MS in Cybersecurity Engineering

Cybersecurity has been and continues to be one of the most growth-oriented career fields in the computer science domain. Graduates of this program will be equipped with the theoretical and hands-on engineering expertise to solve complex cybersecurity problems affecting diverse enterprises worldwide

All students in the MS in Cybersecurity Engineering program must have previously completed (as documented by their undergraduate transcript), successfully test to place out of, or complete at the start of their program, the following courses: CSE 1301 Introduction to Computer Science and CSE 2407 Data Structures and Algorithms, or equivalent courses offered at other institutions.

(Please note course listings in parentheses are the pre-Fall 2025 versions of the course numbers) 

General Degree Requirements

• Students who have already taken core or elective courses specified by the program can, with departmental approval, substitute other courses that are suitably technical and appropriate to the degree program. Departmental approval will require justification and shall be evaluated with increasing stringency for each additional substitution.
• None of the 30 units may be taken as independent study (i.e., CSE 4000 (CSE400) or CSE 5999 (CSE500)).
• Courses with an "N" designation do not count toward the master's degree.
• All 30 units required for the degree must be taken for a grade (i.e., not pass/fail), and the grade received in each course must be C- or better.
• As per McKelvey School of Engineering guidelines, students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.70.

Master's Capstone Requirements

• Beginning in Fall 2025, students seeking to take the project or thesis option in our degree programs will register for CSE 7998 (Masterʼs capstone). CSE 7998 does not count towards the studentʼs 30 required units of coursework to complete the degree until the student has successfully defended the project or thesis.
• Please view the following options below:
  1. Upon successful defense of a 6 unit Masterʼs project, 6 units of CSE 7998 will count towards the studentʼs coursework at the CSE 5000-level
  2. Upon successful defense of a masterʼs thesis, 6 units of CSE 7998 will count towards the studentʼs coursework at the CSE 5000 level.
• A student who successfully defends one of the two options listed above will have a notation added to their transcript to clearly indicate exactly which option (6 unit masterʼs project, masterʼs thesis) was completed. Each semester CSE 7998 will be graded with a letter grade. A grade of a C- or above is required in the first semester of a 6 unit project or thesis to continue the work in the final semester. Students should refer to the department's Master's Program Handbook and the Resources for Current Master's Students page for additional details and guidance regarding projects and theses.
• The Progress Report
  Near the end of the first semester of a two-semester thesis or project, the student will submit a written progress report to the committee. The progress report will be used by the committee to evaluate student progress and to provide an opportunity to give feedback to the student.
  • Preparing and Submitting the Progress Report
    The progress report should include:
    • A copy of the original scope and duration of the work to be performed (this can be obtained from the original proposal form). Students can contact the Graduate Coordinator to receive a copy of their original proposal form.
    • A discussion of any major modifications/changes to the scope of the work to be performed
    • An overview of the work that has been completed during the first semester of the thesis or project
    • A discussion of the work yet to be completed and a timeline for completion
  • The progress report should be submitted via email to all members of the committee at least one week prior to the last official day of classes for the given semester.
  • Outcomes
    • Once submitted, the committee will confer privately to discuss the studentʼs progress made during the first semester of the thesis or project. The committee will decide on one of three possible outcomes:
      • Thesis or project should continue without concern, indicating the student is making consistent progress and is on track to successfully complete the thesis or project on time.
      • Thesis or project should continue with concern, indicating the student is making some progress, but is falling behind. Without change, the student is not likely to successfully complete the thesis or project.
      • Thesis or project should not continue, indicating the student is not making sufficient progress and the project/thesis should be terminated.
    • The outcome determined by the committee will be communicated to the student by the departmentʼs Graduate Coordinator prior to the official end of the semester. If the outcome is that the thesis or project should not continue, the student will not be enrolled in the second semesterʼs units.
• Process for Termination of a Project or Thesis:
  Please note, starting for Fall 2024 onward, Master's Project / Thesis students will not be allowed to have an "N" grade submitted for a terminated project. Please contact the Graduate Coordinator as soon as possible regarding any questions for terminating a project / thesis. With that in mind, please review the following scenarios:
  • A two semester project or thesis, during the first semester of the project/thesis:
    • Terminated before the add/drop deadline will have no effect on the student's record.
    • Terminated after the add/drop deadline but before the Withdrawal deadline would leave a "W" on the student's transcript.
    • Terminated after the Withdrawal deadline could result in a failing letter grade on the student's transcript.
  • A two-semester project or thesis, where the first semester has already been completed:
    • If the second semester of the project/thesis is terminated before the add/drop deadline: the second semester credits of CSE7998 would be dropped.
    • If the second semester is terminated after the add/drop deadline but before the Withdrawal deadline: the second semester credits of CSE7998 would leave a "W" on the student's transcript.
    • If the second semester is terminated after the Withdrawal deadline: the termination could result in a failing letter grade on the student's transcript.

Additional Cybersecurity Program

The Master’s of Cybersecurity Management is a 30-unit, part-time program designed for working professionals. The curriculum provides students with the knowledge needed to protect, defend, respond and recover from cyber threats. >> More information