Academic Programs in Information Security

M.S. in Information Security

For additional information, including admission requirements and course descriptions, see the Graduate Catalog of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences.

This program addresses the rapidly growing global problems of maintaining and securing computer information. Important areas include threats and vulnerabilities, cryptography, authentication and access control, security models, network security, trusted computer systems, distributed systems security, World Wide Web security, applications security, and security management and policies. The program is available on-campus or online.

The M.S. is recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) based on its certification of the school’s curriculum for compliance with the requirements of NSA national training standards NSTISSI No. 4011 (Information Systems Security Professionals) and CNSSI No. 4013 (System Administrators).

The M.S. in Information Security is a 36 credit-hour program. It requires the completion of 12 courses or 10 courses and a six-credit thesis. To earn the degree in 12 months, students must enroll in three courses per term. To earn the degree in 18 months, students must enroll in two courses per term. Most working professionals take two courses per term. Students who complete the M.S. may also request the graduate certificate in information security.

Option for Early Admission into the Ph.D. Program in Computer Information Systems

This option provides the opportunity for master’s students in information security to earn the Ph.D. in computer information systems in a shorter time. In addition to the general requirements for early admission specified in the Master’s Brochure or Graduate Catalog the student must complete all five security-related courses (MCIS 683, 684, 685, 686, and 687) and their prerequistes (MCIS 615, 630, and 650) (see Graduate Catalog for additional information).

The Curriculum for the M.S. in Information Security

Core courses and electives are listed below. Students must take all ten core courses and any two electives. Students who wish to take an additional elective must request approval from the program office prior to registration. If the thesis option is elected, students must take all ten core courses and six thesis credits. Plans for the thesis option must be made with and approved by the program office.

Core Courses  (three credits each):
MCIS 615   Operating Systems
MCIS 630   Database Systems
MCIS 645   Software Engineering
MCIS 650   Computer Networks
MCIS 665   Client-Server Computing
MCIS 683   Secure Computer Systems
MCIS 684   Applied Cryptography
MCIS 685   Database Security
MCIS 686   Advanced Network Security
MCIS 687   Information Security Project

Electives  (three credits each):
MCIS 611   Programming Languages
MCIS 623   Legal and Ethical Aspects of Computing
MCIS 654   Electronic Commerce on the Internet
MCIS 670   Artificial Intelligence
MCIS 671   Decision Support Systems
MCIS 680   Human-Computer Interaction