Cybersecurity, Master of Science

Admissions Process

Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information and requirements.

1. Submit a Graduate Application

A $35 non-refundable application fee is required.

2. Submit official transcripts

Students without a technology-related undergraduate degree or a sufficient level of technology

experience or expertise are encouraged to take IST-5500 (Fundamentals of Technology). This

course introduces students from a non-technology background to the concepts and terminology

with which instructors in graduate-level technology courses expect students to be familiar.

  Official transcripts should be sent electronically or by mail to:

Wilmington University

Office of Graduate Admissions

320 North DuPont Highway

New Castle, DE 19720

Any transcripts from institutions outside of the United States require an official course-by-course

evaluation by a NACES.org approved agency.  Note: In order to receive financial aid, a transcript

listing a Bachelor's degree conferral must be on file.

3. Program Planning Conference

For assistance in scheduling your Program Planning Conference with your Graduate Advisor,

please contact Admissions:

Call: 877-967-5464 Text: 302-203-9516 Email: admissions@wilmu.edu

4. Register for CYB 6000 or CYB 6010

 

Research is an integral part of graduate studies. The Master of Science - Cybersecurity program uses the APA Research Format for all research papers. If you are not familiar with this citation system, please consider taking IST-5000, our introductory academic writing lab.

If you are an international student, please click here for additional information.

 

 

Program Purpose

Students earning this degree will be prepared to advance in the growing and challenging field of Cybersecurity. The program offers students the opportunity to learn both tactical and strategic perspectives of Cybersecurity. The combination of tactical and strategic perspectives enables students to become practitioners and leaders in the field of Cybersecurity.

Program Competencies

The graduate student who successfully completes the Cybersecurity program will be expected to:

I. Oral Communication

• Create and deliver a presentation that adheres to oral presentation best practices.
• Prepare and deliver a professional presentation related to Cybersecurity.
• Determine the appropriate verbal communication medium (phone call, meeting, presentation, etc.) for a given situation.
• Develop an effective verbal communication strategy for a given situation.

II.    Written Communication

• Determine the appropriate written communication medium (email, text, report, etc.) for a given situation.
• Develop an effective written communication strategy for a given situation.
• Correctly use citations, quotations, and references to support written/typed material.
• Correctly format citations, quotations, and references in accordance with the APA Manual’s standards
• Format written/typed material, including tables and figures, in accordance with the APA Manual’s standards, including APA style and format.

III.   Critical Thinking

• Solve an IT/IS and/or Cybersecurity related problem / scenario.
• Utilize quantitative, qualitative and /or scientific reasoning to solve problems.
• Use/Apply critical thinking strategies, including reasoning, problem solving, analysis and evaluation.
• Define a problem or issue and develop questions and methods to address the problem or issue and/or to create new knowledge.

IV.  Information Literacy

• Identify and analyze the applicability and reliability of research information.
• Use applicable and reliable research information as support for group and/or individual assignments.

V.    Ethics

• Critique a scenario/case study involving a Cybersecurity ethical dilemma.

VI.  Cybersecurity Best Practices

• Apply a Cybersecurity best practice to a scenario.
• Compare and contrast a given set of Cybersecurity best practices.

VII. Cybersecurity Plan

• Develop a Cybersecurity plan for a given situation/case study.
• Analyze / critique a Cybersecurity plan.

VIII. Cybersecurity Tools, Techniques, and Methodologies

• Compare and contrast a given set of Cybersecurity methodologies.
• Apply/utilize the appropriate Cybersecurity tool for a given situation/case study.
• Describe a given Cybersecurity technique.

Program Design

Students who successfully complete the Masters of Science in Cybersecurity will possess a working command of current cybersecurity practices that can be immediately applied to an organization regardless of size. Degree recipients will be capable of managing complex cybersecurity responsibilities and projects from inception to completion. Students have the option to pursue a concentration that caters to their vocational pursuit. Students graduating from the MS in Cybersecurity program should be prepared to provide leadership in the field of Cybersecurity. Graduates will have the following skills, knowledge, and values:

• A core knowledge of Cybersecurity

• Communication, interpersonal, and team skills

• Analytical and critical thinking skills

• Specific skills leading to a career

Information Systems Foundations

Students without a sufficient level of information technology proficiency, experience, or expertise may be required to complete a placement exam prior to entering the Cybersecurity Program. Students who do not successfully complete the placement exam will be required to take the IST Fundamentals course – IST 5500 within their first semester of the Cybersecurity Program.

 

 

Cybersecurity Core Course Requirements

CYB 6000	Network Security	3
CYB 6010	Protecting and Securing the OS	3
CYB 6020	Vulnerability Assmt and PT	3
CYB 6030	IDS and IPS	3
CYB 6040	Cyberthreat Intelligence	3
CYB 8100	Cybersecurity Capstone	3
CYB 8101	Research Seminar	3

Electives

If pursuing no concentration, then select five (5) of the following electives:

CYB 6015	Intelligence Writing	3
CYB 6025	Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)	3
CYB 6050	Information Warfare (Social Media Intelligence)	3
CYB 6090	Special Topics: Cybersecurity	3
IST 7060	Project and Change Management	3
SEC 6040	Web and Data Security	3
SEC 6060	Incident Handling and Response	3

Cyber Terrorism Concentration

Students pursuing the Cyber Terrorism Concentration should select five (5) of the following courses:

MHS 7000/MAJ 7000	Contemporary Issues in Homeland Security	3
MHS 7001	Sociology of Terrorism	3
MHS 7002/MAJ 7002	Legal Aspects and Policy of Homeland Security	3
MHS 7003/MAJ 7003	Risk Assessment and Management	3
MHS 7006	Topics in Intelligence	3
MHS 7007	Strategic Planning in Homeland Security	3

SCADA Cybersecurity Concentration

Students pursuing the SCADA Cybersecurity concentration will complete the following courses:

IST 7100	IT Policy and Strategy	3
SEC 6080	Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security	3
SEC 6082	SCADA Architecture	3
SEC 6084	SCADA Risk Management and Auditing	3
SEC 6086	SCADA Security Awareness and Standards	3