Cybersecurity (M.S., Certificate)

For students applying to the master's or certificate in cybersecurity program, please submit the following to the Graduate School:

• One copy of official transcripts from each institution attended.
• Résumé/CV that provides educational and professional experience (required only for master's program).

This program is designed for students with a background in computer science or related area that has prepared the students in core computing subjects, such as programming, computer architecture, operating systems, networking, data management systems and applications. Students who do not have the necessary background will be required to complete one or both of the foundation courses to ensure they are well prepared for the required coursework. The determination to take the foundation courses is based on a thorough evaluation of student transcripts and other supporting documents during the application review.

Transfer credit policy for admitted students

Students may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate credits from an external, accredited institution, or another Hood graduate program prior to the first semester of study in the current program. Please review the full graduate transfer credit policy in the College catalog.

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity, for students with undergraduate preparation in computer science or related area, requires the completion of 30 credits: 24 credits of core courses, one 3 credit elective course, and 3 credits of a Cybersecurity Capstone.

Students, without undergraduate preparation in computer science or related area, will be required to complete one or two foundation courses, designed to provide the appropriate background knowledge and foundation to succeed in the program.

Core Requirements

Elective

One from the following:

Foundation Courses

Any foundation courses required are in addition to the 30 credits required for program completion.

• Students in the Μaster's in Cybersecurity program should use this Program Planning Guide (PDF) to plan and track their progress.

• Students in the Cybersecurity Certificate program should use this Program Planning Guide (PDF) to plan and track their progress.

Admission

• How do I apply for admission?
  • Students apply for admission following the directions here.
• What are the admission criteria for the program?
  • You can find the admission criteria here.
• Do you offer probationary or conditional admission if I don't meet one or more of the admission criteria?
  • We don't offer probationary or conditional admission. After admission, if a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, the student must restore their GPA to a 3.0 within 9 credit hours to avoid dismissal from the program. The application review is designed to ensure that admitted students will be well prepared to succeed in the program. Based on an applicant’s background, the program director may require registration in specific foundational coursework and/or limit the number of credits for enrollment during the student’s first semester.

Program

• How many courses do I need to complete for the MS in Cybersecurity?
  • Students must complete 10 courses above the foundation courses (see the Program Planning Guide).
• Is the program offered part-time or full-time?
  • Both. Students may study in the program either part-time or full-time.
    NOTE: International students in the US with a student visa are required to be full-time.
• Is the program offered on-campus or online?
  • Both. Students may study in the program either on-campus or online.
    NOTE: International students in the US with a student visa are not allowed to take any online courses.
• What is the typical course structure in the program?
  • Students can expect a carefully integrated mix of lectures, hands-on laboratory assignments, computer-based simulations, individual and small group projects and discussions along with guest lectures by local cybersecurity government and industry leaders and world-renowned experts (see: Cotton Lecture Series).
• What is the typical class size?
  • Most classes have an average of 14-16 students; however, there are some very popular courses that average 24 students. At Hood College, in person or online, you will never be in a class where your instructor doesn't know your name or how you are doing in class.

