Northwestern introduces two tech-based programs

Dr. Kali Jo Wacker ’16, assistant professor of English, works with Jacob Pierick, a junior public relations major from Maxwell, Iowa, while teaching a class on writing and design for the web.

Northwestern College has added two new academic majors to its undergraduate program offerings: cybersecurity and writing and digital media.

The cybersecurity major shares several course requirements with Northwestern’s computer science and software engineering majors, including web development, database management systems, computer organization, and networking. In addition, cybersecurity students will take courses in Windows and Linux server administration, digital forensics, project management and risk management. Two psychology courses will give students insight into human vulnerabilities that attackers might use to gain unauthorized access.

“There has been a lot of effort over the past several years to get students interested in cybersecurity, and that effort seems to be working,” says Mark Haselhoff, chair of the computer science department. “As the field has become more popular, more prospective students have asked me specifically about cybersecurity during campus visits. We trust that the addition of this program will contribute positively to our growing enrollment at Northwestern.”

The writing and digital media major seeks to prepare students for roles in communications, social media, content strategy, and journalism. Courses introduce students to writing genres such as feature writing, news writing and editing, writing for the web, and short fiction. Students will also have opportunity to pursue coursework in video production, graphic design, photography and web development.

“Northwestern’s writing and digital media major is designed for students who love English and writing and want to connect those interests with the communication skills employers demand,” says Dr. D. Nathan Phinney, vice president for academic affairs. “In addition to providing future career flexibility, this program will prepare students who love words and ideas to engage audiences in ways that are both intellectually rich and emotionally compelling.”

For more information about these programs, visit nwciowa.edu/cybersecurity or nwciowa.edu/writing-digital-media.