{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/109356"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/109356","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Factors that influence students to choose cybersecurity careers: An exploratory study","abstract":"DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15867 on 2021-03-04 at 15:34:24","abstract_html":"DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15867 on 2021-03-04 at 15:34:24","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Emerick, Gerald John"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ed.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cope, Bill","Kalantzis, Mary","Montebello, Matthew","Pak, Yoon"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-03-05T21:36:55Z","date_published":"2021-03-05T21:36:55Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:50Z","subjects":["cybersecurity, cyber security, education, influencing factors, career choice, NICE Framework, ABET Cybersecurity"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["© 2020 Gerald John Emerick"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109356","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cope, Bill","Kalantzis, Mary","Montebello, Matthew","Pak, Yoon"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Emerick, Gerald John"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2021-03-05T21:36:55Z","2020-11-19","2020-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["cybersecurity, cyber security, education, influencing factors, career choice, NICE Framework, ABET Cybersecurity"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2020 Gerald John Emerick"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109356"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15867 on 2021-03-04 at 15:34:24","Made available in DSpace on 2021-03-05T21:36:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4 EMERICK-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf: 1619094 bytes, checksum: a1b90982790133f1a5426d72e37c144f (MD5) 21015_CurrentlyApproved_07082020.pdf: 1422513 bytes, checksum: 68d752fc462255126716a87b922ebd5d (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4211 bytes, checksum: df9befe45c92dfbcbd50a3b18ba1d505 (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4557 bytes, checksum: c2d1bbe61bd6602694ed66714d11ea29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020-11-19","Despite the strong, global demand for talented workers, higher than average salaries, and relatively low education requirements (bachelor’s degree) for computing fields such as cybersecurity, there continues to be a pipeline issue with graduating enough workers educated in cybersecurity to fill the demand in the United States and globally (Information Security Analysts, 2019; Morgan, 2017). At the same time, while there is significant literature related to factors that influence students to choose STEM careers more generally, there appears to be a lack of literature that addresses factors that influence students to choose a career in cybersecurity. This lack of literature limits our understanding of what interventions and programs may improve the cybersecurity pipeline issue. This study utilized a mixed-methods case study approach with the goal of providing insight into what factors influenced students in an accredited university cybersecurity program to choose cybersecurity as their career. The study also sought to better understand what aspects of cybersecurity the students found most and least interesting. Twenty-nine new cybersecurity students and 10 information systems students completed a mixed-methods survey, and five faculty at the Midwestern university were interviewed. Key findings suggest strong themes of factors that influence students to choose cybersecurity careers and these students’ interests in traditional computing subjects as well as subjects specific to cybersecurity. Differences in influencing factors, interests, barriers, and obstacles amongst female and minority students suggest unique considerations and challenges.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2021-03-04 without embargo terms","The student, Gerald Emerick, accepted the attached license on 2020-11-10 at 17:50.","The student, Gerald Emerick, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2020-11-10 at 18:00.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2020-11-19 at 08:46."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Factors that influence students to choose cybersecurity careers: An exploratory study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cope, Bill","Kalantzis, Mary","Montebello, Matthew","Pak, Yoon"],"dc:creator":["Emerick, Gerald John"],"dc:date":["2021-03-05T21:36:55Z","2020-11-19","2020-12"],"dc:description":["DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15867 on 2021-03-04 at 15:34:24","Made available in DSpace on 2021-03-05T21:36:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4 EMERICK-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf: 1619094 bytes, checksum: a1b90982790133f1a5426d72e37c144f (MD5) 21015_CurrentlyApproved_07082020.pdf: 1422513 bytes, checksum: 68d752fc462255126716a87b922ebd5d (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4211 bytes, checksum: df9befe45c92dfbcbd50a3b18ba1d505 (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4557 bytes, checksum: c2d1bbe61bd6602694ed66714d11ea29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020-11-19","Despite the strong, global demand for talented workers, higher than average salaries, and relatively low education requirements (bachelor’s degree) for computing fields such as cybersecurity, there continues to be a pipeline issue with graduating enough workers educated in cybersecurity to fill the demand in the United States and globally (Information Security Analysts, 2019; Morgan, 2017). At the same time, while there is significant literature related to factors that influence students to choose STEM careers more generally, there appears to be a lack of literature that addresses factors that influence students to choose a career in cybersecurity. This lack of literature limits our understanding of what interventions and programs may improve the cybersecurity pipeline issue. This study utilized a mixed-methods case study approach with the goal of providing insight into what factors influenced students in an accredited university cybersecurity program to choose cybersecurity as their career. The study also sought to better understand what aspects of cybersecurity the students found most and least interesting. Twenty-nine new cybersecurity students and 10 information systems students completed a mixed-methods survey, and five faculty at the Midwestern university were interviewed. Key findings suggest strong themes of factors that influence students to choose cybersecurity careers and these students’ interests in traditional computing subjects as well as subjects specific to cybersecurity. Differences in influencing factors, interests, barriers, and obstacles amongst female and minority students suggest unique considerations and challenges.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2021-03-04 without embargo terms","The student, Gerald Emerick, accepted the attached license on 2020-11-10 at 17:50.","The student, Gerald Emerick, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2020-11-10 at 18:00.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2020-11-19 at 08:46."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109356"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["© 2020 Gerald John Emerick"],"dc:subject":["cybersecurity, cyber security, education, influencing factors, career choice, NICE Framework, ABET Cybersecurity"],"dc:title":["Factors that influence students to choose cybersecurity careers: An exploratory study"],"dc:type":["text","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:50Z"}