Master of Science in Cybersecurity
UT's Master of Science in Cybersecurity prepares students for careers in the dynamic cybersecurity industry. Rapid technology changes and the evolving threats that face modern organizations require educated and equipped cybersecurity professionals. This 32 credit hour program develops students' depth and breadth of information security knowledge so they can successfully protect information assets for organizations regardless of industry and business. Topics include cloud system security, risk assessment, data analytics, contingency planning, incident response management, digital forensics, penetration testing, secure software design, project management, technology governance, compliance and security leadership. Several of our courses are designed to cover the top professional certifications in the industry (e.g., Certified Information System Security Professional).
The M.S. in Cybersecurity also offers a thesis track. Students considering the thesis option take a course sequence that includes a research seminar and a thesis writing course. This 34-credit hour alternative prepares students who wish to pursue a research-oriented career as an academic, consultant or practitioner.
Students choosing the thesis track will be required to submit an electronic version of their thesis to the Macdonald-Kelce Library for inclusion in the digital repository, which is accessible on the internet. Students may choose to release the work for immediate access worldwide or choose embargos restricting access of full text to only The University of Tampa community for one, three or five years, before the work is released freely on the web through the repository.
Other cybersecurity graduate programs are available, including a graduate certificate in cybersecurity and an MBA concentration in cybersecurity.
Degree Requirements
Business Course Prerequisites:
Students are required to complete two business courses totaling at least 6 credit hours. It is recommended that a student complete these before taking graduate CYB courses, but it is not a requirement. The two courses must be:
- One course in business statistics.
- One additional business course in either economics, finance or accounting.
Note: These may be waived if the student has completed a business degree in the past 7 years from an AACSB-accredited school and earned a grade of “B” or better in the course.
Required Information Technology Qualification Courses (minimum 3 credit hours in each of three topics, undergraduate or graduate)
- Programming Fundamentals
- Network or Data Communications
- Information Security Principles
Note: To waive the courses, students must earn a B grade or better in these qualification courses.
Professional Certifications and Work Experience Substitutes
Candidates may use certifications and work experience to substitute for some or all of the IT courses. Each substitute will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Certifications: Professional certifications can be used to substitute the IT courses. A single certification can substitute for only one course. For example, to substitute for three courses, three different relevant certifications would be required. Each certification must be verifiable. The Cybersecurity Program Director will maintain a list of acceptable certifications. Below are examples of some acceptable substitutions for the three required IT courses:
1) Programming language or application development certification (e.g. C/C++, Python, Java, Visual Basic, MCSD) may substitute for the programming course requirement.
2) A networking certification (e.g. Network+, CCNA, CCNP) may substitute for the networking and data communication course requirement.
3) A security certification (e.g. Security+, SSCP, CISA, CISM, CISSP, GIAC Security Essentials) may substitute for the information security principles course requirement.
Work experience: Professional work experience may be used as a substitute for a maximum of one of the three IT courses. The work experience must be full-time, paid, within the last ten years, directly relate to the substituted course and be verifiable. At least two years of full-time work experience is necessary to substitute for the specific course. To be verifiable, the experience must be described on a document from an employee’s place of work as part of the candidate’s admission package.
Thesis Track Requirements
Choose six from the following CYB and ITM 600-level courses:
| CYB 610 | Cloud Systems Security | 4 |
| CYB 620 | Risk Assessment & Contingency Planning | 4 |
| CYB 630 | Incident Response Management | 4 |
| CYB 640 | Secure Software Design | 4 |
| CYB 650 | Security Governance & Leadership | 4 |
| CYB 660 | Penetration Testing | 4 |
| CYB 695 | Special Topics in Cybersecurity | 4 |
| CYB 699 | Independent Study in Cybersecurity | 1-8 |
| ITM 608 | Information Systems and Operations Management | 4 |
| ITM 614 | Effective Project Management | 4 |
| ITM 615 | Data Mining for Business | 4 |
| ITM 619 | Enterprise Systems | 4 |
| ITM 630 | Managing the IT Organization | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
Note: Of the six courses, a maximum of three may come from ITM 600-level courses.
Thesis track students must take
| CYB 670 | Cybersecurity Research Seminar | 4 |
| CYB 675 | Cybersecurity Graduate Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 10 |
Non-Thesis Track
Non-Thesis Track Requirements
Choose eight from the following CYB and ITM 600-level courses:
| CYB 610 | Cloud Systems Security | 4 |
| CYB 620 | Risk Assessment & Contingency Planning | 4 |
| CYB 630 | Incident Response Management | 4 |
| CYB 640 | Secure Software Design | 4 |
| CYB 650 | Security Governance & Leadership | 4 |
| CYB 660 | Penetration Testing | 4 |
| CYB 670 | Cybersecurity Research Seminar | 4 |
| CYB 695 | Special Topics in Cybersecurity | 4 |
| CYB 699 | Independent Study in Cybersecurity | 1-8 |
| ITM 608 | Information Systems and Operations Management | 4 |
| ITM 614 | Effective Project Management | 4 |
| ITM 615 | Data Mining for Business | 4 |
| ITM 619 | Enterprise Systems | 4 |
| ITM 630 | Managing the IT Organization | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 32 |
Note: Of the eight courses, a maximum of three may come from ITM 600-level courses.
Total Credit Hours: 32-34