The Computer Science department at the University of Louisville has realigned two of their Graduate Certificates to reflect industry standards and market demand.

• The Graduate Certificate in Data Mining is now the Graduate Certificate in Data Science
• The Graduate Certificate in Network and Information Security is now the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity: A State of Emergency

In 2015, IBM’s President and CEO, Ginni Rometty, made a statement that data is the world’s new natural resource and the basis of competitive advantage in many industries. She followed up these points with a straightforward conclusion:

“Cybercrime is the greatest threat to every company in the world.”

And she wasn’t exaggerating.

In 2016 alone, we witnessed a wide array of cybercriminal activities:

• A breach of the US Department of Justice’s database, releasing data on some 30,000 Department of Homeland Security and FBI employees.
• Coordinated attacks against Yahoo that impacted sensitive user data of more than 500 million customers.
• Draining of money from the accounts of 9,000 Tesco Bank customers.
• Organized DDoS attacks, causing major organizations like PayPal, Netflix, and Twitter to experience downtime.

With cybercrime damage costs expected to reach $6 trillion annually by 2021, and an anticipated 1.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2019, the fields of data mining, network security, and information technology now offer more career options than ever before to those with adequate credentials.

UofL Online Sees Great Potential in Data Science and Cybersecurity Programs

The University of Louisville has a long and reputable tradition in providing high quality programs in computer science, data mining (now data science) and network security (now cybersecurity) that fulfill the needs of this growing industry.

The Graduate Certificate programs in Data Science and Cybersecurity will continue to prepare excellent professionals who will be instrumental in managing and securing data for companies of all sizes in the public and private sectors alike.

As described by Dr. Mehmed Kantardzic, Director of Computer Engineering and Computer Science programs at the University of Louisville, “The extraordinary use of computers and flood in production of online data is changing forever the way decisions are made in many disciplines, including finance, medicine, pharmaceuticals, bioinformatics, social welfare, government, education, retail, marketing, security, and the list goes on.

Dramatic growth in the amount and complexity of data that can be collected and analyzed is affecting all aspects of modern society. In today’s fast-developing digital world, data science professionals need skills to collect, process and extract values from big, diverse data sets, and visualize and communicate their findings to other professionals.”

According to the Data Science Association, there are certainly many technological shifts occurring across all industries, so the need for skilled data science and cybersecurity professionals to protect and interpret big data is increasing.

• The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) uses data science to monitor the financial market and prevent illegal trading activity.
• Utility companies are installing smart meter readers to collect data, which is then used to improve the customer experience and drive energy efficiency initiatives.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses big data to study patterns of food-related illnesses, allowing faster treatment response times.

Online Graduate Certificate Overview

UofL’s 100% online Graduate Certificate programs range from 12 – 18 credit hours, allowing current students entering the field and those working as data mining and network security professionals, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists or forensic data analysts to acquire valuable education credentials and advance their careers.

Dr. Mehmed Kantardzic adds “Our Data Science Graduate Certificate Program balances theory and applications, enabling our students to handle the flood of big data, and have abilities to create data-driven solutions that boost competitive businesses and new scientific discoveries.”

Professionals who want to enroll in the online graduate certificate programs or the MS in Computer Science program at UofL can learn more about admission requirements and course details by visiting the program website.

About UofL Online Learning

The University of Louisville currently offers more than 20 online programs in various areas of study for adult learners who are not able to come to a physical campus, but want to earn a college degree or certificate and advance their career.

The University of Louisville is a nationally-recognized, metropolitan research university, with a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, as well as the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of our diverse community of learners.