On Dec. 9 and 10, 2025, the University of Oregon Board of Trustees approved three new programs: Master of Science in Cybersecurity, Master of Science in Data Science and Bachelor of Education in Child Behavioral Health. All three academic offerings will begin fall 2026.
On Nov. 17, 2025, during an Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting, the programs were discussed in length, approved and fully endorsed.
The Board of Trustees is composed of 15 members, including President Karl Scholz, UO alumni, faculty, students and those interested in the advancement of higher education.
The board meets quarterly to discuss finance reports, changes in tuition, public comment from the UO community, action on academic programs and more.
Master’s Degree in Data Science
Peter Ralph, department head and associate professor of data science, presented the new master’s degree as an advancement of the undergraduate program launched in fall 2020. The undergraduate program is popular, with 280 declared majors, and ten areas of focus such as
linguistics, physics and economics.
Both degrees are offered through the School of Computer and Data Science in the College
of Arts and Sciences. The popularity in the bachelor’s degree “gives us (faculty) a lot of confidence that there’s going to be a demand for a master’s program,” Ralph said during his presentation before the board.
The six new master’s classes will create skilled data scientists in a liberal arts context. As a result, graduates will be highly employable and responsive to changes in artificial intelligence workforce demands, according to the proposal. Possible careers include software engineer, data analyst and biostatistician.
By year five, according to anticipated enrollment numbers, 45 students will participate in the master’s program, bringing in $500 thousand to $1 million yearly to the university in tuition. Additionally, the School of Computer and Data Science plans to hire a full-time faculty member to support the master’s pathway.
The master’s appeals to students with varied backgrounds — those with non-STEM education are encouraged to apply.
Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity
Similarly to degree options for data science, the School of Computer and Data Science offers a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity, instituted in fall 2023. Reza Rejaie, professor and department head of computer science, said “cybersecurity is a growing problem and has led to an increasing need for cybersecurity workforce everywhere.”
In 2023, there were 4,000 unfilled job openings in cybersecurity in Oregon and more than 200,000 across the nation, Rejaie said. The master’s program will build on the success of the undergraduate option and demand for expertise in cybersecurity in the workforce.
By year five, around 50 students are anticipated to enroll in the new degree option. Students with experiences in computer science, engineering and information technology will, most likely, be attracted to the program.
UO’s master’s in cybersecurity will be a unique opportunity in Oregon. Despite Oregon State University and Portland State University’s certificate options in cybersecurity, UO’s program will offer a higher number of cybersecurity classes, extending beyond a concentration or an add-on within computer science.
Rejaie said they are excited for the practical real-world experiences offered through the master’s degree. Alongside students’ time at the Teaching Security Operations Center and a nine month co-op in the industry, graduates will be prepared for a plethora of scenarios.
“We directly put them in the attack scenario,” Rejaie said. “We make sure anyone who shows up has been scared enough of an attack in the real setting or in a simulated setting.”
Bachelor of Education Degree in Child Behavioral Health
Maureen Zalewski, director of clinical train-
ing, spoke to the difference between the proposed Bachelor of Education and the currently offered
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts pathways. In all three degrees, students will receive the same 90 CBH credits. However, the Bachelor of Education has fewer core education requirements, eliminating the two-yearlanguage requirement in the Bachelor of Arts. Students have more flexibility in their schedule to explore other minor options.
Additionally, with the reduced number of core education classes, the Bachelor of Education is more accessible to community college students. All three degrees are designed as 2+2 programs; the first two years can be completed in Eugene or at a community college, and the final two must be completed at
UO’s Portland campus.
As a pre-professional program designed for those interested in K-12 teaching, students gain
over 700 hours of hands-on experience working with youth in schools, health care settings and community organizations. Zalewski notes there to be no additional resources or costs needed. In year one, 15 students are projected to be enrolled in the Bachelor of Education option and grow to 35
participants in year five.
