The Frederick News-Post
March 31, 2022
Hood College cybersecurity students can apply for scholarships and research grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies as a result of a new designation from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
The National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense label lasts through 2027, after which Hood will have to reapply. To get the designation, schools have to complete a lengthy accreditation process, said George Dimitoglou, director of Hood’s cybersecurity program.
“It’s a validation of the rigor of our cybersecurity program,” Dimitoglou said. “It demonstrates our institutional commitment to academic excellence in the area of cybersecurity.”
Students who graduate from Hood’s cybersecurity program will now have a leg up in the job market, Dimitoglou said. Plus, it opens up new research opportunities for them while they’re still in school.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33% increase in cybersecurity jobs over the next 10 years — a rate much steeper than the average. The NSA and DHS program aims to encourage similar growth in the amount of programs that can prepare qualified applicants for those jobs, Dimitoglou said.
