Cybersecurity, M.S.
Admission Requirements and Transfer Criteria
Applicants should follow the admissions process stated in the graduate catalog or the graduate admissions web site. Minimum requirements for admission is a four-year bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.75 or higher out of 4.0 in Cybersecurity or computer science related programs.
Whether a student meets the above requirements will be determined by the chair or designee of the Department of Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering, based on the information provided in the admission application and transcripts. Applicants with a four-year bachelor’s degree in a major other than a cybersecurity or computer science related program may be admitted to the program with a condition of successful completion of the following three bridge courses with a grade of B or above in the first two semesters of the program:
- Data Structures and Algorithms (CS 210 Data Structures and Algorithms)
- lnternetworking (CS 320 Internetworking)
- Statistics (STA 225 Introductory Statistics (CT) or STA 345 Applied Prob and Stat)
Foreign nationals must provide proof of English proficiency with a minimum score of 6.5 in IELTS or 80 on the TOEFL IBT (or 550 paper-based) and must have met all other admission criteria prior to registering for the first semester of courses.
Program Requirements
The M.S. degree requires 30 credit hours (CR) of graduate work. At least 15 credit hours should be taken from 600 level courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| CFS 630 | Cyber Threat Intelligence | 3 |
| CFS 665 | Cyber Sec IoT and ICS | 3 |
| CYBR 510 | Intro to Cybersecurity | 3 |
| Focus Area | ||
| Select four courses from one Focus Area: | 12 | |
| Cyber Defense | ||
| Cyber Forensics | ||
| Cyber Management | ||
| Electives | 9 | |
| Select nine hours of the following: | ||
| Any 500 or 600 level CFS Courses | ||
| Any 500 or 600 level CYBR courses | ||
| Any 500 or 600 level CS courses | ||
| Thesis (May only be counted if the thesis option is selected and CYBR 680 is also taken) 1 | ||
| Management Information Systems | ||
| IT Disaster Plan and Recovery | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Engineering Economics | ||
| Other Graduate Courses as approved by advisor | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The Thesis option offers a student an opportunity for serious investigation into an area of interest by completing a 3 credit research course (CYBR 680 Research in Cybersecurity) and a 3 credit thesis (CYBR 681 Thesis) course. Students must summarize their thesis work in the form of a formal written document and deliver an oral presentation. Thesis work is typically conducted over two semesters. A thesis option can be taken after the completion of 12 credit hours. The 6 CR of the thesis option courses cannot be combined in a semester.
Cyber Defense
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select from four of the following: | ||
| CFS 520 | Incident Response | 3 |
| CFS 650 | Adv Cyber Defense | 3 |
| CYBR 500 | Computer Security Design | 3 |
| CYBR 535 | Cyber Risk | 3 |
| CYBR 542 | Cyber Operations | 3 |
| CYBR 615 | Cyber Vulnerability Assess | 3 |
| CYBR 620 | Cyberwarfare | 3 |
| CYBR 680 | Research in Cybersecurity (will only apply if Thesis option is selected) | 3 |
Cyber Forensics
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CFS 500 | Intro to Digital Forensics | 3 |
| CFS 520 | Incident Response | 3 |
| CFS 567 | Mobile Device Forensics | 3 |
| CFS 562 | Network Forensics | 3 |
| CFS 640 | Adv Cyber Forensics | 3 |
| CYBR 615 | Cyber Vulnerability Assess | 3 |
| CYBR 620 | Cyberwarfare | 3 |
| CYBR 680 | Research in Cybersecurity (will only apply if Thesis option is selected) | 3 |
Cyber Management
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CYBR 530 | Cybersec Policies & Mgmt | 3 |
| CYBR 535 | Cyber Risk | 3 |
| CYBR 542 | Cyber Operations | 3 |
| EM 660 | Project Management | 3 |
| EM 675 | Engineering Economics | 3 |
| CYBR 680 | Research in Cybersecurity (will only apply if Thesis option is selected) | 3 |
Plan of Study
Plan of Study
Following is a typical two-year study plan for a full-time (9 credit hours a semester) student:
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| CYBR 510 | Intro to Cybersecurity | 3 |
| CFS 630 | Cyber Threat Intelligence | 3 |
| Focus Area Course 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Focus Area Course 2 | 3 | |
| Focus Area Course 3 | 3 | |
| Elective Course 1 | 3 | |
| Elective Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Third Semester | ||
| CFS 665 | Cyber Sec IoT and ICS | 3 |
| Elective Course 3 | 3 | |
| Focus Area Course 4 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Note: Some elective courses may be offered just one semester a year. Students should work closely with an advisor in developing a study plan.