UNLV Kicks Off Cybersecurity Degree to Help Fix Nevada’s Worker Shortage as Online Threats Grow

In response to a critical cybersecurity workforce gap across Nevada's major industries, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) this fall launched a new online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, developed jointly by its College of Engineering and Lee Business School. The initiative directly addresses longstanding recruitment challenges, particularly for large local employers such as casinos and the airport.

“Most of the large players in town, the casinos, airport, some of the other large companies, they all reached out to us and said, we need for people who can do cybersecurity,” Greg Moody, the director of cybersecurity programs at UNLV said.

The fully online program features curriculum components that integrate artificial intelligence training to prepare students for increasingly sophisticated threats. “The ones that are attacking us, they are also using AI, so things that used to be technically hard to do before, have to have some level of coding skill, knowledge of the hardware, AI can offset some of that, so the attackers can attack more easily and so on the defensive side we are going to use it as any other tool to defend it also,” Moody said.

Emphasizing the breadth of opportunities in the field, Moody added, “It's a career pathway that's very versatile. It's not like you get a degree and you can only do one thing. You get a degree in law, you're a lawyer. Degree in accountant, you're an accountant,” he said. “Cybersecurity, there's 12 to 15 different career pathways from completely technical to non-technical.”

With local employers clamoring for cyber talent and the national job market reflecting rapid growth, UNLV initially projected a first-cohort enrollment of around 50 students but has already welcomed 275 students to the program, underscoring strong demand. 

The U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of information security analyst jobs will increase by 29% by 2034, with a median salary of about $124,000. The urgency for building local capacity comes in the wake of several high-profile breaches in Nevada — a ransomware attack at the end of August brought down multiple Nevada state websites and impacted services in the state for several days, and a 2023 ransomware incident at MGM Resorts International caused an estimated business interruption of $100 million or more.

UNLV officials say the program is positioned not just to train students, but also to strengthen Nevada's cybersecurity infrastructure and reduce dependence on out-of-state talent.