Courses

• What are the foundation courses?
  • Foundation courses aim to help students with partial or no preparation in computing or information technology get ready to be successful in the program. There are two such courses: IT 510 Computing Hardware & Software Systems and CSIT 512 Elements of Computer Programming (Python).
• How many courses can I take each semester?
  • In graduate school, three courses (9 credits) is considered a full-time load. Part-time students may take anywhere from one to three courses each semester. Full-time students must take three courses each semester. NOTE: International students are required to maintain a full-time course load in order to comply with US student visa requirements.
• Can I transfer courses from another graduate program?
  • Yes. You may request to transfer up to 6 graduate credits (two courses) from another accredited institution. The courses to be transferred must have been completed with a grade of B or higher and must match course(s) in our program. The final decision to approve any transfer credits is made by the Program Director.
• Can I substitute courses in the program with other courses (e.g., CS, IT, ITMG)?
  • Generally, no. Particularly if it is a core course, and therefore an accreditation requirement for our program. We may have some latitude in counting a relevant course from another computing discipline as an elective. However, to do so, the student must provide an unofficial transcript, a course syllabus, and a course description. The final decision to count such a course is made by the Program Director.
• How much time can I expect to spend on each course per week?
  • On average, you will spend about three hours each week in the classroom for each course. The rule of thumb is that you should estimate spending no less than three hours per week for each hour you are in the classroom to study, do homework and work on projects.
• What are the easy courses in the program?
  • All the courses are challenging in their own way. There are courses some students find more enjoyable than others, but it is subjective and mostly based on personal interests and prior background. If a student is admitted to the program, we make sure they have the right preparation to succeed.
• Do I need to always follow the course prerequisites?
  • Yes, the course prerequisites have been carefully designed to meet the program's goals.
• What is the CYBR 560 Cybersecurity Capstone about?
  • Read a sample syllabus (PDF) that explains the Capstone, the process, and the student responsibilities and methods of evaluation.
• What is the CYBR 599 Special Topics elective course about?
  • This is a designation for courses covering specialized topics that are not taught on a regular basis. When a CYBR 599 course is offered, students will see it on the schedule along with a meaningful title describing the course.
• What is the CYBR 597 Cybersecurity Practical Training elective course about?
  • This course is designed to provide cybersecurity students with a working knowledge and practical application of the topics covered in our cyber courses. Students will apply current research and accepted practices in the cybersecurity field in a variety of professional settings and will perform work supervised by both a professional adviser and a Hood adviser. Based on the description for the external position, students will craft an appropriate research/professional plan in consultation with their adviser. This course will help students synthesize previous concepts and training as they transition to the role of a professional. Students should contact the Hood College Career Center to get help with locating potential relevant positions that could be used to serve as Practical Training sites.
• Will the M.S. in Cybersecurity prepare me to obtain professional certificates?
  • Our curriculum provides a comprehensive background and practical, hands-on skills to succeed in cybersecurity. Several courses (e.g., CYBR 555, CYBR 521, CYBR 566, and others) cover the same (and more in-depth) topics required by many popular certificates so our students are well prepared when they decide to pursue them. However, our courses are not designed to prepare students for a particular certificate or “teach to the test.” Students interested in a specific certificate should obtain information about the contents, criteria, and testing from the administering organization.
• Why do employers ask for professional certificates? Isn't my degree enough?
  • Your degree is more than enough from the perspective of what you have learned and what you can do. But cybersecurity is a fairly new field and employers are asked to review job applications from candidates with vastly different academic preparation and experience. Professional certificates are a convenient way for employers to quickly and easily understand a job candidate's level of expertise.
• Do I need to earn professional certificates (e.g., Security+, CISSP, CEH, etc.)?
  • It depends. Application requirements in the job market vary across industries and employers. There are employers that do not ask for any professional certificates for candidates holding a graduate degree in cybersecurity. Other employers hire graduate degree holders with the expectation for professional certificates to be obtained within a certain period of time while employed. There are also employers that make certificates a requirement to be even considered for a position. Your academic degree will prepare you to tackle any certificate if you begin to see employers asking for them. After you begin working in the field of cybersecurity, obtaining certificates is considered in the industry as a type of professional development, similar to attending workshops or getting training.

Assistantships/Financial Aid

• Are there any Teaching or Research Assistantships available? 
  • There are only a couple of assistantship (Graduate Assistant) opportunities but they are very limited and require completion of about 50% of their courses to be eligible. Assistantships are very competitive to get, and we strongly advise that no student should make any financial decision assuming that they will be selected and receive the assistantship. The reason we have limited assistantship is that we are able to keep the cost of the MS program affordable for every student in the program -- and we have one of the most affordable programs.

Registration and Logistics

• How do I register for the first semester?
  • Follow these steps. The always helpful staff of the Graduate School are also always eager and ready to help!

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The 4PLUS program is designed for highly motivated students who have the desire to build career options into their undergraduate curriculum and earn a master's degree in cybersecurity.

Hood College students from all majors are eligible to participate in a 4PLUS program that allows for a combined, and in some cases accelerated, master’s degree in cybersecurity after the completion of their undergraduate program. The program is especially relevant to computer science majors, but it is also available to students from other disciplines.

The Cybersecurity Capstone Thesis

The Cybersecurity Capstone is the culmination of the master's program. The Capstone invites students to develop further and demonstrate their ability to engage broadly and in-depth with a specific topic in the discipline. It draws diverse modes of learning into one focused area that can enhance the student’s informed cybersecurity practice. This learning and engagement with a specific topic are expected to be highly scholarly. Students are encouraged to begin discussing areas of interest and topics for their Capstone with potential faculty thesis advisors after completing 21 credits in the program.

The Cybersecurity Capstone Guidelines are posted on the Graduate School's site (Sec. Final Thesis, Projects, Capstones and Research, Departmental Guidelines).

The following are the titles of past Cybersecurity Capstone Projects:

Note: Because the work may have been conducted in an industry or a government setting, or it is based on private or internal, company-sponsored research, copies of the capstone projects are not made available. It is the author's prerogative to decide if they will share their project, and you must contact them directly to request a copy. Neither the Program, the Department, nor the College can provide former students' contact information.

