Leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Cybersecurity

Students in Cybersecurity (BSCY) learn how systems, devices, and networks operate and how to identify potential security vulnerabilities in those environments.  Students will experience the entire security process from incident response and forensics, to offensive and defensive security, to policy and management.  Electives allow students to dive deeper into areas of cybersecurity that they are most interested in.  Students also apply these skills directly in the work environment through two required co-op work semesters beginning junior year.

Program Educational Objectives

Within three to five years of graduation:

• Graduates are able to regard cybersecurity across domains of people, process, policy, and technology.
• Graduates are able to define solutions that integrate cybersecurity concepts from the design phase through implementation.
• Graduates are able to apply security principles and practices to the environment, hardware, software, and human aspects of a system.
• Graduates are able to analyze and evaluate systems with respect to maintaining operations in the presence of risks and threats.
• Graduates are able to apply necessary oversight of systems based on legal, compliance, regulatory, or governance requirements.
• Graduates are able to define privacy, trust, confidentiality, and security as it relates to people, personnel, and organizations.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the program will have an ability to:

1. Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
4. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
6. Apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of risks and threats.

Total credits for degree: 125

This is a four-year program, starting in the fall semester of the student’s first year and planned to end in the summer semester of the student’s fourth year. The courses are as follows:

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Students must take two math or science electives total. Of these, at least one must be a 3-2-4 science elective with the exception of PHYS1000, and PHYS1500. Math electives include any Applied Math minor course.

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Cybersecurity students take a total of four computer science electives: two cybersecurity electives, one cryptography elective and one computer science.

ENGL/HSS Note

Students are required to complete:

• At least one course in Humanities: HSSI, HIST, HUMN, LITR and PHIL
• At least one course in the Social Sciences: HSSI, COMM, ECON, POLS, PSYC and SOCL
• The remaining course from either the Humanities or Social Sciences category. 

Students with a three English course sequence may use the third English course to satisfy a Humanities requirement.

A minimum of 20 credits total, including English, humanities, and social science credit, is required to complete the humanities and social sciences graduation requirement.

Of the three listed humanities and social  science electives BSCY students must include a Directed Elective:

• An Ethics elective

The Cryptography Electives: select one course from following list

Cybersecurity Electives: select two courses from the following list

Computer Science Electives: select one course from the following list