Zurich/Lausanne – The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne are introducing a joint master’s degree in cyber security. The program is being supported by the Swiss government and is expected to start in academic year 2019/2020.

This new degree will be Switzerland’s first university-level program in cyber security, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) reported in a press release. Students can select whether to follow the program at the ETH or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), but they must complete one semester at the other school. Courses will be given in English.

The new degree program has the support of the Swiss government. “Switzerland has long been recognized for its strengths in terms of reliability and trust,” said Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin in a press conference. The country also has an “outstanding education system”. In the light of these attributes, it has an obligation to play a leading role in cyber security. The new master’s degree program goes hand-in-hand with efforts undertaken at political level to promote the training of IT security specialists.

“Through this joint program, we are combining our two schools’ strengths in what is a vital industry for our country. We can build upon a strong track record in cyber security going back to 2003 when the Zurich Information Security and Privacy Center was installed at ETH,” commented Joël Mesot, ETH Zurich President. For over ten years, the EPFL has been investing in research on cyber security, cryptography, data privacy and personal data protection, EPFL President Martin Vetterli comments.

The new degree program will begin in autumn 2019. It is intended primarily for students with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology or communication systems, but students with degrees in other disciplines can also apply.

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