Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Privacy

The School of Computing at UGA has several faculty whose research areas are in cybersecurity and privacy. To foster collaboration among these faculty and coordinate related academic courses, the School of Computing at UGA has established an Institute for Cybersecurity and Privacy (ICSP), which has been named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Privacy,Non-Thesis

Program Description and Objectives

This MS program will be useful for all students, particularly in the fields of computer science, mathematics, and engineering. The program aims to develop expertise in various aspects of computer security and privacy, such as networking, operating systems, network and systems security, and data and communications privacy.

Admission Criteria: 

Admissions requirements will align with the current admissions standards set by the Graduate School and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Completed applications will include the UGA graduate application, bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in Computer Science or a related discipline, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, resume, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are optional for graduate CSCI programs. International applicants also need TOEFL or IELTS official test scores. Applicants will need to meet all Graduate School requirements.

Students with insufficient background in Computer Science must first take undergraduate Computer Science courses to remedy any deficiencies, in addition to their graduate program requirements. A sufficient background in Computer Science must include at least the following courses (or equivalents):

• CSCI 1301-1301L, Introduction to Computing and Programming (alternative option CSCI 7010, Computer Programming)
• CSCI 1302, Software Development
• CSCI 1730, Systems Programming
• CSCI 2610, Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
• CSCI 2670, Introduction to Theory of Computing
• CSCI 2720, Data Structures
• CSCI 4720, Computer Systems Architecture (4 hours)
• MATH 2200, Analytic Geometry and Calculus
• MATH 2250, Calculus I for Science and Engineering

 Curriculum (This program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours.)

The total number of credit hours required to complete Cybersecurity and Privacy (M.S.) is 30 hours for both the non-thesis and the proposed thesis option. Below is a table for the program of study for the non-thesis and the thesis options:

Non-Thesis (Approved)	Thesis Option
Required Courses (19-20 hours)	Required Courses (22-24 hours)
CSCI 6250, Cyber Security (4 hours)	CSCI 6250, Cyber Security (4 hours)
CSCI 6260, Data Security and Privacy (4 hours)	CSCI 6260, Data Security and Privacy (4 hours)
CSCI 6730, Operating Systems (4 hours)	CSCI 6730, Operating Systems (4 hours)
CSCI 6760, Computer Networks (4 hours)	CSCI 6760, Computer Networks (4 hours)
CSCI 7200, Master’s Project (3-4 hours)	CSCI 7000, Master’s Research (3-4 hours)
	CSCI 7300, Master’s Thesis (3-4 hours)
Elective Courses (11-12 hours) Choose three of the following	Elective Courses (6-8 hours) Choose two of the following
CSCI 6270, Introduction to Computer Forensics (4 hours)	CSCI 6270, Introduction to Computer Forensics (4 hours)
CSCI 8240, Software Security and Cyber Forensics (4 hours)	CSCI 8240, Software Security and Cyber Forensics (4 hours)
CSCI 8245, Secure Programming (4 hours)	CSCI 8245, Secure Programming (4 hours)
CSCI 8250, Advanced Cyber Security (4 hours)	CSCI 8250, Advanced Cyber Security (4 hours)
CSCI 8260, Computer Network Attacks and Defenses (4 hours)	CSCI 8260, Computer Network Attacks and Defenses (4 hours)
CSCI 8265, Trustworthy Machine Learning (4 hours)	CSCI 8265, Trustworthy Machine Learning (4 hours)
CSCI 8960, Privacy-Preserving Data Analytics (4 hours)	CSCI 8960, Privacy-Preserving Data Analytics (4 hours)
CSCI 8965, Internet of Things Security (4 hours)	CSCI 8965, Internet of Things Security (4 hours)
CSEE 8310, Security in Cyber-Physical Systems (3 hours)	CSEE 8310, Security in Cyber-Physical Systems (3 hours)
MATH 6540, Cryptology and Computational Number Theory (3 hours)	MATH 6540, Cryptology and Computational Number Theory (3 hours)
MIST 7775, Cyber Threat Intelligence (3 hours)	MIST 7775, Cyber Threat Intelligence (3 hours)

To complete the program in Cybersecurity and Privacy (M.S.), students must complete 19-20 hours of mainstream cybersecurity courses in Computer Science, including CSCI 7200, Master’s Project. Students must also complete 10-12 hours of elective coursework related to Cybersecurity and Privacy, and CSCI 3030 or equivalent if they have not already taken a suitable ethics course. Overall, students must complete at least 12 hours of graduate-only coursework.