2023

• Adetona, A. O., "Threat Analysis and Visualization of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Data" 
• Alqahtani, R.,  "A System for the Prevention of SQL Injection Attacks"
• Babaei, A.,  "Cloud-Based Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security Framework: Strategies for Identification, Mitigation, and Maintenance of Configuration"
• Besch, L., "Survey and Classification of Social Engineering Attacks"
• Chandula, I.R., "Development and Analysis of a Machine Learning Intrusion Detection System"
• Gaddam, R., "Unauthorized User Access Detection Based on Mouse Dynamics"
• Kutey, A., "Comparative Analysis for Security Architecture Framework"
• Langmead, P., "Comparative Evaluation of Cybersecurity Certifications (CMMC and ISO 27001)"
• Malipeddi, S., "Routing Summarization for Firewall and Network Perimeter Protection"
• Owusu-Antwi, M., "Cost-benefit Analysis of Security by Design"
• Sarangal, H., "Plagiarism Detection Systems and Privacy: Balancing Academic Integrity and User Data Protection"
• Wyld, D., "Cybersecurity Governance & Compliance: Mitigating Risk In Telehealth Smart Home Integration"

2022

• D. Aidoo, "Analysis and Comparative Performance of Open-Source Intrusion Detection Systems"
• K. Alatawi, "Cybersecurity Insurance and Risk"
• N. Alharthi, "Comparative Malware Analysis of Ransomware"
• S. Alqatani, "Comparative Analysis and Criteria for Evaluating Ransomware Malware"
• B. Felts, "Cyber Security Risk Quantification Based on Limited or Unknown Information"

2021

• S. J. Alhajry, "Comparison of Malware Detection Techniques"
• A.M. Almatthmi, "Evaluation of User Interfaces in Security Information and Event Management Systems"
• P. Burnett, "Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment for Identification and Remediation of Insider Threats"
• M. Calafos, "The Dark Side of Cryptocurrency: Laundering Money and Financing Criminality"
• J. M. Downing, "The Implications of Huawei 5G on the Five Eyes Intelligence Sharing Alliance"
• S. Lange, "Development of Automated Penetration Testing Tool with Push Notifications"
• M. D. Sabeeh, "A Survey on the State of Bots, Associated Threats, and Detection Techniques"
• G. Mbouna, "Internet-based Voting Security: The Case of the African Continent Transitioning to E-voting"
• F. F. Qazzazee, "Comparison and Performance Evaluation of VPN Technologies"

2020

• F.Y. Aljammaz, "A Comparative Analysis of Threat and Risk Modeling of Consumer IoT Devices"
• A. Alzahrani, "Detection and Prediction of Insider Threats"
• C. Carrington, "Evaluation and Comparison of Cyber vs. Non-Crime and Punishment in the Criminal Justice System"
• J. Flagg, "Impact and Risk Evaluation of Medical Equipment on The Security Posture of Healthcare Organizations"
• H. Rivas, "Security and Risk Evaluation of Cloud Storage and Cloud Infrastructure"
• S. Wilson, "Evaluation of the Cybersecurity Posture in Emergency Services Organizations"
• A. J. Woodring, "E-Voting Platforms: Are They Secure?"
• A. Abdulmajeed,  "Threat Analysis of E-voting"
• N. Alosaimi, "Vulnerability Analysis of Smart Contracts"
• C. Brown,  "The Dilemma, Ethics, and Impact of Responsible Disclosure"
• R. de Cespedes,  "Security Operations Center (SOC) Threat Visualization"
• H. Ghasemi,  "Reducing Crime Related to Cryptocurrency Transactions"
• N. Kalva,  "Framework for the Evaluation of Privacy in IoT Devices"
• L. Lepi,  "A Comprehensive Survey of Threat Modeling Techniques and Their Applied Uses"
• J. Whipp,  "Enterprise Cybersecurity Plans, Policies, and Procedures"

2019

• A. Olanrewaju,  "Establishment of a Security Operations Center (SOC)"
• S. Soni,  "Protection by adversaries while using TheOnionRouter(TOR)"
• F. Alamri,  "Threat and Risk Modeling for IoT Device(s)"
• F. Alatawi,  "Best practices in defending against DDoS Attacks"
• O. Aloufi,  "Measuring Security"

2018

• A. Alsenaidi, "Cyber Security and the 4th Industrial Revolution"
• D. Hill, "Retaliation to cyber attacks. Should the US respond to cyberattacks by national adversaries?"
• J. Brewer, III, "Vehicle/Automotive Hacking"
• M. Giambruno, "Do Smart Houses Make for Safe Homes?"
• E. Hamad, "Development of a Firewall with Randomly Generated Service Ports"
• S. Jewett, "Cyberwafare, Cyber Weapons, and Cyber Attacks"
• P. Abayomi, "User interface for server firewall management