Cybersecurity M.S. Admission
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
31 Read's way
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. Submit a Wilmington University Code of Conduct Policy form
4. 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
5. 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
Electives
If pursuing no concentration, then select five (5) of the following electives:
| CYB 6090 | Special Topics: Cybersecurity | 3 |
| IST 7060 | Project and Change Management | 3 |
| SEC 6010 | Planning for Information Security | 3 |
| SEC 6025 | Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Applied Systems | 3 |
| SEC 6040 | Web and Data Security | 3 |
| SEC 6050 | Business Intelligence | 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:
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 |
To qualify for the Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours (12 courses), including the Cybersecurity Capstone and Research Seminar. Both are intended to enhance a student’s occupational interest through the correlation of theory and practice. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The program must be completed within five years.