Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in Louisiana

Louisiana is rapidly growing in terms of cyber security opportunities. From 2010 to 2014, postings for cyber security jobs in Louisiana rose by 275%, the second-largest gains nationwide. Forward-thing local government officials recently established National Cyber Research Park in Bossier City, Louisiana. Here, companies, educators and government officials stimulate IT growth in the state, and the city is one of several where cyber security jobs in both tech and commerce entities can be found.

Louisiana Cyber Security Jobs

Unfortunately, there are more entry-level professionals than cyber security job openings. Demand is better, however, for those who hold additional certifications, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) credentials. The majority of jobs can be found in New Orleans, though Baton Rouge and Bossier City are not far behind. Tech companies like CSRA and Summit Technical Solutions commonly post openings for cyber security jobs, as do large corporations like power company Entergy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a mean wage of $82,640 for cyber security analysts, on par with the national mean of $92,600. Combined with the state’s lower-than-average cost of living, this makes for an excellent outcome in terms of standard of living.

Cyber Security Degrees in Louisiana

Associate’s Degrees in cyber security are available at just one institute in the state. Bossier Parish Community College has an Associate of Applied Science program in Cyber Technology with a Network Security Concentration. The school is recognized by the NSA as a “National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security” (CAE).

Bachelor’s Degrees in cyber security are offered by a total of three institutes in the state: Southern University and A & M College, University of New Orleans, and Louisiana Tech University. The latter two are considered by the NSA to be CAEs.

Master’s Degrees in cyber security are available through only one Louisiana school, the University of New Orleans, which awards a Master of Science degree in Computer Science with a Concentration Area in Information Assurance.

Certificates and Doctoral Degrees in cyber security are offered by three institutions, all CAEs. Bossier Parish Community College offers a Certificate of Technical Studies in Information Systems Security Professionals, and Louisiana Tech University has a Information Assurance Certificate Program. The University of New Orleans confers a Ph.D. in Computer Science with a Concentration in IA.

Cyber Security Resources in Louisiana

Cyber Security Degree Providers in Louisiana

Below we’ve included some of the most pertinent information for choosing a cyber security degree program. Affordability looked at the average in-state tuition rate (where applicable) and divided the range of tuition rates into five bins. Each bin contains a roughly $8,000 jump in tuition. So one $ contains schools from roughly $1,000 in in-state tuition to $9,000, $$’s contains schools from >$9,000 to $17,000, and so forth. Retention rate is one of the best predictors of undergraduate education quality. While the NSA/CAE designation marks programs deemed excellent by the NSA.