Degree Requirements

Requirements for MS Cybersecurity and MS Information Technology

MS Cybersecurity

MS Cybersecurity requires the successful completion of 30 credit hours of graduate course work (see the MS Cybersecurity Catalog for courses and course descriptions).

  • Core (12 credit hours)
  • Culminating Experience
  • Free Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Culminating Experience (0-6 credit hours)

Core Component

Students are required to complete the following core courses:

  1. ITIS 5250 Computer Forensics
  2. ITS 6167 Network Security
  3. ITIS 6200 Information Security and Privacy
  4. ITIS 6240 Applied Cryptography

​Concentration Component

MS Cybersecurity students are required to select and complete one of the following concentration options. Students pursuing a MS thesis for their culminating experience will use 6 credit hours towards their concentration in place of coursework. Subject to the approval of the Graduate Program Director, a course from outside of the approved list may be taken as a substitute course for the concentration.

MS Cybersecurity offers the following concentrations:

  1. Network Security
  2. Secure Software Development
  3. Security for Emerging Technology

Security Elective Component

Students are required to complete two security elective courses from the approved list of security electives in the MS Cybersecurity course catalog. Students who choose to complete the Internship Project for their culminating experience will use ITIS 6198 Internship Project course (3 credit hours) to help fulfill security elective requirements.

Cybersecurity Culminating Experience

All students will complete a culminating experience as a capstone demonstrating mastery in Cybersecurity. This requirement is satisfied by completing one of the following capstones:

  • Cybersecurity Project Report: written report on knowledge relating one or more courses to a IT project (0 credit hours)
  • Cybersecurity Internship Project (3 credits)
  • Cybersecurity Master’s Thesis (total 6 credit hours: 3 credits each semester across 2 semesters)

Free Elective Component

Students may complete any additional course offered by the College of Computing and Informatics (BINF, HCIP, ITCS, ITIS) for their remaining elective requirement.

MS Information Technology

MS Information Technology requires successful completion of 30 credit hours of graduate course work (see the MSIT Catalog for courses and course descriptions).

  • Core (15 credit hours)
  • Concentration (9 credit hours)
  • Electives (6 credit hours)
  • IT Culminating Experience

Core Component

Students are required to complete the following core requirements: 1. Advanced Programming: Select 1 from the following 2 courses

  • ITIS 5166 Network-Based Application Development
  • ITIS 5180 Mobile Application Development

2. Databases: Select 1 from the following 2 courses

  • ITIS 6120 Applied Databases
  • IT IS 6162 Knowledge Discovery from Databases

3. Software Systems Design: Select 1 from the following 3 courses:

  • ITIS 6112 Software System Design and Implementation
  • ITIS 6342 Information Technology Project Management
  • ITIS 6177 System Integration

4. ITIS 6200 Principles of Information Security and Privacy 5. ITIS 6400 Principles of Human Computer Interaction

Concentration Component

MSIT students are required to select and complete one of the following concentration options. Students pursuing a MS thesis for their culminating experience will use 6 credit hours towards their concentration in place of coursework. Subject to the approval of the Graduate Program Director, a course from outside of the approved list may be taken as a substitute course for the concentration. MSIT program offers the following concentrations: 1. Advanced Data and Knowledge Discovery 2. Emerging Technologies 3. Human-Computer Interaction 4. Information Security and Privacy 5. Information Technology Management 6. Software Systems Design and Engineering 7. Web Development

Elective Component

Students fulfill the remaining requirements for a MSIT degree by completing two approved elective courses in the area of information technology. Students who chose to complete the IT Internship Project for their culminating experience will enroll in ITIS 6198 Internship Project course (3 credit hours) to help fulfill the elective requirements.

MSIT Culminating Experience

All students will complete a culminating experience as a capstone demonstrating mastery in IT. This requirement is satisfied by completing one of the following capstones:

  • IT Project Report: written report on knowledge relating one or more courses to a IT project (0 credit hours)
  • IT Internship Project (3 credits)
  • IT Master’s Thesis (total 6 credit hours: 3 credits each semester across 2 semesters)