Cyber Security and Privacy (MS)

Students entering the MS program must choose either to complete the "Technical Track", or to complete the "Interdisciplinary Track".

Technical Track is designed for students aiming to become advanced cybersecurity and privacy professionals, who will master advanced knowledge on cybersecurity and privacy topics such as secure execution environment and malware analysis, and master knowledge on electives on networking, database, operating system, computer architecture, algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) and software engineering.

Interdisciplinary Track is designed for students aiming to become managers or administrative personnel of cybersecurity and privacy operations. They will be required to take fundamental and core courses on cybersecurity and privacy, and can choose electives from fields including management and business, human factors, psychology and criminal justice.

The Master of Science in Cyber Security and Privacy program will provide high-quality cybersecurity graduate education, advance cyber security and privacy research, and address the issues of state, national and international cybersecurity. It provides students with an in-depth education geared toward meeting the needs of business and industry in Florida and throughout the United States.

Students successfully completing this program will have exhibited breadth as well as depth of capability involving both theoretical aspects and practical considerations and applications of cyber security issues in software, hardware, operating system, and various networked devices.

The MS in Cybersecurity and Privacy program offers both a thesis and a nonthesis option with each option requiring a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. Both options require 9 credit hours of required core courses and 7 electives (21 credits). For Technical Track, electives include minimum 1 course from cybersecurity/privacy topics, minimum 1 course from networking, and minimum 1 from data analytics. The three fields from which students have to choose one course are necessary and fundamental to master advanced knowledge on cybersecurity and privacy. Students can also choose electives from operating system, computer architecture, algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) and software engineering to expand their horizon. For Interdisciplinary Track, students can freely choose electives from management and business, human factors, psychology and criminal justice, depending on their interest and professional domains. For both tracks, there is a thesis option, which is equivalent to 6 credit course hours of electives.

Total Credit Hours Required: 30 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree