M.S. in Cyber Security

**As of  2020, the M.S. Information Assurance is now M.S. Cyber Security.**

Master of Science in Cyber Security (formerly,

Information Assurance) Program

The Master of Science in Cyber Security (formerly, Information Assurance) focuses on providing a broad interdisciplinary information assurance education that prepares graduates to successfully defend, protect, design, implement and maintain secure information and information systems.

Graduates of the M.S. degree program in Cyber Security (formerly, Information Assurance) have the requisite expertise to:

• Function in the world-at-large as productive and ethical professionals and as responsible citizens. They will have a very good understanding of ethical issues and their applications.
• Understand and employ current trends and adapt to advances in the technology of the Information Assurance profession.
• Develop and implement security strategies to improve the security posture of organizations.
• Work in teams, to apply theoretical and analytical methods and principles of software development to address security issues in software development.
• Apply techniques, methodologies, tools and skills to build high-quality security systems that function effectively and reliably in the emerging information infrastructure.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with other security and computing professionals.

The MS IA program is designed for prospects with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a degree in engineering, science or mathematics with a strong background in computer science. For prospects without the appropriate qualifications, a set of bridge courses provide the necessary background for regular admission to the MS program.

Bridge Program In Cyber Security  (Non-Degree Program)

The Bridge Program in Cyber Security (formerly, Information Assurance) prepares students for graduate work in the Master of Science program. The main goal of this program is to provide students from other disciplines with the necessary background to pursue a Master’s degree in Information Assurance (Cyber Security). A secondary goal is to provide formal training for people in various technical disciplines who need a significant background in computing. The Bridge Program consists of comprehensive courses at the 500-level that provide the equivalent of the core undergraduate computer science curriculum. This core set of courses is listed in the curriculum for the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) which sets the standards for undergraduate curricula. The following minimum requirements must be met before a student can be admitted to the program:

• A bachelor’s degree of higher
• Two semesters of calculus and one semester of discrete mathematics
• Formal training or experience in programming to the level of Computer Science 501

Bridge Program Requirement (if applicable)

Core Courses (24 Hours + Comprehensive Examination 1 Hour)

Elective Courses (12 Hours)

* CYSO was previously CIAO