TRAIN WHERE THE PROFESSIONALS TRAIN
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing and highest-demand fields in the country — and the quality of your training determines where you land.
The UW-Stevens Point Cybersecurity program is built differently: government-certified curriculum, a working forensics lab that handles real cases, and faculty who hold the same credentials your future employers will ask for on day one. You will work on real problems, with real tools, under the guidance of practitioners who have used them professionally.
The Cybersecurity option is the only track in the CIS major that offers a research thesis in place of the capstone.
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED BY THE NSA
UWSP’s Cybersecurity program holds the Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation from the National Security Agency — the same agency responsible for U.S. signals intelligence and information assurance. CAE-CD designation is awarded only to programs that meet rigorous national standards in curriculum design and institutional cybersecurity practice.
Fewer than 400 institutions in the country hold this designation. It signals to employers, graduate schools, and government agencies that UWSP graduates are trained to a verified national standard.
WHY STUDY CYBERSECURITY AT UWSP?
Your primary instructor holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) — widely recognized as the gold standard certification in the field — and the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE) credential in digital forensics. You are not learning cybersecurity from someone who studied it. You are learning from someone who practices it.
A lot of programs teach cybersecurity. Here is what else sets UWSP apart:
A Forensics Lab That Works Real Cases
The Digital Forensics and Recovery Analysis Lab is not a simulation environment. Our lab provides professional digital forensics services to individuals, attorneys, law enforcement, and organizations across the region and beyond. Students who intern in the lab work on actual casework — data recovery, computer investigations, and litigation support — including matters that have reached the international level.
This is the kind of hands-on experience that most programs cannot offer, and that employers immediately recognize as meaningful.
Certification Pathways Built Into the Program
UWSP has formal partnerships with the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE) and EC-Council, two of the leading credentialing organizations in the field. Through these partnerships, students have access to:
• Discounted examination vouchers for industry certifications
• Exam preparation integrated directly into coursework
• Clear pathways to certifications like the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE) and EC-Council credentials
• Lab internship opportunities where UWSP covers the cost of training and examination for students who complete program requirements
Many students graduate not just with a degree, but with professional certifications already on their resume.
A Research Center Backing Your Work
The Center for Cybersecurity Studies and Advanced Research supports student capstone projects, independent research, and applied work in areas including penetration testing, distributed computing, and cybersecurity training development. If you want to go beyond coursework — publish, present, or build something original — the infrastructure is here.
WHAT YOU WILL STUDY
The Cybersecurity option within the CIS major provides deep technical training grounded in the National Security Agency CAE-CD knowledge framework. Coursework spans:
- Network security and architecture
- Cryptography and applied security protocols
- Digital forensics and incident response
- Ethical hacking and penetration testing
- Secure software design and vulnerability analysis
- Cybersecurity law, policy, and professional ethics
You will know your professors, and they will know you. Classes are capped at 24 students.
Cybersecurity Graduation Plan Major MapWHERE OUR GRADUATES GO
More than 85% of students who complete CNMT internships are hired by the sponsoring employer. Most computing graduates have job offers before they walk across the stage.
UWSP computing graduates have built careers at organizations including:
• Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Visa
• Mandiant, FireEye (now part of Trellix), and Magnet Forensics
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency
• Cyber intelligence roles across the federal government and private sector
CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY STUDIES AND ADVANCED RESEARCH
The Center for Cybersecurity Studies and Advanced Research is UWSP’s commitment to cybersecurity beyond the classroom. The Center supports student research, faculty scholarship, and professional services to the public and private sectors.
Through the Center’s Digital Forensics and Recovery Analysis Lab, UWSP provides services including data recovery, digital investigation, and litigation support to individuals, small businesses, law firms, and law enforcement — work that carries real consequences and demands real precision.
For students, the Center means access to live project work, mentorship from credentialed professionals, and a portfolio of real experience that stands out in any hiring process.
MEET YOUR FACULTY
The faculty teaching in the Cybersecurity option bring active professional credentials and real-world practice to every course. You are not learning from someone who once read the field — you are learning from someone still working in it.
Ashley Peper
- Assistant Professor
- Center for Athletic Scheduling faculty adviser
Chad Johnson
- Associate Professor
- Coordinator, Digital Forensics and Recovery Analysis Lab
Tomi Heimonen
- Associate Professor
- Academic Director, M.S. Cybersecurity online degree program