Graduate Programs

Degree Programs

M.S. in Secure Computing

M.S. Requirements

The Masters of Science Degree in Secure Computing is structured as follows. A student must complete 36 credit hours of courses with the requirement that the following number of credit hours be achieved in each of the four areas as described below:

Areas:

  • Computing Foundations (9 cr.)
  • Security Informatics Core (12 cr.)
  • Applied Security and Professional Practice (6 cr.)
  • Electives (9 cr.)

Additionally, there are three possible tracks: 

  • Secure Programming
  • Data Science
  • Human-Centered

Computing Foundations

These courses ensure that students have a firm grasp of computing systems. Students need to take 9 credit hours from the following list of courses. 

Secure Programming Track (9 cr.)

Required (unless exempted):

  • CSCI-P 536 Advanced Operating Systems
  • CSCI-P 538 Computer Networks

Must complete at least one course from the following (total of 9 credit hours including required courses):

  • CSCI-B 534 Distributed Systems
  • CSCI-B 541 Hardware System Design I
  • CSCI-B 543 Computer Architecture
  • CSCI-B 561 Advanced Database Concepts
  • CSCI-P 535 Pervasive Computing
  • CSCI-P 542 Hardware System Design II
  • CSCI-P 545 Embedded and REal-Time Systems

Data Science Track

Required (unless exempted):
  • INFO-I 500 Fundamental Computer Concepts for Informatics
  • CSCI-A 541 Computing and Technology Bootcamp
  • CSCI-A 542 Technical Foundations in Cybersecurity

Additional courses (if required courses are exempted for a total of 9 credit hours):

  • INFO-I 519 Introduction to Bioinformatics
  • INFO-I 523 Big Data Applications and Analytics
  • INFO-I 524 Big Data Software and Projects
  • INFO-I 526 Applied Machine Learning
  • INFO-I 535 Management, Access, and Use of Big and Complex Data
  • INFO-I 571 Introducing Cheminformatics
  • INFO-I 572 Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling
  • INFO-I 573 Programming for Chemical and Life Science Informatics
  • INFO-I 585 Bioinspired Computing
  • INFO-I 619 Structural Bioinformatics
  • INFO-I 621 Computational Techniques in Comparative Genomics

Human-Centered Track

Required (unless exempted):

  • INFO-I 500 Fundamental Computer Concepts for Informatics
  • CSCI-A 541 Computing and Technology Bootcamp
  • CSCI-A 542 Technical Foundation in Cybersecurity

Additional courses (if required courses are exempted for a total of 9 credit hours):

  • INFO-I 502 Human-Centered Research Methods in Informatics
  • INFO-I 504 Social Dimension of Science Informatics
  • INFO-I 506 Globalization and Information
  • INFO-I 507 Introduction to Health Informatics
  • INFO-I 527 Mobile and Pervasive Design
  • INFO-I 528 Participatory Design
  • INFO-I 530 Field Deployments
  • INFO-I 549 Advanced Prototyping
  • INFO-I 561 Meaning and Form in HCI
  • INFO-I 605 Social Foundations of Informatics
  • INFO-I 651 Ethnography of Information

Secure Computing Core

These courses ensure that students have a firm grasp of the fundamental ideas, skills, models and tools of cybersecurity.  Students need to take 12 credit hours from the following list of courses.

Secure Programming Track

Required (unless exempted):

  • CSCI-B 544 Security for Networked Systems OR INFO-I 520 Security for Networked Systems
  • CSCI-B 547 Systems and Protocol Security and Information Assurance

Must complete at least 2 courses (total of 12 credit hours including required courses):

  • CSCI-B 504 Introduction to Cryptography OR INFO-I 538 Introduction to Cryptography
  • CSCI-B 546 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense OR INFO-I 521 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense
  • INFO-I 525 Organizational Informatics and Economics of Security
  • INFO-I 536 Foundational Mathematics of Cybersecurity
  • INFO-I 537 Legal and Social Informatics of Security
  • INFO-I 539 Cryptographic Protocols

Data Science Track

Required (unless exempted):

  • CSCI-B 544 Security for Networked Systems OR INFO-I 520 Security for Networked Systems

Must complete at least 3 courses (total of 12 credit hours including required courses):

  • CSCI-B 504 Introduction to Cryptography OR INFO-I 538 Introduction to Cryptograohy
  • CSCI-B 546 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense OR INFO-I 521 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense
  • CSCI-B 548 Privacy in Pervasive Computing OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Pervasive Computing)
  • CSCI-B 649 Topics in Systems (topic: Data Driven Security and Privacy) OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Data Driven Security and Privacy)
  • CSCI-B 649 Topics in Systems (topic:  ) OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Usable Privacy and Security)
  • INFO-I 525 Organizational Informatics and Economics of Security
  • INFO-I 536 Foundational Mathematics of Cybersecurity
  • INFO-I 537 Legal and Social Informative of Security
  • INFO-I 539 Cryptographic Protocols

Human-Center Track

Required (unless exempted):

  • CSCI-B 544 Security for Networked Systems OR INFO-I 520 Security for Networked Systems

Must complete at least 3 courses (total of 12 credit hours including required courses):

  • CSCI-B 504 Introduction to Cryptography OR INFO-I 538 Introduction to Cryptograohy
  • CSCI-B 546 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense OR INFO-I 521 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense
  • CSCI-B 548 Privacy in Pervasive Computing OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Pervasive Computing)
  • CSCI-B 649 Topics in Systems (topic: Data Driven Security and Privacy) OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Data Driven Security and Privacy)
  • CSCI-B 649 Topics in Systems (topic:  ) OR INFO-I 590 Topics in Informatics (topic: Usable Privacy and Security)
  • INFO-I 525 Organizational Informatics and Economics of Security
  • INFO-I 536 Foundational Mathematics of Cybersecurity
  • INFO-I 537 Legal and Social Informative of Security
  • INFO-I 539 Cryptographic Protocols

Other approved CSCI-B 649 and/or INFO-I 590 topics approved by the Secure Computing program director.

Applied Security and Professional Practice

Internship credit must be obtaind from ogranizations where students are exposed to some practival aspecy of cybersecurity. Each 10-hour per week intership over a semester/summer provides 1 credit hour. A student may take a maximum of two internships, for a maximum of 6 credit hours.  Further, a student may work no more than 40 hours per week for credit.

Students may also satisfy their Applied Security and Professional credit requirements throug specific courses:

  • CSCI-A 538 Network Technologies and Systems Admininstration
  • CSCI-A 548 Mastering the World-Wide Web
  • CSCI-Y 790 Independent Study
  • CSCI-Y 798 Graduate Internship

Electives

The remaining 9 credit hours are electives. All elective credits must be 500 level or higher, unless you have permission from the Secure Computing program director.

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