Become a Digital Defender
Learn how to protect your organization and address issues of national and international cybersecurity with a Master of Science in Cyber Security and Privacy from UCF. This cybersecurity degree offers two tracks, technical and interdisciplinary. The technical track will lead you to a career as an advanced cybersecurity professional with expertise in networks, computer architecture, artificial intelligence and more. The interdisciplinary track can prepare you to become a manager of cybersecurity operations for a business.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- UCF is consistently ranked among the top schools for computer science education by U.S. News and World Report.
- UCF’s programming and collegiate cybersecurity teams are among the best in the world. The programming team has finished in the Southeast Region’s top three consistently for more than 40 years while the cybersecurity team has won six national championships.
- Thesis and non-thesis options are available.
- The program offers both technical and interdisciplinary tracks.
CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM ADMISSIONS
The M.S. in Cyber Security and Privacy requires 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, with nine required credit hours of core courses and seven electives. Students can choose between two tracks.
The technical track is designed for students aiming to become advanced cybersecurity and privacy professionals, who will master advanced knowledge on cybersecurity and privacy topics such as secure execution environment and malware analysis, and master knowledge on electives on networking, database, operating system, computer architecture, algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and software engineering.
The interdisciplinary track is designed for students aiming to become managers or administrative personnel of cybersecurity and privacy operations. They will be required to take fundamental and core courses on cybersecurity and privacy, and can choose electives from fields including management and business, human factors, psychology and criminal justice.
There are no additional requirements for admission into the cybersecurity degree beyond admission to UCF.
LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION
While licensure or certification may be available in this field of study, our program does not directly lead to such licensure or certification upon graduation. The professional preparation you receive in our program may still assist you in such pursuits; however, we are unable to confirm the specific licensure and certification requirements of each state, territory, or foreign entity in which professional credentialing may be possible. If you intend to pursue such credentialing in your state or elsewhere, we strongly advise you to contact the applicable state credentialing authority to familiarize yourself with its specific requirements and determine if our program meets its academic criteria.
CONTACT
Jeanine Clements
Graduate advisor
csgrad@ucf.edu
Cliff Zou
Program coordinator
changchun.zou@ucf.edu