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 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 database. 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
Program Prerequisites
An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent is desirable but not required. Applicants without a strong undergraduate background in computer science must demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter covered in the following undergraduate courses:
- COP 3502C - Computer Science I
- CIS 3360 - Security in Computing
- CNT 3004 - Computer Network Concepts (or CNT 4704 - Analysis of Computer Communication Networks)
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
9 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- CAP5150 - Foundations of Computer Security and Privacy (3)
- CDA5209 - Foundations of Secure Execution Environment (3)
- CIS6614 - Advanced Software Systems Security (3)
Elective Courses
15 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
- All students, both thesis and nonthesis, are required to complete 15 credit hours of electives that are selected after consultation with the student's adviser. For Track 1: Technical Track, electives include minimum 1 course from cybersecurity/privacy topics, minimum 1 course from networking, and minimum 1 from database. 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 Track 2: Interdisciplinary Track, students can freely choose electives from management and business, human factors, psychology and criminal justice, depending on their interest and professional domains.
Track 1: Technical Track- Complete all of the following
Cybersecurity/Privacy- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- CAP5151 - Internet of Things Security and Privacy (3)
- CAP6135 - Malware and Software Vulnerability Analysis (3)
- CDA6221 - Advanced Topics in Secure Execution Environment (3)
- CIS6395 - Incident Response Technologies (3)
- CNT5410L - Cyber Operations Lab (3)
- CIS5730 - Blockchains and Smart Distributed Contracts (3)
Networking- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- CNT5008 - Computer Communication Networks Architecture (3)
- CNT5805 - Network Science (3)
- CNT6707 - Advanced Computer Networks (3)
Database- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- COP5711 - Parallel and Distributed Database Systems (3)
- COP6731 - Advanced Database Systems (3)
Other Electives- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- CDA5106 - Advanced Computer Architecture (3)
- COP5611 - Operating Systems Design Principles (3)
- COT5405 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3)
- COT6410 - Computational Complexity (3)
- CAP5610 - Machine Learning (3)
- CAP5636 - Advanced Artificial Intelligence (3)
- CAP6640 - Computer Understanding of Natural Language (3)
- CEN5016 - Software Engineering (3)
Track 2: Interdisciplinary Track- Complete at least 5 of the following:
- ISM6327 - Foundations of Cybersecurity and Privacy (3)
- ISM6328 - Cyber Risk Assessment (3)
- ISM6375 - Cyber Management and Leadership (3)
- IDC5602 - Cybersecurity: A Multidisciplinary Approach (3)
- IDC6600 - Emerging Cyber Issues (3)
- IDC6601 - Behavioral Aspects of Cybersecurity (3)
- EXP5256 - Human Factors I (3)
- EXP6257 - Human Factors II (3)
- INP6072 - Survey Research Methods and Program Evaluation in Indust. and Org. Psychology (3)
- SOP5059 - Advanced Social Psychology (3)
- CCJ6073 - Data Management Systems for Crime Analysis (3)
- CCJ6074 - Investigative and Intelligence Analysis: Theory and Methods (3)
- CCJ6717 - CJ Theories of Crime Analysis and Prevention (3)
Thesis/Nonthesis Option
6 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
Thesis Option- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: XXX 6971 Thesis (prefix determined by disciplinary area of your thesis adviser, e.g., CAP, CDA, CEN, COP or COT 6971) Six credits of thesis are required with the professor who directs the student's thesis. The thesis experience is expected to span two semesters. Thesis students who are full-time must continue to enroll in 3 credit hours of thesis course work until the thesis requirement is satisfied, even if it goes beyond the minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis. Students are required to prepare and defend a formal thesis in accordance with university requirements.
Nonthesis Option- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Additional elective coursework. The nonthesis option requires 6 additional credit hours of any electives in both tracks beyond the 15 credit hours of electives in the intended program track described above.
Grand Total Credits: 30
Application Requirements
Application Deadlines
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
