B.S., Security and Risk Analysis
Analyze. Mitigate. Communicate. Protect.
Having a highly trained analytic workforce is critical to protecting the critical assets and infrastructure that support our everyday lives. The B.S., Security and Risk Analysis program positions you to develop these analytical skills that can prepare you to address the security and risk challenges facing individuals, organizations, and the nation. By understanding how intelligence is collected and analyzed, you can communicate the information needed to help decision-makers reduce vulnerabilities, protect resources, and optimize investments.
Is Security and Risk Analysis Right for Me?
SRA combines technology with math, law and policy, and psychology, enabling you to create a safer and more secure world. This program could be a great fit if you want to
- protect people, information, and assets from manmade and natural threats
- leverage critical thinking and problem-solving to pursue mission-oriented work
- make informed strategic decisions that help to defend critical infrastructures
What You'll Study
Gain foundational knowledge and state-of-the-art skills needed to protect critical assets and infrastructure by exploring topics like these.
- Threats of Terrorism and Crime
- Intelligence Environment
- Deception and Counter Deception
- Decision Theory and Analysis
- Risk Analysis in a Security Context
- International Relations
- Visual Analytics
Support of Option Courses
Support of option courses add value to your degree and educational experience by taking courses around a cohesive theme like these.
- Business
- Communications
- Crime/Criminology
- Cybersecurity
- Geography
- Global Security
- Military Studies
National Center of Academic Excellence
The College of IST is recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. SRA graduates can earn a Letter of Recognition and Certificate of Achievement from these agencies, which certify that the student graduated from an institution and program whose security-related faculty, resources, curricula, and commitment were evaluated and found to be of high quality.
Earn a B.S. and M.S. at the Same Time
You can pursue a B.S. in Security and Risk Analysis and a master's degree at the same time through the Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) degree program. IUGs make it possible to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in five years!
The Power of Internships
Every Security and Risk Analysis student must complete at least one internship before graduating—most complete more than one, and 84% receive a job offer from an internship provider. With hundreds of organizations recruiting and a dedicated Career Solutions team to support you, you'll have the tools and opportunities to launch your career.
View Past Internships
"SRA was perfect for me because it merged tech with problem solving. It let me explore all of these different aspects—analytics, economics, computer science, risk analysis—and how to put those ideas together. It gave me an understanding of how to break down complex problems. The diversity of what I learned gave me a holistic educational experience and has been practical to life in general."
Corey Lee '24 , Security CTO, Microsoft Corp.
Discover Your Career
Technology is ever-changing, and so are the careers that create, use, and study it. As you work toward your degree, you’ll identify and refine your career interests through courses, student organizations, and experiential opportunities. With guidance and resources from our dedicated Career Solutions team—from your first job to the executive suite—you'll gain the technical expertise, business savvy, and communication skills to lead in business, health care, defense, technology, and countless other industries.
Security Analyst
Determines effective methods to protect computers, networks, and data, conducting vulnerability testing, risk analyses, and security assessments, while designing secure architectures and delivering technical reports.
Cloud and Infrastructure Services Consultant
Supports businesses by leveraging IT clouds, producing architectural artifacts like governance, security, and performance models, and facilitating cloud migrations for meaningful IT changes.
Intelligence Research Analyst
Collects, evaluates, analyzes, and interprets information to provide insights that support decision-making in national security, law enforcement, business strategy, or competitive intelligence.
Security Solutions Analyst
Secures, develops, implements, and manages information security, governance, and risk programs, analyzing business processes, identifying security risks, and designing solutions to protect data and systems.
Chief Privacy Officer
Manages information policies, leads data breach response, and oversees privacy and compliance, ensuring appropriate use of company data with strong communication and public relations skills.
Business Systems Analyst/Consultant
Analyzes business problems and designs technology solutions, bridging gaps through architecture, tools, or software applications to resolve issues and improve processes.
Federal Cyber Risk Analyst/Consultant
Assists clients in identifying unauthorized activities and intrusions in their networks in real-time.
Network Infrastructure Engineer
Designs and implements computer networks, focusing on high-level planning and selection of data communication components to meet user and corporate needs, including LAN, WAN, Internet, and intranet integration.
IT Analyst
Analyzes and transmits specialized information, including acquiring, analyzing, indexing, and preparing abstracts. Manages technical information services, technology assessment, research support, and engineering services.
Red Cell Analytics Lab
Through mentored research, experiential learning opportunities, and student organizations like the Red Cell Analytics Lab, Security and Risk Analysis students can extend learning far beyond the classroom. The Red Cell Analytics Lab collaborates with Penn State and external partners to engage students in addressing real-world problems through structured analytics, critical thinking, and visual analytics.
