Desirable Majors for Cybersecurity via ROTC

[CAPMom77]

Hello, my son is in CAP and is a rising 11th grader right now. He'll be applying both to the academies and schools with ROTC programs, and is interested in a career involving cybersecurity. We'd thought that major would just be Comp Sci. However, I'm trying to get clarity on some things with the ROTC scholarship as the outlook for Comp Sci majors in general is changing very quickly due to AI.

• Are dual majors allowed or possible (ex: dual BS in Comp Sci + AI)?
• Does the degree have to exactly match the name as listed (or could a degree in Cybersecurity, or in Data Science focusing on machine learning and AI be considered a Comp Sci/Information Sciences degree? What about a combined BS degree in CS + Philosophy, as offered by UIUC?)
• Is there a difference between how NROTC might treat this vs. AFROTC?
• If my son might consider something like Software Engineering, which is a critical major for the AFROTC, does that just fall under Tier 3 Majors for NROTC?
• How do other candidates deal with this? Pick a degree that is needed most across branches?
• Also, how concerned should we be with the outlook for CS majors generally when it comes to ROTC scholarships and career opportunities in Cyber with the military?

Thank you in advance for any guidance / thoughts here!

 

[Ivy22]

NROTC is fine with double majoring as long as it can be done in 4 years/8 semesters. They have major tiers, comp sci is Tier 2 I believe. Software engineering would probably be Tier 2 as well. Tier 3 is more like humanities majors. In terms of careers, NROTC mids almost all go into unrestricted line jobs (aviation, subs, surface warfare, etc). Cyber isn’t really one of those. However, if he has any interested in the Marines, they are offering cyber contracts through NROTC now! Similar to their aviation contracts, one can be guaranteed a cyber MOS after TBS if they win one of those.

I’m not sure about AFROTC but be warned that some years, AFROTC will cut scholarship cadets after sophomore year. NROTC does not do this (neither Navy nor Marines, as long as you pass everything)

 

[Capt MJ]

Hello, my son is in CAP and is a rising 11th grader right now. He'll be applying both to the academies and schools with ROTC programs, and is interested in a career involving cybersecurity. We'd thought that major would just be Comp Sci. However, I'm trying to get clarity on some things with the ROTC scholarship as the outlook for Comp Sci majors in general is changing very quickly due to AI.

• Are dual majors allowed or possible (ex: dual BS in Comp Sci + AI)?
• Does the degree have to exactly match the name as listed (or could a degree in Cybersecurity, or in Data Science focusing on machine learning and AI be considered a Comp Sci/Information Sciences degree? What about a combined BS degree in CS + Philosophy, as offered by UIUC?)
• Is there a difference between how NROTC might treat this vs. AFROTC?
• If my son might consider something like Software Engineering, which is a critical major for the AFROTC, does that just fall under Tier 3 Majors for NROTC?
• How do other candidates deal with this? Pick a degree that is needed most across branches?
• Also, how concerned should we be with the outlook for CS majors generally when it comes to ROTC scholarships and career opportunities in Cyber with the military?

Thank you in advance for any guidance / thoughts here!

This is the perfect time for your son to start researching primary sources to learn about majors for the various service ROTC programs.

He can research target ROTC units of interest at the individual websites hosted by the college or university of interest.
Example below:

NROTC Major Tiers

* The Marine Corps does not classify their students using the Navy Tier System Tier 1 Academic Majors Chemical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Tier 2 Academic Majors Bioinformatics & Computational Biology Biotechnology & Bioengineering Biological Sciences Chemistry & Biochemistry Computer...

navalscience.umbc.edu

It’s not too early to contact or visit units of interest with questions he has developed after researching primary sites.

Ditto researching service academy sites by reading every page, link and drop-down menu.

There are also numerous threads on cyber majors, double majors, etc., here on SAF. Sometimes doing an external search with Google yields more results than an internal SAF search, ensuring “Service Academy Forums” is in the search string.

