573
Email: pdhuff@ualr.edu
