M.S. in Cyber Security and Privacy
Academic Advisor: https://computing.njit.edu/advising
M.S. in Cyber Security and Privacy
The M.S. in Cyber Security and Privacy creates a strong foundation and detailed technical knowledge in security, privacy, and cryptography applied to computer systems, networks, and web applications. The program also has a Cyber Defense Option whose objective is to create leaders with strong communication and management skills in addition to the strong technical knowledge in security and privacy.
Prerequisites
Applicants should have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a discipline related to computing (e.g., Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, or Information Technology). Applicants with a bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline or relevant professional experience can first take a graduate certificate and then apply to the M.S. program. Further information can be found on the program's webpage.
Degree Requirements
MS-CSP: Degree Requirements
The program requires the completion of 30 credits. The requirement is most commonly satisfied by taking ten 3-credit graduate courses. These consist of:
- Five Core Courses required for all students (15 credits)
- Five Elective Courses from the combined lists of CS Electives, Foundational Courses and Courses from Other Departments (15 credits).
- Students can take at most two courses from the list of approved Foundational Courses and at most two courses from the list of approved Courses from Other Departments.
Project and Thesis Option: Students who want to pursue research have the option to earn up to 6 of the required 30 credits by taking as electives the CS 700B Master's Project, possibly followed by CS 701B Master's Thesis. These have special requirements described in the Section "Master's Project and Thesis Policies".
More specifically, the degree requirements are as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | 15 | |
| Cryptography and Security | ||
| Security and Privacy in Computer Systems | ||
| Network Protocols Security | ||
| Counter Hacking Techniques | ||
| Internet and Higher-Layer Protocols | ||
| Elective Courses | 15 | |
| Select five courses with any combination of the following: | ||
| CS Electives | ||
| Distributed Systems | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Cloud Computing | ||
| Cyber Sec Investigations & Law | ||
| Software Design and Production Methodology | ||
| Topics in Smartphone Sec & Rel | ||
| Linux Kernel Programming | ||
| Software Testing and Quality Assurance | ||
| Network Management and Security &1 | ||
or ECE 638 | Network Management and Security | |
| Special Emerging Topics: (Must be related to Cybersecurity. Advisor approval is required.) | ||
| Advanced Data Security and Privacy | ||
| Security and Privacy in Wireless Networks | ||
| Seminar in Computer Science I (Must be related to Cybersecurity. Advisor approval is required.) | ||
| Courses from Other Departments | ||
| At most 2 courses from this list: | ||
| Web Systems Development | ||
| Data Visualization and Interpretation | ||
| Spatiotemporal Urban Analytics | ||
| Data Analytics for Info System | ||
| Information Systems Auditing | ||
| Computer Security Auditing | ||
| Forensic Auditing for Computing Security | ||
| Wireless Networks Security and Administration | ||
| Network Services Administration | ||
| Computer Networking Laboratory | ||
| Cloud and IoT Networking and Security | ||
| Internet Law and Policy Issues | ||
| Legal and Ethical Issues in a Digital World | ||
| Applied Statistics | ||
| Graduate Capstone Project &2 | ||
| Foundational Courses | ||
| At most 2 courses from this list: | ||
| Foundations of Computer Science &3 | ||
| Data Structures and Algorithms | ||
| Operating System Design | ||
| Data Management System Design | ||
| Project and Thesis Option &4 | ||
| Master's Project | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- &
1. Substitution is allowed only for students with ECE background and with the advisor permission.
2. YWCC 691 and CS 700B cannot apply simultaneously toward degree requirements.
3. CS 506 is recommended only to students without a typical CS background.
4. The Project or Thesis must be related to Cybersecurity.
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Master's Project or Thesis Policies
The contents of this section apply only to students who elect to do a Master's Project (CS 700B) or a Master's Thesis (CS 701B).
Students must first identify a research advisor who must be a tenure-track faculty of the CS department, including faculty with a joint appointment. Tenure-track faculty are the department members including those who hold joint appointments with the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and Distinguished Professor.
