University Offers Degree In Biometric Security

Mar 19, 2007 5:04 PM

Davenport University, a 141-year-old school in Grand Rapids, Mich., now offers two- and four-year biometric security degree programs, according to The Associated Press. Currently, about 55 of the school's 13,500 students are enrolled in the new programs.

Biometric security, which identifies people based on unique personal characteristics, has become more common since the terror attacks of Sept. 11th. Government agencies and private businesses are now investing in biometric devices that grant or block access after scanning fingerprints, eyes, facial features or vocal patterns.

The industry has grown from barely $300 million in 2001 to more than $2 billion last year, according to the National Biometric Security Project, a nonprofit consulting service.

The Davenport program emphasizes the technology's application in security in business or government. The students are taught how to create security systems and understand their ethics, says Reid Gough, dean of Davenport's School of Technology.

Todd Fortier, 19, who is enrolled in the biometric security program, says he has seen trends in favor of biometrics and is confident he will be getting into a lucrative field by the time he graduates.

"I think with the advancements in this technology and with how security is becoming a really important issue ... I think there's going to be huge job growth in this field," Fortier says.

West Virginia University is the only other college in the country with a degree program in biometrics, officials at the two schools say. Since 2000, West Virginia has offered a bachelor's of science in biometric systems, focusing on the engineering and design of biometric devices.

"Biometrics is the wave of the future. You're seeing fingerprint scanners or readers on every device, from your laptops to your door entry," says Scott Meuser, systems specialist for D/A Central Inc., a 50-year-old security company based in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park.

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