Responding to the rapidly escalating threat of cyberattacks and a nationwide shortage of skilled professionals, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) announces the launch of a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Systems. The innovative, four-year degree is designed to prepare graduates to protect critical systems, safeguard sensitive data and build resilient digital infrastructure in an increasingly connected world.
Cybersecurity threats continue to rise in both frequency and severity, with attacks more than doubling since 2020 (Total Assure, 2025, citing FBI and Verizon DBIR data). In response MSOE developed its new program in collaboration with its industry advisory board to align directly with workforce needs and emerging security challenges.
“The reality for industry is that cybersecurity is no longer optional—it is essential,” said Dr. Walter Schilling, MSOE professor and cybersecurity systems program director. “We will prepare students not just to understand systems, but to secure them, defend them and design them to withstand real-world attacks.”
The B.S. in Cybersecurity Systems integrates coursework in science and mathematics with computer science, software engineering, political science, and ethics. This interdisciplinary approach equips students with both the technical expertise and the ethical frameworks needed to address complex cybersecurity challenges across multiple industries.
The cybersecurity systems program emphasizes hands-on learning. Students will work directly with physical hardware, participate in live network simulations, and gain experience both attacking and defending systems in controlled environments.
“Just as civil engineers spend time in the lab learning how physical structures fail, our students learn how computing systems break,” Schilling added. “In doing so, they learn how to build systems that are resilient and secure from the ground up."
Program Highlights Include
The program also prepares students to work with modern technologies, including artificial intelligence. While AI has long been embedded in cybersecurity tools, students will learn to operate both with and without AI assistance, ensuring adaptability across a wide range of professional environments. Schilling noted, “In the cyber world, it is important not only to learn how to use tools, but to know if the tool is providing you with valid feedback. We need to be able to look at the situation and quickly deduce if the AI system is hallucinating or otherwise providing us with false information.”
In alignment with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Framework, MSOE’s program prepares students for a variety of critical roles across industry and government. Graduates will develop competencies in cryptography, penetration testing, secure system design and network defense, along with strong communication, teamwork and ethical decision-making skills.
According to CompTIA’s analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Lightcast data, more than 300,000 new technology and cybersecurity related jobs are expected to be created over the next decade. MSOE’s graduates will be well-positioned to pursue careers in areas such as cybersecurity architecture, secure software development, threat and vulnerability analysis, digital forensics, and defensive cybersecurity.
Enrollment for the B.S. in Cybersecurity Systems is now open. For more information, visit msoe.edu/cyb or contact the admissions team at (414) 277-7300.
The cybersecurity systems program integrates science and mathematics with computer science, software engineering, political science and ethics to prepare a computing professional capable of developing and deploying computing systems that consistently maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability.