The academic pages at the 5 service academy sites provide detailed info on majors, core curriculum, etc. All get B.S. degrees. Dual majors are possible for those cadets and midshipmen who can successfully fit a dual major into their schedules. Validating classes and taking voluntary summer school courses may help create the room. Much will depend on their academic success the first year. They have been very successful fish in their ponds, and are now in a larger pond with similar fish. They will have academic advisors to work with, exposure to majors, and upper class to talk to about their majors and post-commissioning options. These are general statements - all the SAs differ. USMMA is on a challenging trimester system and has a sea year. All of their websites have detailed info.

 

[MidCakePa]

Adding to @Ivy22, I can speak to the USMC side of things. One does NOT need to major in computer science to be a cyber warfare officer in the Marine Corps. It certainly can help, but is not an absolute requirement. One can be selected for cyber prior to TBS, so that they're not subject to the Marines' distinct system of "thirds" for MOS assignments -- similar to aviation. First and foremost, though, is the desire to be a Marine above all else.

 

[Ivy22]

Adding to @Ivy22, I can speak to the USMC side of things. One does NOT need to major in computer science to be a cyber warfare officer in the Marine Corps. It certainly can help, but is not an absolute requirement. One can be selected for cyber prior to TBS, so that they're not subject to the Marines' distinct system of "thirds" for MOS assignments -- similar to aviation. First and foremost, though, is the desire to be a Marine above all else.

I knew a political science major that picked up a Marine Cyber contract

Polisci and… cy?

 

[Capt MJ]

Oh - and as he is developing his alternate plans should he not qualify medically or for other reasons for ROTC or SA paths, there is the federal Cyber Corps scholarship at partner schools.

SFS

Start your cybersecurity career with the U.S. government

sfs.opm.gov

 

[Ivy22]

As far as how to choose:

Branch - choose the branch you like the most and would be happiest in, even if you don’t get your preferred job assignment. Needs of the Navy/Air Force/Marine Corps is always a factor for ROTC and SA job selections because they are paying for your college

Major - choose the subject you enjoy the most and are most interested in (and that your ROTC branch will allow…). You’ll be taking 10-20+ college classes just in that subject so choose something you’re passionate about! Passion tends to lead to better grades in my experience.

 

[VelveteenR]

Anecdotal: Our son is an Army Cyber captain currently serving with Cyber Joint Forces. He majored in EE at West Point with a concentration in robotics because he came to the academy with a strong CS/coding background, so the Army felt EE would broaden his skillset. He also competed on the WP cyber team. He just finished his master’s in CS, though, and may be pursuing a PhD in either CS/E or AI if he decides to stay in the Army. However, the civilian world beckons…

Your son should follow @Capt MJ’s advice and thoroughly research the information available on the sites of all the venues to which he plans to apply for the most current and accurate data as each avenue varies.

Ditto researching service academy sites by reading every page, link and drop-down menu.

There are also numerous threads on cyber majors, double majors, etc., here on SAF. Sometimes doing an external search with Google yields more results than an internal SAF search, ensuring “Service Academy Forums” is in the search string.

The academic pages at the 5 service academy sites provide detailed info on majors, core curriculum, etc.

 

[99Gold]

Your major doesn't matter a whole lot when getting placed in AF career fields, either. Right now, the AF needs cyber officers. USAFA class of 2026 dropped a lot of cyber slots last week. My ds was one of them. It was his first choice so he is thrilled.

It is always hard to tell what any service will need 4 years from now. Take heed to what @Ivy22 said about choosing your branch and major, look at other career fields outside of your top choice. My ds loved the idea of going to USMA and going Army Cyber, but he did not want to do anything else in the Army. He could easily name about 5 other career fields in the AF that he would enjoy. Most of that is just the difference between how the Army and Air Force operate. So, he chose USAFA.

 

[CAPMom77]

This is the perfect time for your son to start researching primary sources to learn about majors for the various service ROTC programs.

