NJIT‘s College of Science and Liberal Arts announced this year it will be offering a bachelor’s degree in cyberpsychology — the first of its kind in New Jersey.
This is also the first time NJIT will offer an academic program in behavioral sciences.
“The iPhone, Uber, Facebook, smart homes, the internet of things, automation … these are all commonplace and have a profound impact on society and individual psychology today, yet they were largely unheard of when the current generation of college students was born,” Kevin Belfield, dean of NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts, said. “Given our contemporary dependence on technology, it is crucial to provide focused study of new psychological phenomena arising from our digital world, and to understand how it is shaping our society. With many new careers rapidly emerging from this new and exciting field, the time is right for NJIT to introduce our cyberpsychology option.”
The 120-degree credit program is designed to explore the dynamics between modern technology and human psychology. It involves traditional coursework in psychology as well as the study of basic concepts in computer science and information systems. It also features specialized cyberpsychology course electives, ranging from the psychology of social networking and online gaming issues of cybercrime.
“We have considered launching a program in the behavioral sciences at NJIT for several years in order to better meet the needs of our growing student body,” Belfield said. “As the first program of its kind in New Jersey, and one of the first in higher education in the United States, we believe graduates of this exciting and innovative program will be in high demand in just about every market sector and will help define many jobs and careers of the future.”
