COURSE CURRICULUM

The MS in Cybersecurity offers three specialized concentrations—General, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and Cyber Operations—each designed to provide students with advanced technical knowledge and practical skills in modern cybersecurity practices across offensive and defensive domains. The curriculum combines cybersecurity fundamentals, digital forensics, computer security, networking, artificial intelligence, and experiential learning to prepare graduates for professional roles in cybersecurity operations, threat analysis, cyber defense, and emerging AI-driven security technologies. Students with limited technical or mathematical backgrounds may be required to complete waivable foundational courses in programming, operating systems, networking, assembly language, scripting with Python, or mathematics for data science before progressing into advanced coursework. The General Concentration focuses on broad cybersecurity education and includes required courses such as Introduction to Cyber Forensic Science and Introduction to Computer Security, along with electives in cryptography, ethical hacking, network defense, incident response, artificial intelligence, reverse engineering, wireless networks, and risk management. Students also complete a project requirement through courses involving practical cybersecurity applications and network defense. The AI/ML Concentration integrates cybersecurity with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Students complete required courses in network defense, machine learning, AI and cybersecurity, computer security, and cyber forensic science while selecting advanced electives in deep learning, natural language processing, data science, data mining, and scalable data engineering. This concentration prepares students to apply intelligent systems and predictive technologies to modern cybersecurity challenges. The Cyber Operations Concentration emphasizes offensive and defensive cyber operations, reverse engineering, cryptography, ethical hacking, systems programming, memory forensics, network defense, and cyber threat intelligence. Students gain hands-on technical expertise relevant to cybersecurity operations centers, penetration testing, and advanced cyber defense environments. All concentrations include experiential learning opportunities through research topics, internships, master’s projects, or thesis work, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge in professional or research settings. Overall, the program prepares graduates for careers as cybersecurity analysts, penetration testers, cyber operations specialists, digital forensic investigators, AI security professionals, network defenders, incident response experts, and cybersecurity researchers in government, industry, military, and technology organizations.