Skip to main content

Curriculum

Overview

The MS in Cyber Security and Privacy offers both a thesis and non-thesis option with each option requiring 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Both options require 9 credit hours of required core courses. The non-thesis option requires a student to complete 7 electives (21 credits), while the thesis option requires a student to complete 5 electives (15 credits) and thesis that equivalent to 6 credit hours.

The MS program contains a Technical Track and an Interdisciplinary Track.

The UCF official catalog of this MS program is at: https://www.ucf.edu/catalog/graduate/#/programs/Hk7CQJZdju

Prerequisites

An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent is desirable but not required. Applicants without a strong undergraduate background in computer must demonstrate an understanding of the material covered in the following undergraduate courses:

  • COP 3502C – Computer Science I
  • CIS 3360 – Security in Computing
  • CNT 3004 – Computer Network Concepts (or CNT 4704 – Analysis of Computer Communication Networks)

Technical Track

Required Courses

  • CAP 5150 – Foundations of Computer Security and Privacy
  • CDA 5220 – Foundations of Secure Execution Environment
  • CIS 6614 – Advanced Software Systems Security (Capstone Course)

Electives

Minimum 1 from cybersecurity/privacy:
  • CAP 5250 – Internet of Things Security and Privacy
  • CIS 5730 – Blockchains and Smart Distributed Contracts
  • CDA 6221 – Advanced Topics in Secure Execution Environment
  • CNT 5410L – Cyber Operations Lab
  • CAP 6135 – Malware and Software Vulnerability Analysis
  • CIS 6395 – Incident Response Technologies
Minimum 1 from networking:
  • CNT 5008 – Computer Communication Networks Architecture
  • CNT 6707 – Advanced Computer Networks
  • CNT 5805 – Network Science
Minimum 1 from Data Analytics:
  • COP 5711 – Parallel and Distributed Database Systems
  • COP 6731 – Advanced Database Systems
  • CAP 5610 – Machine Learning
  • CAP 5636 – Advanced Artificial Intelligence
  • CAP 6640 – Computer Understanding of Natural Language
Other Electives:
  • COP 5611 – Operating System Design Principles
  • CDA 5106 – Advanced Computer Architecture
  • COT 5405 – Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • COT 6410 – Computational Complexity
  • CEN 5016 – Software Engineering

Maximum two electives from Interdisciplinary Track

Thesis Option
(Equivalent to 6 credit course hours)

XXX 6971 Thesis (6 Credit Hours; prefix determined by disciplinary area of your thesis adviser, e.g., CAP, CDA, CEN, COP or COT 6971); 3 credit-hour MS thesis class per semester for two semesters

Interdisciplinary Track

Required Courses

  • CAP 5150 – Foundations of Computer Security and Privacy
  • CNT 5410L – Cyber Operations Lab
  • CIS 6614 – Advanced Software Systems Security (Capstone Course)

Electives

College of Business Administration – Management
  • ISM 6327 – Foundations of Cybersecurity and Privacy
  • ISM 6328 – Cyber Risk Assessment
  • ISM 6375 – Cyber Management and Leadership
School of Modeling & Simulation and Training
  • IDC 5602 – Cybersecurity: A Multidisciplinary Approach
  • IDC 6600 – Emerging Cyber Issues
  • IDC 6601 – Behavioral Aspects of Cybersecurity
  • IDC 6602 – Usable Cybersecurity and Privacy
College of Science – Psychology
  • EXP 5256 – Human Factors I
  • EXP 6257 – Human Factors II
  • INP 6072 – Survey Research Methods and Program Evaluation
  • SOP 5059 – Advanced Social Psychology
College of Community Innovation and Education – Criminal Justice
  • CCJ 6717 – CJ Theories of Crime Analysis and Prevention
  • CCJ 6074 – Investigative and Intelligence Analysis: Theory and Methods
  • CCJ 6073 – Data Management Systems for Crime Analysis
  • CJE 6688 – Cyber Crime and Criminal Justice
College of Sciences- School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs

 
  • INR 6938 – ST: Politics of Online Security
  • POS 6729 – Political Network Analysis
  • POS 6757 – Survey Design for Political Science Research

Maximum two electives from Technical Track

 

Thesis Option
(Equivalent to 6 credit course hours)

XXX 6971 Thesis (6 Credit Hours; prefix determined by disciplinary area of your thesis adviser, e.g., CAP, CDA, CEN, COP or COT 6971);  3 credit-hour MS thesis class per semester for two semesters