In order to identify a research advisor, students are encouraged to attend special presentations offered by the department or to directly contact professors. Professors may not always have availability for conducting an MS project/thesis. Students are therefore encouraged to start looking for an advisor as early as possible, especially if they are considering pursuing a Master’s Thesis that takes two semesters.
The students must be in close coordination with their research advisor who will determine the topic of the Project/Thesis and guide them to take specific elective courses that will prepare them for the research.
The Project or Thesis must be related to Cybersecurity. YWCC 691 cannot count toward degree requirements for students who elect to do a Master's Project or a Master's Thesis.
Registration
-
Master’s Project: With permission of their research advisor students must register in the CS 700BMaster's Project course. To register for a Master's Project, students must have completed at least 9 credits and must be in good standing.
-
Master’s Thesis: With permission of their research advisor, students must first register in the CS 700B Master's Project course. They must receive a satisfactory (S) grade in CS 700B before CS 701B Master's Thesis registration in the immediately following semester, with the same advisor. The MS topic should be continuation of the work done in CS 700B.
Thesis Requirements
- An MS Thesis Committee must be formed, according to these requirements set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies.
- A written thesis must be submitted. The thesis must adhere to the style requirements set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies.
- An oral defense is required. The defense must take place before the last day of the Examination period
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MS-CSP: Cyber Defense Option: Degree Requirements
The objective of the Cyber Defense Professional Science Master (PSM), an option of the MS CSP, is to create leaders with strong communication and management skills in addition to the strong technical knowledge in security and privacy of computer systems, networks, and web applications. This PSM is designed for working professionals or students who have already acquired some professional experience. The Cyber Defense PSM is affiliated with the PSM National Office.
The PSM option requires the completion of 36 credits. The requirement is satisfied with:
- Six required Cybersecurity Core courses (18 credits)
- Two courses from the list of PTC (Professional and Technical Communications) Electives (6 credits)
- Two courses from the list of Management Electives (6 credits)
- Two courses from the list of Computing Electives (6 credits)
Among the required Cybersecurity Core Courses, the program includes YWCC 691 Graduate Capstone Project. This is a project course, supervised by a CS faculty member, and done in collaboration with industrial partners. These partners will propose projects, and they will co-supervise the students together with the instructor of the course. Students who have a job are allowed to work on projects from their companies, in which case their employer will be actively engaged in the project supervision. The projects will generally be done in teams of 3 students.
More specifically, the degree requirements are as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | 18 | |
| Cryptography and Security | ||
| Security and Privacy in Computer Systems | ||
| Network Protocols Security | ||
| Counter Hacking Techniques | ||
| Internet and Higher-Layer Protocols | ||
| Graduate Capstone Project | ||
| Professional and Technical Communication Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| Speaking English in Professional Situations | ||
| Technical Writing for Graduate Students | ||
| User Experience Design | ||
| Management Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| Management Accounting | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Corporate Finance I | ||
| Global Project Management | ||
| Knowledge Management | ||
| Business Research Methods I | ||
| Internet Law and Policy Issues | ||
| Legal and Ethical Issues in a Digital World | ||
| Computing Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| Data Structures and Algorithms | ||
| Operating System Design | ||
| Data Management System Design | ||
| Advanced Database System Design | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Cloud Computing | ||
| Cyber Sec Investigations & Law | ||
| Software Design and Production Methodology | ||
| Topics in Smartphone Sec & Rel | ||
| Software Testing and Quality Assurance | ||
| Network Management and Security | ||
| Special Emerging Topics: (Must be related to Cybersecurity. Advisor approval is required.) | ||
| Master's Project | ||
| Advanced Data Security and Privacy | ||
| Security and Privacy in Wireless Networks | ||
| Seminar in Computer Science I (Must be related to Cybersecurity. Advisor approval is required.) | ||
| Web Systems Development | ||
| Data Visualization and Interpretation | ||
| Spatiotemporal Urban Analytics | ||
| Data Analytics for Info System | ||
| Information Systems Auditing | ||
| Computer Security Auditing | ||
| Forensic Auditing for Computing Security | ||
| Wireless Networks Security and Administration | ||
| Network Services Administration | ||
| Computer Networking Laboratory | ||
| Cloud and IoT Networking and Security | ||
| Applied Statistics | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
