COURSE CURRICULUM

The MS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance at Fairleigh Dickinson University is a 30-credit graduate program (plus possible prerequisites depending on background) designed to prepare students for advanced careers in cybersecurity by combining theoretical foundations with hands-on technical skills in protecting computer systems, networks, and digital infrastructure; students may first complete prerequisite courses such as programming, data structures, cybersecurity fundamentals, and assembly language if required, then progress into the 15-credit core covering Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Cybersecurity, Applied Cryptography, and Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Analysis, which together build expertise in understanding system behavior, identifying vulnerabilities, and defending against cyber threats, followed by a 3-credit master’s project that applies these skills to a real-world security problem, and finally 12 credits of electives that allow specialization in areas like network security administration—focused on firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and supply chain security—or secure software development, which emphasizes software engineering, algorithms, and building secure applications, with additional options such as machine learning, Linux system administration, databases, advanced cybersecurity topics, and internship/work experience opportunities, all structured to ensure graduates are prepared for professional roles in cybersecurity analysis, network defense, ethical hacking, secure software engineering, and IT security management in both public and private sectors.