Program Overview
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TESU’s unique Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity program prepares students to meet the growing need for leaders who can protect the cyber infrastructure and information assets of organizations in the public and private sectors. The program is designed to prepare students for new careers in cybersecurity as well as working professionals to further advance their careers.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Curriculum combines technology with relevant human, legal, policy, and ethical aspects of cybersecurity needed to protect cyber infrastructure and information assets in a systematic and holistic manner.
- Relevant and Timely: Cutting-edge curriculum designed with input from leading cybersecurity experts.
- Hands-On Experience: Immersive lab experiences utilizing an online remotely accessible laboratory environment to gain a real-world hands-on experience.
- Scholar-Practitioner Faculty: Taught by leading scholar-practitioner faculty who are experts in the field of cybersecurity.
- Additional Credential: Earn an additional credential to advance a student's career by adding a certificate to the graduate degree course planning.
The Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity degree consists of 30 credit hours of graduate-level courses. The first half of this program provides students with a strong foundation in network security, operating systems security, cryptography, and secure software development to prepare them for more advanced courses in the program. The second half of the program focuses on emerging trends and more advanced themes in cybersecurity including digital forensics, cyber-risk management, cyber-incident response, cybersecurity strategy, governance, and ethics.
Download our Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our M.S. degree in Cybersecurity program.
Admissions Requirements
- Applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from an institutionally accredited college or university recognized under the TESU Transfer Credit Policy and Guidelines. View transcript requirements.
- Recommended Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above. Applicants with less than a 3.0 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Applicant must provide a current resume with their completed application.
- All statements of background and goals must be completed and submitted with a completed application and will be evaluated critically and used to assess an applicant's ability to succeed in and benefit from the graduate program. View statement of background and goals requirements.
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) www.ets.org/toefl is required of all applicants whose primary language is not English. At minimum, TOEFL scores should be 79 on the internet-Based Test (iBT).
- Applicants with undergraduate degrees in non-cybersecurity disciplines are welcome.
Credit Distribution
I. Core Courses (30 Credits)
| CYB-5100 | Cybersecurity Foundations | 3 |
| CYB-5200 | Network Defense and Security | 3 |
| CYB-5300 | Operating Systems Security | 3 |
| CYB-5400 | Cryptography and Data Security | 3 |
| CYB-5500 | Software and Applications Security | 3 |
| CYB-5600 | Cyber Forensics and Investigation | 3 |
| CYB-5700 | Cyber Risk Management and Incident Response | 3 |
| CYB-5800 | Cybersecurity Strategy, Governance, and Ethics | 3 |
| CYB-6900 | Special Topics in Cybersecurity | 3 |
| CYB-7000 | Capstone in Cybersecurity | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 30
NOTE: The course CYB-7000: Capstone in Cybersecurity can only be taken when a student has completed all the other courses except possibly at most one remaining course; also, CYB-7000: Capstone in Cybersecurity cannot be substituted by any other course or by credits for any past professional experience.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity will be able to:
- employ cyber prevention, defense, and mitigation tools and techniques against cyberthreats to protect the enterprise wide information infrastructure and assets;
- secure data and information using modern cryptographic protocols, tools, and techniques;
- assess and analyze software, hardware, and firmware vulnerabilities and implement appropriate prevention and mitigation measures;
- apply digital forensics and cyber investigation techniques in response to cyberattacks against networks and computer systems;
- apply cybersecurity risk management methodologies and frameworks to defend information systems and asset; and
- consider the human, legal, privacy, ethical and governance aspects related to protecting critical cyber infrastructure.
Careers
As the number and severity of cyberthreats that organizations face continues to rise, the demand for trained cybersecurity professionals has increased exponentially. However, the number of qualified entrants into the cybersecurity workforce has not kept pace with this demand, leading to a critical shortage of professionals to fill the gap.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 28 percent growth in U.S. employment for cybersecurity consultants from 2016 to 2026. This pace of growth is much higher than the average job growth in the United States.
As a graduate of TESU’s Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity program, students will be prepared for both technical and leadership roles in major cybersecurity areas such as cybersecurity engineering and architecture, network security, application security, digital forensics and cyber investigation, cyber risk management, cyber policy and compliance, cyber strategy and governance, security administration, and cybersecurity consulting.
Students can prepare to meet this demand by earning a master’s degree in cybersecurity at Thomas Edison State University.