GVSU creates new cybersecurity bachelor's, master's degrees

Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella took part in her first Board of Trustees meeting as president on July 12 in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale Campus. 

During the meeting, the board approved two new fields of study in high-demand engineering and computing fields. 

The board approved both a bachelor's and master's degree in cybersecurity, and a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. Both fields are growing quickly and there is great demand for experts in those fields.

The curriculum in both new cybersecurity programs will include network and software security, security policy, cyber-ethics, cryptography and cyber-forensics. The undergraduate major will also include reverse engineering and malware analysis, while the graduate program will contain advanced coverage of data analysis for cybersecurity. Both new programs will be offered starting in fall 2019.

"The demand for computing experts with abilities in this demanding and exciting field has greatly increased in the past decade, and we're pleased to be able to offer this as a dedicated major," said Paul Leidig, director of Grand Valley's School of Computing and Information Systems. "This program contains broad coverage of the discipline and will prepare students to address a wide variety of issues across an organization."

Students majoring in cybersecurity will have access to state-of-the-art dedicated computer labs and have opportunities for research with faculty members. 

The master's level program is designed for working professionals, with courses offered on evenings or online.

The biomedical engineering degree will train students in three different tracks, focusing on either a mechanical emphasis, an electrical emphasis, or an emphasis on product design and manufacturing. The addition of the program makes Grand Valley the only university in West Michigan to offer the program at the undergraduate level.

"Throughout the past decade, the state of Michigan and private institutions have invested more than $1 billion in biomedical research. This new program will educate a workforce to leverage that investment, Michigan's existing manufacturing base and West Michigan's tradition of entrepreneurship to strengthen Michigan's economy," said Samhita Rhodes, assistant director of the School of Engineering. "Our graduates will be able to take basic research from the lab and translate it into products that solve critical problems in the health care industry."

In other board action:

• The trustees adopted the university's FY 2020 budget and set tuition rates for the academic year. Trustees approved a 14 percent increase in financial aid for students, bringing total financial aid available to students through grants and scholarships to $59.9 million. Trustees also approved a tuition increase of $192 per semester (3 percent), bringing the annual tuition to $12,860 for a full-time undergraduate Michigan resident. Only twice in the past 15 years has the increase been this low. 

• Trustees approved two academic program title changes: Liberal Studies will now be Integrative Studies to more clearly convey the program’s structure to undergraduate students looking for an interdisciplinary program that can be customized to their interests and goals; Therapeutic Recreation will now be Recreational Therapy which will better reflect the clinical nature of the program’s focus and help prospective students find the program.

• Trustees approved converting the existing microbiology emphasis area within Biomedical Sciences to be a stand-alone major. Students who earn a bachelor's degree in microbiology have career opportunities in public health, clinical microbiology, agriculture and education, among other fields.

• Trustees approved a resolution for appointment or reappointment of charter school board members to GVSU-authorized public school academy boards.

• Board of Trustees Chair Mary Kramer and Vice Chair Megan Sall were re-elected to their respective positions.