Cybersecurity degree available at Moorpark College
Cybersecurity degree available at Moorpark College
https://www.mpacorn.com/articles/cybersecurity-degree-available-at-moorpark-college/
Publish Date: 2026-02-27 15:03:00
Source Domain: www.mpacorn.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
years of delays and objections from California State University campuses, Moorpark College has received final state approval to launch a bachelor’s degree in cyberdefense and network operations, clearing the way for applications to open later this year.
College officials said they were notified Jan. 23 by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office that the Bachelor of Science in Applied Cybersecurity and Network Operations had received final approval.
The proposed degree received provisional approval in 2023, but final authorization stalled after several California State University campuses objected, arguing the program duplicated their own cybersecurity offerings.
A recent independent analysis helped break the impasse.
The chancellor’s office hired West- Ed to review duplication objections to proposed community college bachelor’s degrees. The group concluded that geography matters and that programs should not be considered duplicative if the objecting CSU campus is not located near the community college.
Moorpark College moved its program ahead after an agreement with CSU Channel Islands.
“By offering an applied bachelor’s degree in cyber defense and network operations, Moorpark College is creating a direct pathway for students to enter and advance in one of the fastest-growing fields in our economy, while also providing local employers with the highly skilled workforce they need,” said Julius Sokenu, president of Moorpark College.
The full-time, two-year bachelor’s degree program will be offered entirely online. Applications are expected to open later in 2026 following final implementation steps.
In the meantime, students can enroll in the college’s existing associate degree in cybersecurity, which provides foundational technical skills and serves as an on-ramp to the new bachelor’s program.
Meeting a growing demand for cybersecurity and network operations professionals across Ventura and Los Angeles counties, graduates will be prepared for high-wage, high-demand roles securing critical infrastructure in sectors including defense, healthcare, manufacturing, finance and emerging technologies.
The Moorpark program will feature hands-on laboratories, industry-aligned coursework and partnerships with business, defense and government organizations.
Students will gain practical experience in cyber defense, secure network design, threat detection and incident response—skills employers increasingly require at the bachelor’s degree level.
Moorpark College is designated by the National Security Agency as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, reflecting national standards in curriculum, faculty expertise, student outcomes and workforce alignment.
“By expanding bachelor’s degree offerings in areas like applied cyberdefense, we’re investing in regional resilience, economic mobility and the kind of opportunity that transforms lives and communities,” said Rick MacLennan, chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District.
Gabriela Torres, chair of the district’s Board of Trustees, called cybersecurity “a public good and our students deserve the opportunity to lead in shaping it.”
“By creating pathways into cyberdefense that are built for equity and inclusion, we’re preparing a more diverse generation of leaders to protect the systems our communities rely on every day,” Torres said.
For certain geographically and economically chalenged students, the degree offers a cost-effective alternative to relocating or enrolling in more expensive four-year institutions outside the region.
The cyberdefense degree joins Moorpark College’s existing bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing and adds to a growing portfolio of applied baccalaureate programs within the Ventura County Community College District. Oxnard College offers a bachelor’s in dental hygiene, while Ventura College offers a bachelor’s in automotive career education.
