Starting in June 2013, the University of Washington Tacoma campus will offer a new Master in Cybersecurity and Leadership (MCL) program. It will offer a different, more in-depth perspective on cybersecurity, one that also fosters organizational leadership and management skills.

Program Coordinator Bryan Goda said the National Guard initiated the conversation about establishing this program with UW Tacoma a year ago.

“[This program] was a response to community needs,” Goda said. “[The National Guard unit] that specializes in cybersecurity warfare said they had a shortage of trained professionals in the unit … to respond to national emergency of a cyber attack.”

“The role of this program is to grow leaders, the people who will be managing all of these initiatives for people who will be working in the ranks,” Zantua said. “You can look at all of the technical problems, and what often happens … when you come down to it, is you have people issues. Human-computer interactions — that’s what we’re looking at.”

According to Goda, approximately 25 applicants will be accepted this year.