ERIC Number: EJ1448946
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-None
EISSN: EISSN-1545-679X
Available Date: N/A
What's in a Name? Student Preferences for Cybersecurity-Related Major Titles
Peter Draus; Sushma Mishra; Kevin Slonka; Natalya Bromall
Information Systems Education Journal, v22 n5 p81-91 2024
There is a significant skill gap, with millions of cybersecurity jobs still needing to be fulfilled due to a lack of a trained workforce. Various academic programs are available that teach students in different aspects of cybersecurity. This paper investigates if the title of an IT program has any impact on the desirability of a program and if this impact differs based on gender, with a focus on cybersecurity majors. Two focus groups were conducted for data collection at two different universities, and participants were asked to rank order a variety of titles for cybersecurity programs. An interpretive thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data. Our results suggest that cybersecurity is a preferred title for both men and women. Recommendations are provided, and implications are drawn.
Descriptors: College Students, Information Technology, Information Security, Cybernetics, Computer Security, Crime Prevention, Course Selection (Students), Naming, Language Role, Student Attitudes, Majors (Students), Ambiguity (Semantics), Gender Differences, Career Readiness, Skill Development, Labor Needs
Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals. Box 488, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. e-mail: publisher@isedj.org; Web site: http://isedj.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A