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cybersecurity defense strategy/policy

Types of Degrees cybersecurity defense strategy/policy Majors Are Earning

Those studying cybersecurity defense strategy/policy can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	87
Bachelor’s Degree	250
Master’s Degree	634

What cybersecurity defense strategy/policy Majors Need to Know

Programs in cybersecurity defense strategy/policy emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in cybersecurity defense strategy/policy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a cybersecurity defense strategy/policy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to cybersecurity defense strategy/policy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by cybersecurity defense strategy/policy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates include:

• Safety Supervisor
• Compliance Director
• Superintendent of Generation
• Shift Manager
• Poolroom/Poolhall Manager
• Art Coordinator
• Project Leader
• Supervisor, Road, Administrator
• Horse Racetrack Manager
• Gun Club Manager
• Marina Dry Dock Manager
• Dental Office Manager
• Oil Well Drilling Manager
• Director of Professional Services
• Communications Superintendent

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	51.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	16.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.7%
Master’s degree	7.6%
Some college courses	6.7%
Postsecondary certificate	4.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Doctoral degree	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in cybersecurity defense strategy/policy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 72.8% of cybersecurity defense strategy/policy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	272	27.2%
Men	727	72.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	540	54.1%
Asian	48	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	108	10.8%
Black or African American	208	20.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	39	3.9%
Race Unknown	32	3.2%
International Students	15	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do cybersecurity defense strategy/policy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,422
4 years	$49,125
5 years	$55,237

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,237 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online cybersecurity defense strategy/policy Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for cybersecurity defense strategy/policy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	0
Bachelor’s	10	3
Master’s	12	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in cybersecurity defense strategy/policy Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, cybersecurity defense strategy/policy graduates earn a median of $49,125 four years after completion — roughly 29% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Security Science and Technology	43.04
Criminalistics and Criminal Science	43.0402
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism	43.0403
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
Forensic Science and Technology	43.0406
Geospatial Intelligence	43.0407
Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	43.0408
Security Science and Technology, General	43.0401
Security Science and Technology, Other	43.0499
Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations	43.0304
Criminal Justice and Corrections	43.0100
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration	43.0103

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.