He can research target ROTC units of interest at the individual websites hosted by the college or university of interest.
Example below:

NROTC Major Tiers

* The Marine Corps does not classify their students using the Navy Tier System Tier 1 Academic Majors Chemical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Tier 2 Academic Majors Bioinformatics & Computational Biology Biotechnology & Bioengineering Biological Sciences Chemistry & Biochemistry Computer...

navalscience.umbc.edu

It’s not too early to contact or visit units of interest with questions he has developed after researching primary sites.

Ditto researching service academy sites by reading every page, link and drop-down menu.

There are also numerous threads on cyber majors, double majors, etc., here on SAF. Sometimes doing an external search with Google yields more results than an internal SAF search, ensuring “Service Academy Forums” is in the search string.

The academic pages at the 5 service academy sites provide detailed info on majors, core curriculum, etc. All get B.S. degrees. Dual majors are possible for those cadets and midshipmen who can successfully fit a dual major into their schedules. Validating classes and taking voluntary summer school courses may help create the room. Much will depend on their academic success the first year. They have been very successful fish in their ponds, and are now in a larger pond with similar fish. They will have academic advisors to work with, exposure to majors, and upper class to talk to about their majors and post-commissioning options. These are general statements - all the SAs differ. USMMA is on a challenging trimester system and has a sea year. All of their websites have detailed info.

Thank you and appreciate the tip on using Google to search the forum. I did do a search here first before posting but returned such sparse results that I suspected something was off! I've been lurking and reading the great info shared here for some time. Also appreciate the tip to search school-specific pages on approved majors. We started visiting campus ROTC programs last summer after my son went to the Summer STEM program at USNA, but were not yet focused on the specifics of the major options beyond the general field. Drilling down, there is so much variation within Computer Science, making it seem exponentially more complex!

 

[CAPMom77]

Thanks, all. Greatly appreciate the information you've shared. Definitely filled in some blanks for me and helps point us in the right direction for next steps!

 

[glen]

Hello, my son is in CAP and is a rising 11th grader right now. He'll be applying both to the academies and schools with ROTC programs, and is interested in a career involving cybersecurity. We'd thought that major would just be Comp Sci. However, I'm trying to get clarity on some things with the ROTC scholarship as the outlook for Comp Sci majors in general is changing very quickly due to AI.

• Are dual majors allowed or possible (ex: dual BS in Comp Sci + AI)?
• Does the degree have to exactly match the name as listed (or could a degree in Cybersecurity, or in Data Science focusing on machine learning and AI be considered a Comp Sci/Information Sciences degree? What about a combined BS degree in CS + Philosophy, as offered by UIUC?)
• Is there a difference between how NROTC might treat this vs. AFROTC?
• If my son might consider something like Software Engineering, which is a critical major for the AFROTC, does that just fall under Tier 3 Majors for NROTC?
• How do other candidates deal with this? Pick a degree that is needed most across branches?
• Also, how concerned should we be with the outlook for CS majors generally when it comes to ROTC scholarships and career opportunities in Cyber with the military?

Thank you in advance for any guidance / thoughts here!

Great question and congratulations on your son’s interest in this field. There are several routes to a cyber security opportunity in the military, DOD civilian job, or the larger national security agencies besides a computer science major. I’m most familiar with The Citadel Cyber and Computer Sciences programs, and the DOD Cyber Institute programs. However, your son should make sure to look for universities that have earned the NSA designation of Center of Academic Excellence for cyber education. These universities will offer many academic programs leading to government cyber security jobs. At The Citadel majors in computer science, computer engineering as well as Intelligence & Security and Criminal Justice, paired with either a dual major or minor in cyber operations, can qualify for these opportunities, in the military as well as government service. Students also need to be aware that a DQ that disqualifies one for a military commission does not apply to civilian DOD or necessarily to other national security agency cyber jobs. Check out these website links for more info:

https://www.nsa.gov/Academics/Centers-of-Academic-Excellence/

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) – DoD Cyber Exchange

public.cyber.mil

Prospective Students - The Citadel

Information and an overview of The Citadel's Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences for prospective students

www.citadel.edu