MassBay Launches Center for Cybersecurity Education

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WELLESLEY – MassBay Community College is pleased to launch the Center for Cybersecurity Education, which offers vital resources to students at both the high school and college levels studying cybersecurity.

MassBay created the Center to teach best practices and prepare students for current workforce needs in response to increasing threats and risks to organizations’ information and data.

Currently the Center functions virtually, but MassBay is anticipating an exclusive space on the Wellesley Hills campus in the near future. The Center’s launch coincides with nationally recognized Cybersecurity Month.

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“The Center for Cybersecurity Education is an innovation hub for students to work on projects and engage on a deeper level with the cybersecurity field,” said MassBay computer science professor and director of the Center for Cybersecurity Education, Shamsi Moussavi. “This Center provides students access to the latest technology and offers them additional hands-on learning opportunities to prepare them with the skills they need for internships and high-paying jobs in the emerging high-tech sector. Additionally, the Center is a hub to collaborate and share best practices and curriculum with community colleges and industry professionals, strengthening the cybersecurity field, the education-to-workforce pipeline, and the regional economy.”

The Center works with other community colleges and four-year public and private universities on projects, while creating robust and sustainable pathways for associate degree graduates. In addition, MassBay aligns with regional industry partners, professional organizations, state and local information technology and cybersecurity departments, and other related groups to facilitate resources that help fill the workforce gaps in the cybersecurity field. The Center also holds events, lectures, competitions, and career panels for students focusing on enhancing students’ cybersecurity knowledge. 

“Companies worldwide are looking for well-trained cybersecurity professionals who can identify, prevent, mitigate, and address cyber risks. Our new Center for Cybersecurity Education better positions our students to compete in the global workforce, while providing a needed pipeline of well-trained, skilled workers,” Moussavi added.

MassBay is the only community college in Massachusetts that offers an associate degree in Cybersecurity. MassBay’s STEM division also offers certificate programs in cybersecurity and advanced cybersecurity, which prepare students for industry-standard certification exams and can be stacked with the associate degree for added credentials and/or used for transfer into a four-year institution.