Program Overview

Students enrolling in the degree program will be given the choice between two tracks: systems or management. The systems track is geared towards those who want to approach Cybersecurity from a more technical computer science perspective. This includes a greater focus upon technology issues such as encryption, malware, secure software, and theoretical foundations of information security.

The management track is geared towards a Management Information Systems perspective and revolves around policy and management in the realm of Cybersecurity. This would include topics in the creation and enforcement of policies necessary for assurance, disaster recovery techniques, and critical business systems practices.

Students enrolled in the program would be expected to make use of their previous education and experience in Computer Science or Management Information Systems depending upon the track selected.

The Master of Science degree program also provides a choice between a thesis option and capstone option. Students who want to actively engage in Cybersecurity research or pursue a Ph.D. are encouraged to select the thesis option. Students who desire a more practical education who potentially see themselves as Cybersecurity professionals may want to choose the capstone option.

This option requires the students to take a capstone class in which they will work with on practical research problems related to current Cybersecurity issues. They will be expected to present their research results but are not expected to write a full thesis on the work.

Each degree path requires a 33-hour program of study and all share a set of common courses. These courses encompass the majority of the Cybersecurity common body of knowledge. In addition, non-core courses are designed to allow students to explore a wide variety of areas to which the core concepts are applicable. This includes but is not limited to topics such as information warfare, forensics, software reverse engineering, secure software engineering, and corporate information technology security policy management.

Cybersecurity Concentrations

In addition to the Cybersecurity Master of Science program, the College of Information Science & Technology provides Cybersecurity concentrations for Computer Science and Management Information Systems graduate students. Students interested in a Cybersecurity concentration must still take their particular degree’s core coursework along with Cybersecurity electives. Additionally, students in the Cybersecurity program can take a core of Cybersecurity and take electives in Computer Science and/or MIS courses as needed.