Employers have made their needs clear, and the School of Computer and Data Sciences (SCDS) is meeting the demand. Starting fall term 2026, new students will kick off the first-ever cohort in two brand new master’s programs at University of Oregon. The graduate degrees in cybersecurity and data science are among just a few from institutions on the West Coast and distinguish themselves by providing students with critical classroom learning alongside real-world experience.
These programs, offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, broaden the scope for what SCDS students are doing with technology to impact a wide variety of real-world fields. Both are open for enrollment now.
“These new master’s degrees combine the acquisition of durable knowledge with the application of that knowledge to realistic problems,” said Beth Plale, executive director of SCDS. “By pairing rigorous academic training with hands-on experience, these degrees deliver the high-caliber education students expect from SCDS.”
New master’s degree in cybersecurity
Having recently earned designation as a center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research (CAE-R) from the National Security Agency (NSA), the cybersecurity master’s builds on this area of strength in SCDS. The program provides students with both the skills and hands-on experience necessary to contribute effectively from the outset of their careers in areas such as security architecture, risk management and incident response.
The two-year program offers unique strengths in artificial intelligence and machine learning, security operations, applied cyber operations training and strong systems foundations. A core differentiator of the program is students’ access to cooperative experiences with partners in the private and public sectors to gain experience in the field and apply their studies across disciplines.
“The program is designed to prepare students to enter the cybersecurity workforce with real skills,” said Reza Rejaie, professor and head of the Department of Computer Science. “We’ve combined top training frameworks from groups like the NSA with strong experiential elements such as the Teaching Security Operations Center — our cybersecurity teaching ‘hospital’ — and the Cyber RISK Clinic. We’re excited to prepare graduates to assume leadership roles in a variety of sectors.”
The program was created in response to strong employer demand for cybersecurity expertise, as demonstrated by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) showing cybersecurity jobs are projected to increase by 29% over the next decade. This demand is expected to remain strong as organizations continue to invest in their security infrastructure.
New master’s in data science
The master’s in data science can be completed in as little as one year and prepares students to work across diverse teams and applications. To solidify their skills and understanding, students work with real-world data to formulate and implement models and analyses, gain experience with modern predictive and inferential toolsets, and skillfully navigate social and ethical dimensions of data-based decision-making.
Most importantly, the training goes beyond technical skills.
“Students will learn to understand how to ask the right questions and how to interpret data back into the real world,” said Peter Ralph, professor and head of the Department of Data Science. “AI is making it easier for people to do small tasks like write code and do technical portions of analysis. But what is most needed in this space is people who can think big picture”
The program also benefits from numerous opportunities to collaborate with experts from other areas of strength for the UO.
“We have faculty doing work on parole system reform, evolutionary biology and forensic genetics; we have contacts working in biomedical data science, sports science and sociology. Students and faculty in data science are getting involved across campus,” said Ralph.
Like with cybersecurity, the program serves an important role meeting expanded labor needs. BLS projects 34% growth in jobs for data scientists between 2024 and 2034, which is significantly higher than average market growth.
Launching two new programs in one year is no small task, but it represents one of the ways SCDS is growing to meet students with the opportunities they need to become the types of thinkers and researchers the tech industry is calling out for.
— By Evan Ney, College of Arts and Sciences