U.S. Higher Education System Fails to Prepare Leaders for Era of Cyber Threat

In a new study released March 26, 2013, the Pell Center of Salve Regina University found that the majority of America's "top" academic institutions are failing to provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to combat cyber threats in the professional world.

The report argues that "cyber defense requires not only IT (Information Technology) experts with computer science, electric engineering, and software security skills, but also professionals with an understanding of political theory, institutional theory, behavioral psychology, military ethics, international law, international relations, and additional social sciences."

In light of these needs, the Pell Center conducted this study to survey "current efforts by graduate-level educational programs in the United States to prepare non-technical institutional leaders […] for an era of persistent cyber threat. It focuses primarily on the top […] ranked graduate schools […] in each of the major degree programs that traditionally develop leaders across society—Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of International Relations (IR), Master of Laws (LLM), Criminal Justice, and Healthcare Management—to assess what level of exposure to cyber issues students already receive and to what extent they graduate with an adequate understanding of the cyber challenges facing their respective fields."

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