Education
BY SHELBIE HAMILTON
Higher Education Guide
2024
Welcome to Community Impact ’s annual Higher Education edition. This guide features the latest updates and resources about local higher education institutions in your community. All the stories were written by our team of local journalists. In this year’s edition, our team of reporters bring you stories about Collin College as well as the University of North Texas.
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What's inside
See data about local educational attainment levels (Page 19)
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Collin College sees growth in cybersecurity degree programs
Collin College saw an over 20% increase in enrollment for its cybersecurity programs from the 2022-23 academic year to the 2023-24, according to college data. Damien Smith, director of the college’s cyberse- curity program, said the increase is tied to growth in the cybersecurity industry, as well as business growth in the region. “Dallas-Fort Worth, [the] North Texas area, is growing massively, exponentially, and there’s de nitely some opportunities for people with certain skills in cybersecurity to ourish in that environment,” Smith said. The details Collin College began o ering a dedicated cybersecurity program in fall 2008, and 18 students enrolled the rst semester. The Bachelor of Applied Technology in cybersecurity was introduced in spring 2020, with 24 enrolling the rst semester.
The school now has over 2,000 students enrolled with a declared major in cybersecurity, Smith said. About the program The cybersecurity industry has various focuses, Smith said, such as information assurance, aimed at protecting personal data and health infor- mation. Other focus areas include penetration testing, ethical hacking, digital forensics and risk management. “Technology is playing more of a role in every- one’s lives, whether it’s the car you drive or the appliances you use at home, they’re all connected to the network somehow, someway,” Smith said. “Protecting that data that [the] technology uses and relies upon is crucial, and we need trained professionals that understand that technology.”
Degree growth
Students enrolled
Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 24 67 195 323 444
Associate of Applied Science in Information Systems Cybersecurity
538
2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
790
1,203
1,489
1,735
SOURCE: COLLIN COLLEGE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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MCKINNEY EDITION
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