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BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College is pleased to announce three new majors: Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity – Information Assurance and International Business. The College’s faculty members approved these new majors on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Slated to commence in the 2017-2018 academic year, these new programs will be housed in Bethany’s Physical and Computational Sciences Department and Department of Business.

Dr. Tamara Rodenberg, President of Bethany College, says that these new majors indicate significant academic innovation for current students and prospective students alike.

“At Bethany College, we take pride in our tradition of distinction and adding these programs will allow our current students the opportunity to grow in a different field, while broadening our academic programs for prospective students,” said Rodenberg. “In keeping with our liberal arts tradition, these new majors will allow students to have the creativity, quantitative and analytical skills needed to succeed.”

CYBERSECURITY

The Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity – Information Assurance majors will be housed in Bethany’s Physical and Computational Sciences Department. The addition of these two majors connect with existing majors at Bethany, such as mathematics and computer science.

For instance, a major in Cybersecurity will focus on the research and development of software and algorithms for protecting digital assets, while Cybersecurity – Information Assurance will focus on developing skills necessary for careers in overseeing the security of an organization including the minimizing of risks and protection of digital assets.

Students who choose the Cybersecurity major will be taking courses in mathematics to help in encryption and software applications that are needed in the field. In total, 65 credit hours are required with this major, and students are encouraged to seek a minor in criminal justice and/or mathematics.

In the Cybersecurity – Information Assurance major, students will take courses in business and psychology. Students in both majors will be encouraged to take psychology as part of the liberal arts core, so they are able to better understand the motivations of hackers and criminal justice courses to understand the legal system. The Cybersecurity – Information Assurance major requires 60 credit hours, and students are encouraged to seek a minor in criminal justice and/or management.

To facilitate the Cybersecurity additions, Bethany will be opening the Zero Chaos Cybersecurity Lab that includes computers that are separated from the College’s network and the Internet. Funded by Bethany Board of Trustees member Doug Goin, students will be able to simulate cyberattacks without harming any network in a controlled environment. The Lab will be designed with the assistance of two cybersecurity experts that work in both the private sector and at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory.

Due to the high-demand of jobs in cybersecurity, the addition of these programs will allow students the chance at internship opportunities at the local and national level, accreditation and certification, as well as a chance to compete in cyber-competitions at the formal and informal level.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

The Department of Business will house the new International Business major at Bethany. The two main goals of this major include understanding the area of international business and development of understanding about international business perspectives.

A major in International Business will prepare a student to understand the global marketplace, how international factors affect the domestic market, the issues of expanding business abroad, and how to analyze the global business environment.

This major requires 70 credit hours, and students will choose an area of interest from the following: Asia; Business, Technology, Communication & Culture; Economics, History, Law & Politics; European Union; France; Germany; Latin America; Middle East; and Spain.

In addition, students will be required to take two courses in a language of their choice.

“Our students are afforded the opportunity to study abroad, and our international student-body is growing,” said Dr. Rodenberg. “The addition of the International Business major will allow our students to grasp a better understanding of the global marketplace.”

For more details on the new majors, visit www.bethanywv.edu.

About Bethany College

Bethany College is located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.