MS in Cyber Security

This 36-credit program, available online and on-campus, prepares graduates with technical skills related to cyber operations and security. Students with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, information technology, or related fields are well-positioned to start this degree program. Students having other, less technical backgrounds are eligible for admission but may need to complete a bridge semester of preparation. Students learn the knowledge, skills, and perspective necessary to address cyber-operations and security issues of private and public business enterprises and governmental organizations. The program is distinctive in a number of ways, including:

• A highly applied approach, with an emphasis on hands-on learning.
• Requirement of an internship experience or research-based project on campus or at a local firm or agency.
• Incorporation of emerging technologies into all coursework.
• Emphasis on a collaborative and teamwork approach.
• Development of skills in technology leadership.

Core Requirements

• Ethics in Information Technology
• Information Assurance & Security
• Technology, Law, and Society
• IT Risk Management

One course from the following options

• Securing and Administering Systems in Windows Environment
• Securing and Administering Systems in Linux Environment

Capstone Experience

One course from the following options

• Internship
• Research Project
• Thesis

Elective Courses

• Operating Systems
• Assembly Language Programming
• Theory and Practice of Cryptography
• Reverse Program Engineering
• Organizational and Corporate Data Protection
• IT Audit, Monitoring, and Testing
• Networking Infrastructure Security
• Cyber Forensics
• Cyber Warfare
• Wireless Security
• Secure Software Development
• CISSP
• Data Mining
• Hacking Techniques and CounterMeasures
• Professional and Career Development

Additional graduate courses may be approved by the adviser from the areas of computer science, information technology, analytics and modeling, mathematics, and business.

Sequencing coursework

Students must take a programming test before the start of their first semester. Should a student fail the programming test the student must complete IT 502 during the first semester of enrollment. These credits do not count towards the degree in cybersecurity. The Capstone Experience should be taken after at least one semester of study.

Computing has links to almost every profession and academic field; studying it – as a major, as a minor, or as a graduate student – is a plus when in the job market. It provides the opportunity to work across a vast array of disciplines. Graduates have the chance to deliver service and solutions for others – while leading efforts that deploy new ideas and technology.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts faster-than-average growth for nearly every computing and information technology job for the next decade. The analytical and problem-solving skills central to computing and the information sciences are valued by employers in all sectors. Computational problem-solving skills can greatly enhance any degree in any field – including those in the sciences, business, engineering, or healthcare professions.

The jobs in fields most closely related to the discipline include:

• Network architects
• Programmers and Software Developers
• Systems analysts
• Database administrators
• Information security analysts
• Network and computer systems administrators
• Web developers

However, those with a background in computing and information sciences have a competitive advantage in many occupations. Computing and Information Sciences majors work in a wide range of fields – recent Valpo students and graduates have gone into employment in the :

• health care/health insurance sector,
• the petroleum services industries,
• specialist software production firms – including video game creation,
• Internet service providers, and
• primary metals manufacturing.