Advisory Committee

Students in the Master of Science Cybersecurity and Privacy (Thesis)  program require an advisory committee.  The advisory committee will consist of one major professor and two additional members. At least two of the three members must be from the School of Computing. Students in the thesis program will select their committee members through the student Enrolled Student Progress Portal. Students in the Master of Science Cybersecurity and Privacy NT ( Non-thesis) program may select their Major professor through the student Enrolled Student Progress Portal.  

How to Create Graduate Advisory Committee

Core Competency

The required core courses are: CSCI: 6760,6730,6250,6260. Select between MS Cybersecurity (Thesis) or MS Cybersecurity (Non-thesis) Core Competency forms. Faculty approved form is uploaded to elC. Please provide an updated UGA transcript in eLC to review your Core Competency and Program of Study forms. 

Students who take the 4 required core courses, must achieve a grade average of at least 3.15 (e.g., B+, B+, B, B) on the MS Cybersecurity and Privacy Core Competency Form.

Core competency is certified by the unanimous approval of the student's Advisory Committee, Major professor, as well as the approval by the Graduate Coordinator. The student’s advisory committee manages the core competency in cooperation with the student. Students are required to meet the core competency requirement within their first three enrolled academic semesters (excluding summer semester). Core Competency Certification must be completed before approval of the Program of Study.

Master's Project and Report ( Nonthesis students)

To satisfy this requirement, minimum 4 credit hours of CSCI 7200 (2-6 credit hours; repeatable up to 12 credit hours) Master’s Project must be taken, spread over the student’s two semesters. The CSCI 7200 course involves an applied research project under the direction of the student’s Major Professor/Project Advisor and 2nd Professor to guide the student through two semesters. The professors for the MS Project can be: two tenured track professors, or one tenure track professor and one lecturer, from School of Computing only. School of Computing courtesy faculty are acceptable.  As part of the requirements, a comprehensive report must be prepared detailing the student's procedures and findings regarding the completed project work. The completed final MS project comprehensive report and the final MS project form with signatures of both professors, with project grade will be both uploaded into eLearning Commons (eLC) by the second semester of the MS project.  The final project grade is S/U. 

MS Project Form

Student Learning Outcomes

Students in this program should be able to defend against common cybersecurity and privacy attacks by having knowledge of information security, including secure programming and known practices.

Students will be able to use their enhanced and improved hands-on experiences and skills to address various security and privacy issues.

Students should be able to make risk assessment to IT design decisions.

 

Sample Program of Study

Course Number Course Title Hours First Year Fall   CSCI 6760 CSCI 6260 CSCI 6730   Computer Networks Data Security and Privacy Operating Systems Total Credit Hours 4 4 4 12 First Year Spring   CSCI 6250 CSCI 8260 CSCI 8960 CSCI 8265     Cyber Security Computer Network Attacks and Defenses Privacy-Preserving Data Analysis Trustworthy Machine Learning   Total Credit Hours 4 4 4 4   16 Summer/Fall  CSCI 7200 Summer   CSCI 7200 Fall  (taken over 2 semesters) Master’s Project   Master's Project  Total Credit Hours     2   2   4   Total       32

Graduation Requirements

Before the end of the second semester in residence, a student must begin submitting forms to the Graduate School, through the Graduate Coordinator, including a Program of Study Form. The Major Professor/Project Advisor must come from the Computer Science Faculty (Professors/Lecturers). The Program of Study Form indicates how and when degree requirements will be met and must be formulated in consultation with the student's Major Professor/Project Advisor. An Application for Graduation Form must also be submitted directly to the Graduate School.

Forms and Timing must be submitted as follows:

1. Core Competency Form (Departmental) - beginning of third semester (upload to eLC with updated transcript)
2. Program of Study Form (G138) - semester before the student’s last semester
3. Application for Graduation Form ( in Athena) - beginning of last semester
4. MS Project Form-end of final semester of CSCI 7200 3-4 credit completion (upload to elC)
5. MS Project- end of final semester of CSCI 7200 3-4 credit completion (upload to elC)
6. Graduate Advisory Committee-(Enrolled Student Progress Portal)- to assign your Major professor.

See “Important Dates and Deadlines” on the Graduate School’s website