Cybersecurity, Master of Science

Program Purpose

Students earning this degree will be prepared to advance in the growing and challenging field of Cybersecurity. The program offers students the opportunity to learn both tactical and strategic perspectives of Cybersecurity. The combination of tactical and strategic perspectives enables students to become practitioners and leaders in the field of Cybersecurity. 

Program Competencies

Cybersecurity Best Practices

• Apply a Cybersecurity best practice to a scenario.
• Compare and contrast a given set of Cybersecurity best practices.

Cybersecurity Plan

• Develop a Cybersecurity plan for a given situation/case study.
• Analyze / critique a Cybersecurity plan.

Cybersecurity Tools, Techniques, and Methodologies

• Compare and contrast a given set of Cybersecurity methodologies.
• Apply/utilize the appropriate Cybersecurity tool for a given situation/case study.
• Describe a given Cybersecurity technique.

Program Design

Students who successfully complete the Master of Science in Cybersecurity will possess a working command of current cybersecurity practices that can be immediately applied to an organization regardless of size. Degree recipients will be capable of managing complex cybersecurity responsibilities and projects from inception to completion. Students have the option to pursue a concentration that caters to their vocational pursuit. Students graduating from the MS in Cybersecurity program should be prepared to provide leadership in the field of Cybersecurity. Graduates will have the following skills, knowledge, and values:

• A core knowledge of Cybersecurity

• Communication, interpersonal, and team skills

• Analytical and critical thinking skills

• Specific skills leading to a career

Cybersecurity Core Course Requirements

CYB 6000 Network Security

CYB 6010 Protecting and Securing the OS

CYB 6020 Vulnerability Assmt and PT

CYB 6030 IDS and IPS

CYB 6040 Cyberthreat Intelligence

CYB 8100 Cybersecurity Capstone

CYB 8101 Research Seminar

Electives

If pursuing no concentration, then select five (5) of the following electives:

CYB 6005 Applied Cybersecurity

CYB 6015 Intelligence Writing

CYB 6025 Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

CYB 6050 Information Warfare (Social Media Intelligence)

CYB 6090 Special Topics: Cybersecurity

IST 7060 Project and Change Management

SEC 6040 Web and Data Security

SEC 6060 Incident Handling and Response

Cyber Terrorism Concentration

Students pursuing the Cyber Terrorism Concentration should select five (5) of the following courses:

MHS 7000 Contemporary Issues in Homeland Security

MHS 7001 Sociology of Terrorism

MHS 7002 Legal Aspects and Policy of Homeland Security

MHS 7003 Risk Assessment and Management

MHS 7006 Topics in Intelligence

MHS 7007 Strategic Planning in Homeland Security

SCADA Cybersecurity Concentration

Students pursuing the SCADA Cybersecurity concentration will complete the following courses:

IST 7100 IT Policy and Strategy

SEC 6080 Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security

SEC 6082 SCADA Architecture

SEC 6084 SCADA Risk Management and Auditing

SEC 6086 SCADA Security Awareness and Standards

Qualifications for Degree

To qualify for the Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours (12 courses), including the Cybersecurity Capstone and Research Seminar. Both are intended to enhance a student’s occupational interest through the correlation of theory and practice. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The program must be completed within five years.

This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.